Making a Mess into a Masterpiece!

“Observe how the lilies of the field grow...” Matthew 6:28

This is one of the most beautiful and reassuring passages in the Bible. Just reading through Matthew 6:25-34 made me peaceful. We can see how God takes care of the birds, how beautiful they are, the wild flowers in the field that grow even without care. “They do not toil or spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these!” Jesus goes on to say we should not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. “Each day has enough troubles of its own.” 

Sometimes when we go through our Facebook feed or group chats, we can grow anxious. So many worrying things about our country. All the reports of the ubiquitous Chinese presence of military aged men in the provinces and in the metro, the corruption scandals, the ballooning debt, the poor showing of our students compared to our Asian neighbors when we used to be at the very top of the heap! The list is long and getting longer. We can say our country is in a big mess and can get messier still. Sigh. 

I used to do art workshops. I tell the participants to make a mess with the paints and mark makers. “The messier the better,” I would say with a smile on my face. And when they follow the instructions I give them, a masterpiece will emerge from the mess. 

Human beings are naturally mess makers. We can make a mighty mess of our lives even without meaning to! In the first reading for today, 2 Chronicles 24, the mighty prophet Zechariah told the people: “Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.” 

God wants us to prosper, to live well, but we do not follow the good instructions He gives us. So our lives get messy. And like what happened to the Israelites again and again even up to now, our country gets into a big mess. 

There is only One who can save us. We can depend on Him to make a masterpiece out of our lives. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Where is Your Treasure?

“Where your treasure is, there your heart is also." Matthew 6:21

Pastor Colin Smith likes to tell a parable about a man who was put into a dark pit. This man would have to stay there for only one week, and after that, he would never have to go back there again. The only instruction he was given was that during his waking hours he was to try to make a life and a future. So this man was lowered into the pit. It was dark, smelly and damp. He tries to feel around and his hand hits something sharp like glass and he curses because now he is hurt. He is afraid of moving. He gets depressed, and just keeps thinking of when he gets out and never going back in. How could he make a life and a future in here???? He just counts the days and nights eager to get free.

The last day comes and he is relieved that finally he is pulled out of the pit. He runs out in relief, but then he glances back, and his eyes open wide. The sign next to the pit read: "DIAMOND MINE". He just spent one week in a diamond mine and didn't get anything for his trouble!

In Isaiah 45:3, we discover these promises, “You will give us the treasures of darkness and the hoarded treasures in secret places, that we may know that it is You, O Lord, the God of Israel, who call us by our name." 

It is possible, if we have faith, to find that even in the darkest, hardest times of our lives, we will find the goodness of God. There are treasures to be found in whatever God allows us to undergo. He can bring light in the darkness, and even “provide for those who grieve …– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.” (Isaiah 61:3) 

We do not realize it most of the time, but God allows us to go into a dark pit of trials and challenges because there are diamonds to be mined there. Lessons that build our character, experiences that allow us to see God's grace and favor. Sometimes we can discover God's purpose, and enter into a place of confidence in God's love. Other times we just learn that relying on God in times when there is nothing else to depend on, gives us indescribable peace. Whenever we are led into a dark place, let us be sure not to leave empty-handed! 

When You Pray

I made two more Floral Frogs to make a collection. There was an additional one that turned out completely wrong 😵 

Below is a picture of what a Floral Frog is used for. You can put it on top of a bottle and you’ve got a centerpiece for a table! 

“When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.” Matthew 6:6

Sometimes we do not have an inner room to shut out the world and pray. We can however, find someplace where we can be alone with God, where our “inner man” or in my case “inner woman” can be fed. 

Yesterday was the Feast Day of Saint Romuald of Ravenna. He is a very good example of a man who was vigilantly praying. As a 10th century nobleman, he fell victim to youth’s follies and temptations. Then he witnessed his father, Sergius, quarrel and kill a relative in a duel. Horrified, he retreated to a Benedictine monastery to do 40 days of penance. After that, he became a monk at the Basilica of Saint Apollinare but he found the rule there too lax. Eventually, he founded some hundred monasteries of his own. Beset by worldly temptations, he always turned to prayer and taught the monks to do the same. 

“Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms – never leave it...Better to pray one psalm with devotion and compunction than a hundred with distraction.” 

I used to have such a hard time praying and reading the Bible. Five minutes was torture. But if we persevere at five minutes every day, we will find five minutes is not enough. Fishing is a good analogy. With fishing, we have to be patient, because it seems like nothing is happening. And then whoosh! We get a surprise gift! So exciting!

Our Father

“Our Father...” Matthew 6:9

Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. The first Christians were taught this “secret prayer” after their baptism. Today, we can pray this anywhere, but we, unfortunately, take the words for granted. 

Our Father, Abba, You are my father, but not only my father, but father of all You have created in love. You want us to trust in You, to ask You for guidance, You are ever ready to succor and protect us. Help us to see our brothers and sisters with Your eyes, with kindness and forbearance. There are so many who are lost, Lord, and I know You want us to do what we can to bring them to know You, to bring them into Your fold. 

Our Father, thank You for excluding no one. We are all Your children, even those who reject You. Even those who openly go against Your will. You still continue to bless us with Your rain, sunshine, oxygen, healing. Thank You for Your gifts of being able to talk, walk, breathe, and use our minds. May we be perfect as You are perfect, may we “hit the mark”, and become exactly as You want us to be. May we love You and love our neighbors as You have taught. Until the day You bring us home to You, ABBA Father, amen.

The Quality of Mercy

“Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense.” Psalm 51:3

In High School I had to memorize a portion of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, the part where Portia proclaims, “The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power...But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice.” 

Here Portia, disguised as a lawyer, is telling the court that Mercy must be freely given. It should not be constrained or forced. When we show mercy we not only bless the recipient, but ourselves as well. And when a powerful man shows mercy, he becomes most like God. 

Indeed all of us have greatly sinned against God by rebelling against Him. We were created in His image and to be in effect, mirrors of His glory. When we sin, we smudge that mirror. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." 

But no matter how smudged and dirty, and even broken our mirror is, God in His mercy can restore it for us. So great is His compassion and love for us, that when we come to Him for restoration, He will remove our transgressions “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). 

An Eye for an Eye

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” Matthew 5:38-39

Jesus in His sermon on the mount was quoting from Exodus 21:24-25, which reads, “an eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” . The proverb, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” came from the Code of Hammurabi, a King of Babylon in 1792-1750BC. This code of justice prevented the escalation of violence, meaning that a person should not retaliate beyond the crime committed against him.

This is not the way of Jesus which is always the way of love and forgiveness. He says, “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on the one who wants to borrow.” This is very difficult to do. Only by God's grace is this possible. 

Detective Steven McDonald worked in the New York City Police Department when he was shot in the face and throat by one of the teenage boys he was questioning. As a result, Steven was paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair and breathing machine. 

He was interviewed by Johann Christoph Arnold who wrote Steven's story in his book, “Why Forgive?”. This is an excerpt from the book:

“Six months after I was shot, Patti Ann (his wife of a little over a year) gave birth to a baby boy. We named him Conor. To me, Conor's birth was like a message from God that I should live, and live differently. And it was clear to me that I had to respond to that message. I prayed that I would be changed, that the person I was would be replaced by something new.

That prayer was answered with a desire to forgive the young man who shot me. I wanted to free myself from all the negative, destructive emotions that his act of violence had unleashed in me: anger, bitterness, hatred, and other feelings. I needed to free myself from those emotions so that I could love my wife and our child and those around us.

Shortly after Conor's birth, we held a press conference. People wanted to know what I was thinking and how I was doing. That's when Patti Ann told everyone that I had forgiven Shavod Jones, the young man who tried to kill me.”

Steven wrote to Shavod while the teenager was in prison, and eventually Shavod called him and apologized. “I accepted his apology, and I told him I hoped he and I could work together in the future. I hoped that one day we might travel around the country together sharing how this act of violence had changed both our lives, and how it had given us an understanding of what is most important in life....I forgave Shavod because I believe the only thing worse than receiving a bullet in my spine would have been to nurture revenge in my heart. Such an attitude would have extended my injury to my soul, hurting my wife, son, and others even more. It’s bad enough that the physical effects are permanent, but at least I can choose to prevent spiritual injury.”

Thank God that very few of us will experience what Steven experienced. His superhuman act of forgiveness should show us that if we open our heart to God's grace, we too will be able to forgive those who have hurt us and set our lives on the road to freedom.

Walk By Faith

Do you know what Floral Frogs are? If you see this, will you know what it’s for? 

What I like most about this is you can re-use bottles that you might toss out, and make them a centerpiece for your table!

 “Walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

"We live by believing, not by seeing." Do we believe God listens, even if sometimes our prayers are not answered the way we want? Do we even believe He exists at all, when there is cruelty and evil and unfairness that He allows? It would be so easy for God to destroy Hamas, pedophiles, drug traffickers, corrupt politicians….but then, where would He draw the line? There is a seed of evil in each one of us. Evil is anything opposed to God. He would have to destroy every last one of us!

I believe God has faith IN US! We can walk by faith, not by sight, if we follow His example. God acts as if each and every one of us is precious and worthy, even if what He sees is contrary to that. He loves us as if each one of us is capable of doing something great and wonderful for Him. He died for us, even when we were sinners, unredeemed. As His children, He planted an indestructible seed of faith in our eternal souls. Let us water that seed, nurture it, by prayer, by reading His Word, by being in relationship with people who also desire to obey and follow Him.

Let Your ‘Yes’ Mean ‘Yes’

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” Matthew 5:37

That is simple enough, isn’t it? But when I was young, my mother, sisters and I attended a Bible Study every week. Then one night the teacher said that it was all right to say you were not home even if you were. He said, “You are only meaning you are not home for that person.” I sat there shaking my head, and the teacher called upon me to say something. Of course I said that he was wrong, and there was a short argument. I started crying and he asked me why I was crying. I answered that it was because he was my Bible teacher and he was teaching wrong things. Well, the Bible study group broke up after that. 

Today, people do not take their words seriously. A famous boxer promised that if he was elected Senator, he would not enter the ring again. And then he did. Many people deceive because of their love for money like Bernie Madoff, a former chairman of NASDAQ. He was an accomplished and respected expert in the financial field when he was found out to have perpetrated an elaborate lie about his investment firm. 

Another reason for lying is the desire for power. Perhaps the biggest liar of all time was Adolf Hitler who reasoned that everyone tells small lies but few have the temerity to tell colossal lies. He and his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, were able to eliminate six million Jews by convincing the German people that the Jews were the enemies and the cause of all their country’s problems. 

It is so sad to hear a leader say that honesty should not be an issue in elections. “Lahat sila sinungaling, lahat ng tao sa mundong ito sinungaling,” she claimed (All of them lie. Everyone in this world is a liar.)  No wonder our country, our world is in such a big mess, if we cannot depend on the word of the people leading us! 

If we want to see change in the world, we have to be the change. We have to tell the truth, and we have to teach our children to tell the truth.

Be Stouthearted

“Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

Yes, we all need to be strong and courageous for one thing is sure in our life, we will never escape challenges, trials and difficulties. God uses trials like a megaphone, calling our attention. He uses it like a furnace, purifying our character of impurities. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) 

In the book, “Streams in the Desert”, I read of a legend about a German baron who stretched wires from tower to tower at his castle on the Rhine. He wanted the winds to convert them into an aeolian harp. As the soft breezes blew about the castle, no music was heard. But one night, a great storm broke and the baron’s castle was smite by the fury of the winds. As the tempest raged on, music from the aeolian harp filled the air. Sometimes God gives our hearts songs in the night and they are the sweetest songs we will ever sing, and the most beautiful God will hear. 

Word Before the World

This is how far I’ve gone with my nativity project. The base separated from the main piece when I baked it so I am still figuring how to put it together! I don’t know if  putting clay will help!!! 

“If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:20

The other day I was with my three and a half year old grandson. We were having a great time designing labels for some empty bottles. Then we switched activities and I gave him 5 minutes to listen to his favorite songs on Spotify. Although I was right beside him, I did not notice that when the timer went off, he quickly pressed the notification so I wouldn’t notice it was past 5 minutes. When I got suspicious that he was using my cellphone too long, I got the phone and saw that the timer was off. His little finger was so fast and he pressed start, but his face was lighted up with a big cheeky smile that I succumbed and said, “OK, 5 minutes more. But no more extension!”

When the time was up, his mood suddenly changed and I was faced with a rebellious teenager 10 years too early! After I explained that I loved him so much I did not want him to get addicted to devices that’s why we are limiting his time, he said to me, “Lola Pat, I do not accept your advice!” It was actually amusing to me to see this little kid so mad and quarreling with me, but it is not cute when adults get addicted to scrolling on phones and tablets. 

If we put these worldly diversions first, and there are many, before our relationship with God, before praying, and reading the Bible, then we know we are following another god. It is not a god of gold, but it is a god nonetheless. I always try, and sometimes I fail, to put the Word before the World when I wake up in the morning. We need to immerse ourself in the Word so we can be ready to face the world with all its challenges! 

Let Your Light Shine

“Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16

This seems in contradiction to the verse in Matthew 6:3 which says, “When you give … do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”. In the verse before that, we read, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

When we were going through my father’s things after he died, we found among his things, an envelope with letters from a woman. Reading through it, she was thanking him for some contribution my father made. My sister said we should find out who she is and why daddy was helping her. So we went to the address on the envelope, and met an 86 year old lady. She is very active in the Methodist church, and was a deaconess for several years. Her husband was a Pastor who had passed away some time ago. She was very effusive about the financial help my father gave for the Preacher’s Kids association, for a concert of Arnel de Pano, and even help for her own little apartment. Our visit was very rewarding for she was even a student of my grandfather, the late Bishop D.D. Alejandro, and she told us stories about him and our grandmother as well! 

When my mother died, several women came up to me also, telling me how my mother helped them when they needed it. She would give money to jumpstart their livelihood, or for their medicine, etc. My parents did not announce their good deeds, but certainly their light is still shining now! 

Blessed are the Poor?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..." Matthew 5:3

Why would being poor in anything be good for us? Especially in spirit. I would think we should aim for being full to overflowing in the spirit of God. But Jesus meant something else entirely when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Perhaps we should take a look at Mary as an example of poor in spirit. Even if she was chosen, and certainly special to God, she knew that did not mean she was entitled to special treatment. As a matter of course, she went off to her older cousin Elizabeth upon finding out she was pregnant as well. She took upon herself taking an arduous 90 mile journey to Ein Karem in order to accompany Elizabeth during her time of need. 

No matter how special we are, and no one can be more special than the vessel chosen to carry Jesus for 9 months, we should know that we are spiritually poor, bankrupt before the Almighty God. We have absolutely nothing to offer Him aside from our sinful selves. Still He calls us to Himself, worthless as we are. As His children, we are given robes of royalty in exchange for rags, beauty for ashes. Hallelujah! 

God’s Family

Yesterday evening I pressed my carved rubber on to clay. So this is how my project is looking so far. Still a mystery to me how this will turn out! 🤣

Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-3

How wonderful that Jesus includes us in His Royal family, for that is what He is saying here. If we do the will of our Father in heaven, in loving obedience, we are adopted into God’s household. And what better way to truly belong but to study our family’s history? The Bible is not merely a book of instructions, but it lays down the story of our Father and His plan to bring us into our eternal home. We get to know the different members of our family, but most importantly, we will be introduced to Jesus. All the books of the Bible are signposts to Jesus. We can find him not only in the New Testament, but also in the Old. Jesus Himself said in Luke 24:27 that we can find Him in the Scriptures, from the stories about Moses and all the prophets.

I think reading the Bible is like a treasure hunt. So much to marvel at, and to learn. How many times have I wished that what Jesus explained to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24) was written in the Bible. But I suppose if we find the truths for ourselves, we will own it. Just like we will be more confident that we belong in God’s family, we are loved by Him, cherished even, because He sacrificed so much for us. 

Let us read the Bible and get to know our family. When Jesus saw His mother and John the disciple at the foot of the cross, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26-27) When we get to heaven, wouldn’t it be exciting to see Mother Mary, and John, and Simon Peter, and Moses, and King David, and oh, so many other inspiring, crazy, intimidating, lovely relatives face to face? That is what Jesus is inviting us to! A heavenly banquet with our eternal family!

A Libation

Yesterday I finished carving my nativity. I will try to finish my project today using this. 

Today I think about St. Paul. 

He said in a letter to Timothy, " For I am already poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge will award to me, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearance." 2 Timothy 4:6-8

It is wonderful how sure St. Paul was of receiving the crown. He lived his life in the service of God. It was not without conflict. I suppose I am thinking in this direction because of some disagreements I am having right now which are difficult to resolve and it is reassuring to me that even saints had differences of opinions on the Christian way of dealing with situations. 

St. Paul had discord with St. Peter, and other pillars of the early church, and there was even a controversy that led to the “Council of Jerusalem”. So running the race does not mean we will never have conflict, never make mistakes. Even Jesus made the mistake of choosing Judas to be His disciple after praying for discernment, didn’t He? But as long as we don’t give up, as long as we keep the faith, running the race with every intention of obeying God, we can depend on Him to help us, to make “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28) 

Dwell in Us, O Lord!

Let us claim Saint Paul's prayer for the people of Ephesus for ourselves: “I kneel before You Father...that You may grant us in accord with the riches of Your glory to be strengthened with power... And that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend ...what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to Him be glory...forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:14-21

What a powerful prayer this is! No one can conceive how rich God is. No one can comprehend His power. His love is limitless and all-encompassing. He can easily grant any of our prayers and nothing is impossible for Him. 

Paul KNEW Christ. He received a revelation from Christ Himself and He is praying the same for us. That we would know Christ and that He would dwell with us. If Jesus said He wanted to live with us in our home, what would we do? I would clean up for sure! 

Jesus wants to live in our hearts! We need to be rooted and grounded, established, stable in God's love, not in the love this world offers, so that we may be overflowing with His fullness and grace and spirit. Impossible? If we want it enough, God is fully able to do all this and more!