Don’t Go There!

“This is the way; walk in it.” 

Isaiah 30:21

There is a well known poem by Robert Frost, which ends with : “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

In our life, we encounter many roads and paths. If we choose some roads, we travel with many people. Some are not so popular, and choosing to traverse them takes courage and determination. It is not uncommon today that when we stand up for what is right, we speak up against the majority, we get ridiculed and even lambasted. But how do we know if we are on the right path? How do we make sure we are making good decisions? 

If only God would walk beside us all day long and tell us, “This is the way; walk in it.” But in God’s goodness and wisdom, He allows us to choose. He allows us to make mistakes and thereby learn. But I believe that if we keep talking to Him throughout the day, asking Him to guide us in what to do, how to say things, where to go, what road to choose, we will eventually learn to hear Him say, “This is the way, walk in it.” I am very sure God brought me to my Christian community. It is as sure as if He said to me, “This is your community. Live their way of life.” I am also 100% confident that God chose Luigi for me. God is very creative in how He chooses to speak to us, and if we ask, we will receive His answers. 

Just as if we want to be proficient in calligraphy, we have to keep practicing, we have to “practice” listening to God. If we want to be a good singer, dancer, violinist, chef, financial analyst, doctor, etc., we have to put time and effort into learning and improving. Learning to listen to God is the same. We need to take the time to be quiet, to deliberately tune out the cacophony of the world, in order to hear His “still, small voice.” It is not easy. Some people struggle praying for 5 minutes. But what a blessed reward we receive when one day we hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” or even, “That is not the way! Don’t go there!” 

Nothing is Impossible

“For nothing is impossible with God...” 

Luke 1:37

Perhaps we all need an “Annunciation”. The word comes from the Latin ‘anuntiatio’ and refers to the announcement of the Angel Gabriel to Mary that she was going to bear a son, even though she was a virgin. “Do not be afraid, Mary,” the angel said to her. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.”

“How can this be? How can that even be possible?” this young maiden asked, pondering the words of the angel. And Angel Gabriel pronounced, “Nothing is impossible with God.” We too are asked to bear Jesus to a broken world. Jesus is the Good News, the Word made flesh. Before He left this earthly world as described in Acts 1:9, He gave explicit instructions for His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” 

Like Mary, we may say, “How can this be? How can I do that? I am just a housewife. I am a teacher in a remote barrio. I am an inmate. I am a secretary.” Whatever it is we do, if Angel Gabriel were to confront us, he would say the same thing he told Mary. “Do not be afraid. Like Mary, you will be able to do this by the power of the Holy Spirit for nothing is impossible with God.” 

Lord, open our eyes to see the many opportunities You have given us to spread Your gospel to people around us who need to hear encouragement. May Your Holy Spirit inspire us, and teach us what to say. 

Building on Rock

“Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock.” 

Matthew 7:24

On December 11, 1993, an entire apartment building, Block One of the Highland Towers, collapsed in Selangor, Malaysia. 48 people were killed. The cause: the soil on which the building was constructed was oversaturated with water that it became mud. 100,000 square meters of mud pushed on the foundations of the building making cracks on the road, warning of an impending collapse. 

Sometimes there are cracks in our own spiritual makeup or disposition. Too much stress, anxiety, shame, unforgiveness, introspection, pride, sensitivity, or blaming others for our life.  While listening to the video of Christine Caine this morning, she said we have to have the courage to let go of the past. She showed Saddleback Church some papers on powerpoint. One was her birth certificate which had “Unnamed” on the line where her name should have been. She also showed a 25 year old letter from the Education Department which said she was not competent, unqualified, and if she wanted to pursue any kind of social work, she had to go back to school. 

Today Christine, along with her husband, is the founder of A21, an anti-human trafficking, anti-slavery organization operating in 11 countries around the world. She did not let her black and white documents define her. Instead, she looked to another black and white love letter, the Bible, which said that everything was possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). It also showed her that even if she was unnamed at birth, even when she was in her mother’s womb, God knew her, and set her apart.

(Jeremiah 1:5). 

If there is something in our past holding us back from pursuing what God wants us to do, we can rebuild a better future based on the rock solid plans found in the Bible. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper

you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Shepherd Therapy

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters...” Psalm 23:2

In Japan, there is such a thing as forest bathing or forest therapy, or in Japanese, “Shinrin-yoku”. It was developed in the 80’s, and it has become the heart of their preventive health care. The proponents believe that just taking a walk in the forest or any natural environment, helps us in so many amazing ways by relaxing us, quieting our mind, stimulating our immune system and relieving chronic stress. Studies have shown lots of health benefits in this and in the States, there are guided tours in forests for $30 per person. The guide will invite you to notice the stream, or to touch the dirt, things like that. 

We don’t have to pay someone $30 to bring us through green fields and quiet pastures. We have a Shepherd who teaches us in Psalm 23, that to reduce our stress, all we need is to walk with Him. He will guide us, and teach us, how our soul and spirit can be restored, and how we need have no anxiety or fears about anything. When we walk with our Shepherd, “goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all the days of our lives.”

Like a Little Child

“...although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Luke 10:21

Richard Dawkins, the infamous militant atheist biologist, was on a BBC radio show once with the Rev. Giles Fraser, former canon chancellor of St. Paul's Cathedral in England. Dawkins had just claimed that people in Britain who identified themselves as Christian, were not Christian at all, because according to a survey conducted by their group, they could not even name the first book of the New Testament! Reverend Fraser then countered with the question: “Could you give me the full title of The Origin of the Species”?

Dawkins hesitated and mumbled, "On the Origin of Species…Uh…With, oh, God, On the Origin of Species. Um…There is a sub-title with respect to the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.” Would his answer indicate that Dawkins was not a real evolution-believing atheist? 

Sometimes we can be too wise for our own good. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, “I tell you the truth, unless you repent and change, and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Strong words. Wise people have tried to prove that God does not exist, but they can’t answer where moral law comes from if there is no God. 

Little children instinctively trust adults, and we, like little children, like lambs, should trust our Shepherd. Like little children, we should be full of hope and expectation. We should bask in our Father’s all powerful love. Instead of always being bothered and stressed, we should recover our capacity to be fully in the present, to experience the gifts God gives us. Like little kids who are enthusiastic and lack guile, we should not be afraid of creating or making or starting something new. Atheists may try to destroy, but little children like to build. Lord, may we never be cynical or angry. There is so much for us to discover and learn if we open our hearts to You, like a little child! 

Don’t Forget Christ!

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord”. 

Psalm 122:1

Today is the second day of Advent. The word comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "arrival" or "coming". For Catholics and many Christians around the world, Advent is the first season of the liturgical year or the church year. This is a special holy season during which each of us has the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, to be watchful for His Second Coming.

During our community celebration yesterday, Kuya Vic Gutierrez gave a talk and shared a cute story about his granddaughter Angela who lives in the US. She calls him her ‘best friend’. She adores him so much, she misses him when he is here in the Philippines. One time she asked her mom to make a video of her to send to her grandfather. In it she is crying, and pleading with him to come for a visit. “Please, lolo, you are old already. Please come!” 

Kuya Vic concluded that we should be like that and more with Jesus. We should long for Him. We should yearn to see His face. We should hunger and thirst for more of Him. Instead of the substantial food of God’s Word and His presence, we can be satiated with the sugar and sweets of the froth of Christmas, the sights and sounds, the tinsel on the tree, the icing on the pastries. Where is Jesus in our festivities? 

In the homily during mass yesterday, the priest told a funny story of a family preparing for the baptism of their baby. They were so busy preparing for the celebration, the lechon (suckling pig), the salad, the decor, their party clothes, but when they got to the Church, they forgot the baby! Never let it be said of us that during Christmas, we forgot the birthday celebrant!!!!

During this season of preparation, let us take some special time to ready our hearts to receive Him. Is there room for Christ in the inn of our hearts? 

No Hands But Ours

“He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work...” Mark 13:34

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Most of us miss Advent and go straight to Christmas. My husband was a stickler for observing Advent when we got married, and I could not put up a Christmas tree till really late in December. But the ‘advent’ of our son Josh changed that, and we put up the tree for the little boy who was fascinated with the lights.

But Advent and Christmas is not all about the decor, the lights, the gifts, the parties, but more about what goes on in our hearts. We are in an in-between time, in between Christ’s first coming when He arrived as a babe in a manger, and His second coming. We do not know when Christ will come again. Meanwhile, we are to be watchful, ready, and waiting. Jesus likens us to servants waiting for the master who has gone on a long journey. The master has placed his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to keep watch over the property. What is our work, do you think? Is it to be a mother, a teacher, a garbage collector, a chef, a congressman? Yes, whatever our role is in society, we need to do that to the best of our ability. But when our Master left, He gave us clear instructions to build His Kingdom. Before He left, He ordered, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If we’re a mother, we need to spread the gospel in our children’s hearts. If we’re a manager, a teacher, a cook, we need to spread the gospel in whatever way we can.

We need to be Jesus’s voice, His hands, His feet, His heart here on earth. Father Paul Uwemedino quoted Teresa of Avila yesterday in his talk: “Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours...Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world...Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Father Paul certainly walks his talk. He left his comfortable life in Nigeria to be Jesus to the poor in Payatas. He sold his worldly goods to make a place where God’s love could be experienced by them. Like him, we should reveal to the world God’s love, His mercy, forgiveness, faithfulness, kindness and grace. This Advent, may we try to be Jesus to those with no hope, no joy, no peace. 

Be on the Watch!

“Be on the watch. Pray constantly...” Luke 21:36

It’s a challenge to be on the watch, and be attentive all the time. But sometimes your life depends upon it, especially if you’re a soldier in the danger zone. I am reading Bruce Feiler’s “Where God was Born”, which is about his journey through some of the most tension filled areas of the world. Halfway through the book, there is a story that struck me. He met Chaplain Steve Munson and his group who were part of the 607th MP Battalion. They were taking pictures at the base of the ziggurat in what used to be Ur. Bruce asked the Chaplain what passages in the Bible spoke to him the most while he was serving in Iraq. The Chaplain flipped through his desert-camouflaged Bible to Psalm 91, and Bruce noticed a small note on top of the page, “3-09-03, Arifjan”. 

Bruce asked about it and the Chaplain narrated that the Battalion was stationed at Camp Arifjan before the war was supposed to start. The Executive Officer asked the Chaplain to lead a prayer because he was afraid he would lose some men in the coming battle. “I chose Psalm 91. I call it the soldier’s psalm,” and he started to read, “I say of the Lord, my refuge and stronghold, My God in whom I trust...you will find refuge under His wings...You need not fear the terror by night...”

“Why this Psalm?” Bruce asked, and the Chaplain said, “I believe God leads through His Word. When you are in stressful situations, He will lead you to specific parts of His Word that will have meaning and will give you encouragement to make it through. In this instance, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. When we heard that first night lightning, lightning, lightning and Scud missiles were flying at us in all directions, we had the comfort knowing that, as it says here, God will cover us and the terror of the night will not destroy us.” 

“I’m not sure if this will make any sense to you,” he continued, “but as we were praying that night, we received a promise we would have no loss of life in our battalion.” He paused dramatically. “Tomorrow we will leave the country after nearly a year, the only battalion in our brigade with no loss of life.” 

We may not know it but we too are in the midst of a battle. We may not see the weapons the enemy targets at us with precision, but they are real. That’s why Jesus told His disciples to be on the watch and to pray constantly. 

Eternal Words

“The heavens and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass.” 

Luke 21:33

Yesterday, I attended a recollection with a group of brothers and sisters in our community. One of the questions, Menchie, our facilitator, gave us to meditate on was, “What are the longings of your heart?”

I realized that every morning as I read the Word of God, painted and pondered, I was always in awe of what a treasure we had available to us. It was like I opened a treasure box every morning in anticipation of what I would find. And the longing in my heart was that more and more people would realize this, value God’s Word, see the truth that the enemy wants to hide. 

We spend a lot of time doing worthless things. I confess that sometimes I go on Netflix binges. I marathon watched Drop Dead Diva and Stranger Things. I get so busy sewing, painting, pasting stuff, and enjoying myself. I get lost in all the work I have to do in our family business. But I always always spend time with God and His Word first thing in the morning. I know that of all the many things I do in my day, the only things that have any value eternally is to read and obey God’s word, to love God and to love my neighbor. Everything else will pass away. 

Come After Me

“Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

One thing is sure, the Lord’s ways are different, very different than ours. One time we were having a problem with one of our branches. To us, this branch was high performing, but to the mall in Makati, we were not selling enough. What are our 10 peso pads, 25 peso posters and 300 peso scrapbooks compared to the sales of an imported brand known for selling jeans for P15,000 a pair?!!! We prayed and tried to find someone to help us renew our contract. At first nothing, no answer, until God gave me a sense that I had to walk seven times around the store like the Israelites in the 6th chapter of Joshua. After that march, a “claiming of the land”, my brother was able to talk to someone who was able to help. We are still there. 

If we follow God, He will teach us His ways. They are usually the opposite of the world’s. If we are lonely, we need to go out and love others. If we need money, we need to “sow”, to be generous. When we are facing a big trial or challenge, we should praise God loudly! 

We can trust that if we come after the Lord, He will teach us to do our work. He will guide us how to be fishermen, businessmen, teachers, preachers, janitors, tricycle drivers, IT consultants, artists, cooks.... His way and not ours. We will find that He is willing to teach us step by step, as long as we are willing to follow Him step by step. It’s a pilgrimage journey that leads to a retirement plan that is out of this world. 

WOYWW: Can’t Take it with You!

On my desk today is one of our papemelroti journals that I am preparing to give to a dear friend. 

I painted her portrait and made some collages to start her off. 

This is the journal I picked for her. I am so proud of our art journals. You can find them here if you would like to see the designs- 

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace.” Daniel 5:5

Many odd things happen in Bible stories, and this one in the book of Daniel is one of them. King Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, held a feast. He was drunk with wine and power and ordered the vessels his father had stolen from the Temple in Jerusalem, to be brought out from storage. He and his guests then used the gold and silver vessels for drinking wine. While drinking, they praised gods of their own making, gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. 

Eerily, the fingers of a human hand appeared out of thin air, and started writing words on the wall. “MENE, TEKEL, PERES,” was inscribed, and the king shivered, his face turned white, as did his guests. Then he called for Daniel the prophet to interpret the words. Daniel said, “You have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. The God in whose hand is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. You have been found wanting.” 

Poor King Belshazzar had wealth beyond his wildest dreams. He had so much power which he could have used to help his people. But he didn’t do that. 

I was listening to the speech the actor Denzel Washington gave in 2015 to the graduates of Dillard University. He said they should always put God first in everything they do. He proclaimed that everything he has, everything he has accomplished in his life, was by the grace of God. He told the story that when he was young and was starting to make it as an actor, he asked his mom, “Mom, did you think this was going to happen? I’d be so big and I’ll be able to take care of everybody and I can do this and I can do that.” Then his mom shushed him and corrected him, “Boy, stop it right there, stop! If you only knew how many people been praying for you!” She had asked so many groups to pray for him, even splashed him with holy water to protect him from evil! 

One thing Denzel said was that you never see a U-haul behind a hearse because no matter how much money you’ve amassed, how many mansions you’ve built or bought, how much jewelry or bitcoins or gold bullion you have, you’ll never be able to take it with you. 

He emphasized that the most selfish thing we can do is help others. The more we help others, the more successful we are. There’s joy in it, there’s satisfaction, plus we add to our treasure in heaven! Better to follow Denzel’s advice than King Belshazzar’s example! 

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Blessings!

Patsy  

Our Long-Suffering God

“Teacher, when will this happen?” 

Luke 21:7

Jesus was telling all who would listen to Him about the last days. Then as now, people were very interested in signs of the Messiah’s second coming. “Take care not to be misled. Many will come in My name saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not follow them. Neither must you be perturbed when you hear of wars and  insurrections. These things are bound to happen first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

This says a lot about the patience of God. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, great signs and fearful omens in the heavens, plagues, famine, these all call people to examine their lives and call upon the name of the Lord. 

In 2 Peter 3: 8-9, we read, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Long-suffering. Patient. This is not the same quality we need when we are caught in traffic or waiting in a doctor’s office. God knows the beginning and the end of everything, even time. He is patient and long-suffering because He has a purpose and a plan. God wants to bring us all under His Kingship. Lord, may we work with You, and may we learn to be patient with those You want to call to Your side. 

Investing in God’s Business

“I assure you this poor widow has put in more than all the rest.” Luke 21:3

Tithing is an Old Testament concept found in Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5, etc. where the Jews were supposed to give 10% of their produce to the Lord. In the New Covenant, nowhere does it mention 10%, but Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:7, that  man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

To me, tithing or giving has a lot to do with partnering with the Lord in His work. It’s like investing some capital in the Lord’s business. Whether we give or not, His Kingdom will grow, just like the tiny mustard seed would grow into a tree in Matthew 13. We would like to be a part of that for surely there is much gain involved, eternal profit!

If we happened to invest $990 on Apple’s IPO back in Dec. 12, 1980, today our stock would be worth about $394,000. In God’s “stock exchange”, it’s a very different as God’s measuring stick is not the same as the world’s. If two people invest the same amount on God’s stock, the value in God’s eyes would be dependent on how much we had left in the bank!!!! 

In Luke 21, we see how Jesus thinks. He sees many rich people putting their offerings into the Temple treasury. But of all the people, some of them giving huge sums of money, He pointed out the poor widow putting in two copper coins. “I assure  you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest. They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford- every penny she had to live on.” When she gets to heaven, she will find that the value of her stock generated dividends and a tremendous return of investment!

Some people know how to play the stock market and realize huge profits so they can retire comfortably one day. I don’t have much time to study the volatility of the market, so I regularly invest, but only in good companies. I believe we should also regularly, every month, invest in God’s business so we will be sure to have a retirement plan that is out of this world! Nothing invested in God’s business will lose value!  

The Lord is my Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd.” Psalm 23:1

In this most beloved Psalm, we see the God of the Universe through David’s eyes. David writes how he experienced His Father as a caring shepherd who provided everything he needed. Throughout his life, even when he sinned greatly, he knew his God would bring him back to the right path. When he was in danger, hunted down by the powerful King Saul, David experienced God’s protection.

“I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” A shepherd has a staff or “mishena” with a crook which he uses to prod the sheep. When a shepherd brings his flock through mountain paths, sometimes there are dangerous cliffs, and if a sheep walks too close to the edge, he uses his staff to pull the sheep back to safety. The rod or “shebet” is used to protect his flock from wolves or other animals. It is also used to discipline the sheep who repeatedly stray from the flock. A shepherd will intentionally break its leg, and splint it so it cannot move away from him. 

When we were young, we hated the discipline and correction of our parents. But discipline is usually a sign of love, that our parents are not indifferent to us, that they care enough to teach and correct us. The same is true with God. In Hebrews 12:6, Paul tells us that the Lord disciplines those He loves, He chastises every son, just like a good shepherd does. In Psalm 94:12, the psalmist proclaims, “Happy are those whom You discipline, Lord, and those whom You teach from Your law.” 

Thank You for being my shepherd, Lord. Thank You for loving and caring enough to discipline me when I stray. Thank You for teaching Your ways every day. 

God of the Living

“God is not God of the dead but of the living.” Luke 20:38

One of the glaring characteristics of the lifeless is they cannot love, they cannot hope, there is no future for them, there is nothing. They will just go back to the ground from whence they came. But the Bible tells us that there is a different kind of death. This kind is more like a door that will bring us to a reality that we cannot imagine now. 

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) The key to the door is love, love for God and love for others. While we live, each and every day, we have the chance to become more and more that person who can possess the key to enter the door. We cannot find that key lying around in church, or while praying thousands of Hail Marys. But every single day, God gives us Himself to love, and if we find it hard to love Someone we do not see, we can love the beggar we do. 

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I  needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” 

Like Mother Teresa, let us spread love everywhere we go. “Let no one ever come to you without leaving a little happier.” If we can do that, we will help make this often dark, dreary, desolate world a little brighter, and find the key to eternal joy. 

Advent Preparations

“My house shall be a house of prayer.” Luke 19:46

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we learn that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and was given to us by God. We do not belong to ourselves. God bought us with a high price. So we must honor God with your bodies. How? Just as Jesus ejected the traders in the Jerusalem Temple, so too we should keep the temple of our bodies clean of anything that would anger the Lord.

I am reading Amy Tan’s ‘The Kitchen God’s Wife’, and in it, she described that before the Chinese New Year, a lot of cleaning, wiping, washing, and throwing out had to be done by the household. Not a single speck of dust from the old year could remain for the new year! As Advent approaches, now would be a good time for cleaning up the temple of the Lord. 

Here in the Philippines, we usually skip Advent and go straight to Christmas. But when we expect an important person to visit our home, isn’t it but natural that we take some time to look around and evaluate what needs to be cleaned, fixed or removed? That’s what Advent is, a time of anticipation and expectation certainly, but also a time of preparation. Advent comes from the Latin ‘Adventus’, which means ‘coming’. We prepare for the visitation of the Lord into our lives on Christmas, the special season of grace. We also await His second coming in glory. 

I have to admit it is hard for me to keep in mind that Advent is like Lent in a way. We are supposed to devote more time to prayer, scripture reading, lighting the Advent wreath, sharing our blessings, and even fasting. 

We can read in the Cathechism of the Catholic Church (524): “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming.” 

So before we spend so much of our time shopping, wrapping gifts, partying, decorating our homes and cooking, let us first make sure our temple is ready for our Lord’s visitation. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come! 

Completely Lost!

“...you have completely lost it from view!” Luke 19:42

When Jesus approached Jerusalem in the 19th chapter of Luke, He wept. I wonder what He saw that made Him lament, “If only you had known the things that would make for peace, but you have completely lost it from view!” 

What would Jesus say if He saw our country with thousands being murdered, so much corruption, made up news, posturing politicians, the poor used as pawns and people rah-rahing what they perceive as a path to peace and prosperity. 

The mind has been the subject of study for thousands of years and it has been discovered that our mind fools us all the time. What we perceive to be true can be the complete opposite. In Jeremiah 17:9 it says, “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.” Should we depend on our mind and heart to lead us?

I am sure we have been in a situation where each person had a different version of a memory, or an event, or even, an accident. Put three witnesses together and you usually can’t come up with the exact same timeline of events. We focus on different things, give importance to different values. 

Where do we get our values? Sadly, today, most young people, without proper guidance, pick up their values from social media. We can be seduced by the values espoused in movies, magazines, Facebook, Instagram, etc. where looks, popularity, and wealth are all important. But all of this is opposite to what the Good Book says. All of these is fleeting, and it is short sighted to live our lives running after things that will not have a speck of value in eternity. 

Lord, may I go back to the source of good values and right thinking. My mind and heart may fool me, but You will keep me on the right path. 

Just a Prayer Away

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try” – Dr. Seuss .

One little fabric bead on my work desk. I wonder what I will do with it? Make more and connect the beads with a chain? Attach a tassel to it? Will it become a pair of earrings? A necklace? A bag ornament? I am so sorry I have to leave it and go to work!

“Give ear to my prayer...” Psalm 17:1

This morning, I heard an amusing story about a woman in the US. She left her purse, phone and car keys inside her car and she was frantic because she needed to get somewhere urgently. After borrowing an old hanger from a store nearby, she realized she had no idea what to do with it. So she bowed her head and prayed, crying out to God in frustration. After 5 minutes, a huge burly tattooed man on a motorcycle roared to a stop beside her car. Noticing her troubled face, he asked if she needed help. In her desperation, she said yes. He was able to open her car in a few minutes! She hugged him, and still crying, thanked him profusely. “You’re such a nice man!” she kept repeating.

He answered, “No, no I’m not, lady. I just got out of prison for car theft.” The woman hugged the man again and exclaimed, “Thank You, Father, You love me so much, You sent a professional!” 

Sometimes, God answers our prayers in unexpected ways. We just need to pray. In a simplified metaphor, we can compare God’s power to electricity. There is no light if we don’t turn on the switch. The refrigerator won’t work, our computer won’t run, our TV will be blank, if we don’t plug the appliances on to the socket. If we don’t pray, talk to God or even be silent before Him, we won’t have any connection to the One Mighty Powerful King of the Universe and beyond. How privileged we are that He us just a prayer away! 

God-Shaped Hole

“Zaccheus, hurry and come down...”  

Luke 19:5

We must never give up on people, and we must never ever give up on ourself. Just one touch, one call from Jesus can change everything. No matter how bad, selfish, or proud, a person is, there’s a God shaped hole in them that only God can fill. Hurting people are those that most need Him, especially when they are intentionally mean, insensitive, or cruel. 

Zaccheus is a comic character. He was a chief tax collector in Jesus’ day and he was very rich. That meant that he was corrupt, and mean and insensitive to people’s plight. But that God-shaped hole inside him yearned for something, someONE! When Jesus was passing through his town, short Zaccheus ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree, the better to see Jesus. 

“Zaccheus, come down,” Jesus called, “I must stay at your house.” Did Jesus really say that? I must stay in your heart and fill that gaping hole where only I belong! You don’t have to go searching anymore for what you need. You don’t have to keep harassing people, and amassing wealth. I will teach You that I am your treasure. I am your joy. 

So if there’s anyone we know, insecure, grasping, cursing all the time, threatening, or bullying us or someone we know, pray. Get plenty of people to pray that Jesus will call him down from that lonely tree and fill his heart with what he needs. He may become like funny Zaccheus and turn his life around and follow Jesus! Nothing is impossible with God!