What Wolf Will I Feed?

Third plant pot in a row! Yay! 

I will have a lot of fun painting this! 

‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ Matthew 13:27

The field in this parable is our heart, and the wheat is anything that comes from the Lord and leads us closer to Him. The weeds therefore are that which brings us farther and farther away from Him. Both the wheat and weeds can be found in the field of our heart.

This leads me to an old Cherokee story about an Indian chief teaching his grandson about life which bears repeating again and again. He told the boy that there is a struggle inside each one of us between two wolves. The dark wolf is evil, full of anger, greed, arrogance, guilt, fear, lies, resentment, revenge, intolerance and unforgiveness. Then there is the white wolf who is good, kind, compassionate, generous, a peacemaker, hopeful, truthful, full of faith and empathy.

Worried, the little boy asked his grandpa which wolf will win. The old Cherokee patted the boy on the head and answered, “The one you feed.” 

Every day, we have the chance to feed these wolves. We are confronted by choices and decisions that we may find trivial, but actually will define our life in the long run. This truth has been put into words by so many. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” And Sean Covey, the writer of so many best selling books on habits and decisions, wrote, “We become what we repeatedly do.”

Let us fill our minds with the truth and teachings from Jesus, and constantly drink from the source of living water. Let us not allow anger, envy, or any negative emotion dwell in our hearts. Is there anyone we have not forgiven? Take the time to pray for that gift, to be set free from the shackles of unforgiveness. Are we angry, anxious, hopeless? Let us discipline ourselves to fill our minds with gratefulness. Let us feed the “wolf in us” that we want to win! 

The Parable of the Sower

I love my potted cactus but it is so hard to find teapots and cups to plant cactus in. We want to sell plants at papemelroti so I am making pots for plants. 

“Hear the parable of the sower.” Matthew 13:18

The parable of the sower sowing his seed far and wide is quite interesting. It seems the sower does not care if the seeds fall on a footpath, on rocky soil, thorns, or on good soil. Shouldn't he take care where to throw the seed so it will grow well?

Most of the time I am not like this for I do not like to sow my seed until I find the right soil to sow it in. The problem is I really cannot tell. I cannot see inside a person's heart to find out if he is ready to receive the message that God loves him and has a wonderful plan and purpose for his life. I guess we just have to risk rejection if we want to follow Jesus' command to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone!" 

When my husband was young, he was part of Christ's Youth in Action and they had this exercise called random evangelization. One time a group of them were instructed to go around Luneta Park in pairs and just find someone to talk to about Jesus. My husband and the guy he was with walked around the park a long time trying to discern who to talk to. They were hesitant to approach just anybody until the time given them was almost up so they went near this guy who was just waking up. They started talking to him. Amazingly, they found out that this man was contemplating committing suicide! Because my husband and his friend talked to him, the man believed that God was watching him and he was able to carry on with his life and his problems. Years later, my husband saw this man's picture in a newspaper with a short article about his success with his job. 

Lord, may I obey You and be like the sower who sows his seed everywhere he goes. There is a lot of seed! We need never worry about the supply! You will take care of the soil, and the sun and the rain!  We just need to do our part and spread Your Word far and wide. 

Earthen Vessels

This is my latest project, a loaves and fishes cross, and plant sticks. I colored the samples for mass production. 

“We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

One of the short stories in the book “Chicken Soup for a Woman’s Soul” that impressed me was that of Mary Kay Ash. Like many women in the book, she had a hard childhood, a difficult time trying to earn a living, and although she made good sales for the company she worked for, it was the men who would get promoted. When her first husband divorced her, she was left with three children to support. We can say she was “afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed...” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

In 1963, after quitting from a job where women were not given the same opportunities as men, she started her own cosmetics company with $5,000.00 and her family backing her up. Her sons and her mom always said, “You can do it, Mary Kay.” 

They saw the gold in her earthen vessel. Mary Kay’s company was founded not on competition, but on the Golden Rule, on praising people to succeed and on the principle of placing faith first, family second and career third. It was a company – as Mary Kay Ash would say – "with heart." Mary Kay died in 2001, but what she built lives on. At her death, her personal fortune was $98 million. Her company had more than $1.2 billion in sales.

Let’s not forget we all have this treasure in earthen vessels. Sometimes adversity brings it out.  Other times we just need others to encourage us and say, “You can do it!” 

God’s Prophet

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

This morning I was reading from the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was called when he was a young boy, and naturally he became fearful! But God said to Jeremiah, “Say not, 'I am too young', ...have no fear...for I am with you..." Jeremiah 1:7-8

Like Jeremiah, I can imagine God saying the same thing to me and to you: 

“Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I dedicated you, I called you.

Say not 'I am too young', 'I am too shy', ‘I am too insignificant', 'I am not smart'...

"Wherever I put you- in your office, in your school, in your neighborhood, go!

Whomever I send you to speak to, speak! Have no fear, for I am with you...."

We each have unique opportunities, unique talents and resources. Yes, we too are called to be prophets where we are, with what we have! To prophecy not only means to predict something that is to come but also to reveal the message and the will of God.

So when we read God's Word, and share it with others, we can be God's prophet!

The Real Royal Family

“Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Matthew 12:49-50

Jesus was speaking to crowds when someone interrupted him to say, “Your mother and brothers are outside. They want to speak to you.” Jesus answered, “Who is my  mother and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, He said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother!” 

I can picture Jesus expansively holding out his arms to emphasize how He has extended the circle of His family to include all those who do the will of his Father. This shows us how important it is to know the Father’s will and pleasure because we certainly want to be counted as Jesus’ family. 

Before the wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William, Catherine had to learn how to be a good member of the Royal Family. She had to learn how to dress, especially for official functions. They told her about dress length, not using dark nail polish, not showing too much leg, no plunging necklines, she had to smile all the time, not show her impatience or boredom. I am sure she had to give up a lot of things. She also had to learn about whom to curtsy to and whom not to. If you think that is easy, it’s not. In ALL situations she would curtsy to Prince Charles, and the Duchess of Cornwall the first time she sees them on any given day. She has to curtsy to Princess Anne, Eugenie and Beatrice, but not if Prince William is in the room, when they would have to curtsy to her!

In a way, we are like that too. It says in the Bible, that God’s ways are different than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than ours. We need to learn how to be a good member of His family. One thing God wants is that we will belong in His Kingdom and that’s why He gave us the amazing book, the Bible. In it we see how we can become a member of His family. We can also read the fascinating stories of other members of OUR family through the ages! 

Thank You Lord, for making a way for us to be a part of Your eternal, victorious,  Royal household where there is no place for deceit only truth, no hate only love, no violence only peace. 

Why are You Weeping?

"Woman, why are you weeping?" John 20:13

After reading the four Gospel accounts of the resurrection story, I find it a little hard to put it all together in one cohesive story. But that is not surprising considering how sometimes there are so many versions of one story depending on who is telling it. What is different about the Gospel story is that women are the primary witnesses. During those times, women could not even appear in court as credible witnesses, so if the Gospel story was just made up, as some believe, the writers would never have used women as witnesses.

In the 20th chapter of John, after Mary Magdalene had gone early to the tomb while it was still dark, and had seen that the stone had been rolled away, she ran quickly to Simon Peter and to John to tell them. Perhaps they hesitated, but they went. After seeing for themselves, that what she said was true, they went back to their homes. Isn't that strange? They did not try to investigate, they did not look for any signs around the tomb, they did not look for anyone to ask. They just left. They were still in their "fear" mode. They had assumptions about what happened, and did not want to interfere. Jesus, their leader was dead, they did not want to be connected to Him any longer.

But Mary, Mary wanted answers. She stayed. She did not want to leave until she had some clue to what happened. Aren't women like that? We can't let go. We like to solve things, until we sometimes become busybodies!!! But this time, Mary gets her reward. Jesus appears and asks why she is crying. And then she recognizes Him and she is filled with joy!

Let us not be afraid to cry. Pope Francis said that sometimes tears are the lenses we need to see Jesus. Recalling the story of Mary Magdalene, the Pope said, “let us ask the Lord to give us the grace of tears — it’s a beautiful grace” — and ask for the grace “to be able to say with our lives, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ not because he appeared to me, but because I saw him with my heart.” Christian witness, he said, can be summarized as: “I live this way because I’ve seen the Lord.” (Homily about Forgiveness, April 2 at the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae)

Do we live as if we have seen the Lord? 

Feed the Good

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches." Micah 2:1

Where does evil come from? This verse in Micah struck me especially because of what’s happening in the world today. Just last Saturday a former President was targeted on live television. What was in the heart and mind of the would be assassin that he would try to kill a person without thinking of the consequence for his soul, his country, and even the world? Thomas Matthew Crooks obviously saw Donald Trump as not a human being with intrinsic value, but an animal to be destroyed. And all those people who bemoaned the fact that he missed are no better! 

I do believe that there are seeds of evil in each one of us. There is a parable about a grandfather telling a story to a young boy about two wolves inside us always at war with each other. One of the wolves is good and the other evil. One wolf is brave, honorable, kind, helpful, loving, and the other one is the exact opposite. "Which one wins?" the boy asks. His grandfather answers, “The one you feed."  

We have to guard our heart very diligently for it determines the course of our life. (Proverbs 4:23) We have to watch for any signs of discontent, covetousness, envy, and ungratefulness in our heart and mind and root it out. Because little seeds germinate, and can grow into big trees of evil deeds. Lust for things we do not have, conceives inside us. If we do not kill it when it is small, we can give birth to adultery, murder, etc. Evil doesn't just happen. It starts small. Lord, show me if there's anything displeasing to you in the way I think, in what I do. Help me to feed the good in me, and destroy what is evil in Your sight.

Lord of the Sabbath

 "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Luke 6:5

If you've watched Fiddler on the Roof like I have (many times!!!), you've seen how the Jews kept the Sabbath holy as God commanded them to do in Exodus 20:8-11.  “Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord God, in it you shall not do any work...The Lord blessed the Sabbath and hallowed it." In the movie, we see how the family gathers together and Tevye and Golde lead the prayers.

It's funny how most of us, including me, find it so hard to follow God's teachings and laws when it is actually for our own good. Consider when God wants us to forgive those who have wronged us. Forgiveness sets us free from bondage. And when God teaches us to work 6 days a week and to set aside one day for rest, it is also for our good! It is a gift to us, a day in which to celebrate His goodness and faithfulness. If we learn to focus on God one day a week, we will be restored, refreshed and strengthened. “The joy of the Lord is our strength!"

We should gather as a family, as a community, as a parish, and recognize our God as the giver of every good gift. God wants to bring us into His rest. What God finds good, He wants to share with His people He calls His own. Just as on the seventh day He rested and enjoyed the work of His hands (Genesis 2:1-2), seeing how good it all was, so too does God want us to stop and experience that same joy. 

If we set aside one day a week to follow God's 4th commandment, it is like saying, "Lord God, I put You first, not the things my hands have made. I recognize that everything comes from You and I honor You. I want to receive every blessing You have in store for me!"

Find Rest

"Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me...Your souls will find rest." 

Matthew 11:28-29

Usually what we remember about this well loved verse is that Jesus will refresh us, and our souls will find rest. We usually disregard what Jesus said about learning from Him which is a prerequisite to finding rest. Rest of course does not mean sleep or having time off. What Jesus promises is a season of refreshment, fulfillment, restoration. It is very clear that to be in this enviable state, we need to learn some life skills from Jesus. Humility, generosity, putting God and what He loves first, prayer, and first and foremost that Jesus is Master and Lord. How else can He become our teacher?

When we observe people, we will see that when we need help, when we are burdened, very often we run to other people and other places, rather than come to Jesus who is waiting. We may even run to Church or religion. But going to Church is not the same as making Jesus our teacher, brother and friend. We need to read His Words, His teachings for ourselves. Lord, teach me to enter into Your rest!

Our God Hears Every Prayer

“Shall He who formed the ear not hear? or He who formed the eye not see?” Psalm 94:9

The whole Psalm 94 is a plaintive lament against injustice, arrogant leaders and evildoers perpetuating oppression. The psalmist calls for justice, that God sentence the proud to the penalties they deserve. Indeed, together with God’s people, we can pray this today with much anguish. 

Charles Spurgeon wrote in his book, “The Treasury of David”- “They were blindly wicked because they dreamed of a blind God. When men believe that the eyes of God are dim, there is no reason to wonder that they give full license to their brutal passions.” Do not our leaders elected to protect us and give us justice, act as if God is deaf and blind? Instead of good for the people, they promote legalised wickedness! 

Spurgeon further writes: “Must not such inhuman conduct as this provoke the Lord? Shall the tears of widows, the groans of strangers, and the blood of orphans be poured forth in vain? As surely as there is a God in heaven, He will visit those who perpetrate such crimes; though he bear long with them, he will yet take vengeance, and that speedily.” 

Yes, God is not blind. He is not deaf. He hears our cries. We can confess with the psalmist, “The Lord will not reject His people, He will not abandon His special possession...The Lord is my fortress; my God is a mighty rock where I can hide. God will make the sins of evil people fall back upon them. He will destroy them for their sins.” (Psalm 94:14-23)

So let us keep in faith, continue to pray, and fast. He who formed our ears can hear us, and He who formed our eyes can see every little injustice. We should keep calm and not even be angry. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord, “and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)

Waste Time with God

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:8

Obedience brings blessing and disobedience closes the door. But how can we obey if we do not recognize God's voice?  It seems as if the prophets in the Bible could talk to God, even argue with Him and bargain! 

 

The thing is if we want to know God's voice, we have to spend time with Him. It's like talking to a good friend on the phone. Even if we don't see him or her, we recognize their voice, we can even tell their mood! In a study conducted by Canadian linguists, they found that most people could identify a friend or relative's voice after hearing just 4 syllables. We should make it our aim to recognize our Father's voice. If we want to hear Him, He will find a way for us to hear Him. But first, I think we should get familiar with His words and promises, so when He speaks to us, we will know it's Him. 

Isn’t it fascinating that in Jesus’ fourth resurrection appearance on Easter Sunday, He gave the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–32) a Bible study? In verse 27, we read that, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Most of us, like these disciples do not recognize Jesus when He speaks to us, much less see Him in the Old Testament writings. St. Jerome wrote that  “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”

If we want to hear God’s voice and recognize Him, first we have to get to know Him in the Word. It’s good to spend time, and even waste time with Him so Jesus becomes our very best friend! 

Wash Yourselves Clean!

 "Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes." Isaiah 1:16

If we leave dirty clothes in hampers, and used pots and pans in the sink for too long, they will stink! Similarly if we don’t take a bath every day, especially here in the Philippines where it is hot and humid, we will for sure smell bad! 

Isaiah the prophet is calling us on to wash ourselves of the filth and sin that threaten to separate us from God. 

How great is God's love for us that He gave us this wonderful gift of forgiveness and reconciliation! And it is available to us every single day! Imagine if there was an abundance of water available for us to use, and we did not bathe every day! Instead we would go around smelly and dirty! What a pity! What a waste! God is not stingy with forgiveness.

Look at Rahab who was a prostitute but she is now listed in Jesus' genealogy, because she married Salmon, the great great grandfather of King David! She was forgiven for her many sins and is now included in God’s family. 

“So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows,” Jesus says in Matthew 10:29-30. Let us not be afraid to approach the Lord who is full of mercy and wants to wash us clean! All we need to do is be humble, recognize and repent of our sin. 

Take Nothing on the Journey

"...take nothing on the journey..." Mark 6:8

When St. Francis of Assisi heard the gospel on taking nothing for the journey on Feb. 24, 1208, he was overjoyed. I can't imagine anyone being overjoyed at Jesus' instructions to the 12 Apostles to go out preaching but to take nothing but a walking stick! But Saint Francis had been feeling the pull of God in dreams and visions, and he felt that this was the clear direction he had been seeking. Although he had been a rich young man, with a taste for luxurious clothes and good food, he had renounced his possessions to the dismay of his father, and embarked on begging for food and for stones to rebuild a small church.

St. Francis really obeyed Jesus’ instructions to walk from place to place and preach the good news. In Cannara, Italy, he was known to have preached to thousands of birds. The birds actually listened to his instructions, “My little sisters the birds, Ye owe much to God, your Creator, And ye ought to sing his praise at all times and in all places, Because he has given you liberty to fly about into all places; And though ye neither spin nor sew, He has given you a twofold and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your offspring.”

When Francis reached the Umbrian city of Gubbio, the townspeople entreated him to help them with this ferocious wolf that was terrorizing the town. It not only ate animals but people too. Even the armed soldiers were terrified to leave the city walls. 

One day St. Francis announced he would speak to the wolf. When he walked out from the safety of the gates, the people climbed the roofs and walls to see what would happen. They were appalled when the wolf lunged at the saint, and relieved when Francis stopped him with the sign of the cross. 

St. Francis spoke to the wolf calling him Brother Wolf and convincing him to stop terrorizing the town. “In Christ’s name, I forbid you to be wicked. If you agree to make peace, I will ask the townspeople to feed you for the rest of your life, for I know it is hunger that has driven you to these crimes.” 

The wolf put his paw into Francis’ hand and the Saint led the now placid animal into Gubbio. Francis walked into the town square with the wolf and he urged the people to repent. He convinced them to forgive the wolf, and feed him as long as he lived and the wolf would not kill anyone anymore. This they did for the next two years until the wolf died. 

Like Saint Francis, we too are pilgrims on a journey. We take different paths, but we go to the same God. We may not be able to speak to birds and wolves, but every day we encounter our fellow men. Let us remember to go forth and spread God’s good word to all we meet.