I always think that thoughtfulness is kindness of a higher order. Kindness is to do good to people; to extend a helping hand; to give a kind word of encouragement; to share one’s burden or joy. But thoughtfulness is a lot more.
Relationship in the church is replete with examples of thoughtfulness. A sister who went home to her province would bring small packs of goodies to distribute to church mates upon her return. Another sister would share half of her favorite snacks to me because she knows I like it too. A young mother would text in the middle of the week to inquire how am I doing, knowing that I am prone to spells of dizziness. Some members…
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Act 7:60 And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
In this verse, the Lord is teaching us the right attitude to people who troubles us. To retaliate is the expected reaction of man; to pay back evil for evil – all at once.
We may not retaliate overtly, but oftentimes we fight back with our body language and in our minds. Cold shoulder is what we give them, together with a massive dose of evil thoughts. In our minds, murder is going on.
It requires a deep sense of maturity to entrust our offended heart to the Lord and let Him punish…
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One fine morning, I finally decided to clean my refrigerator that was screaming from overload. I procrastinated because defrosting is always messy and tedious. Surprisingly, I enjoyed every bit of it.
First, I began emptying the lower compartment while I waited for the ice in the freezer to soften a bit. While removing food items from the refrigerator, I realized that there were many foodstuff inside that reminded me of people who care for me. The bag of walnut reminded me of the thoughtfulness of my eldest sister who carried a load of it all the way from Oregon, USA as pasalubong. Thoughts of her joyful visit flashed in my mind. And while I was removing a bunch of “suman”,…
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When I was young, I dreaded the thought of having white hairs. For me it meant old age and eventually… death. But as I grow older, and get my share of white hairs that multiply by the day, my perspective about it changed. By the grace of God, I began to welcome those glistening white strands as part of the beautiful process of aging.
God’s great design and His gentle dealing with His people are evident in the process of aging. God’s wisdom dictates that the emergence of our white hairs be a slow and lengthy process. Initially, it appears as a permanent “highlight” of brownish shade just above the forehead. Soon it invades a wider part of…
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