Painters can express their innermost feelings in a canvass. A bowl of fruits can be viewed and painted differently – depending on the painter’s perspective. Painting is a challenging profession or hobby. Not many get into it.
Yet all people can be painters in the Canvass of Life. Every morning when we wake up, we are handed a canvass, an easel, a set of brush and tubes of paints of various colors. We don’t need to know the techniques of painting. We don’t even need a subject. The choice of color is up to us. We can choose happy colors like yellow, pink and green,… continue reading..
It was a peaceful night for us when we celebrated the New Year 2020 outside our home. We kept our gaze up as we waited for some fireworks display at our neighbors’. I remember the vividly colored flames painting the sky as my heart leapt for joy knowing the fact that it is another year – a time for renewed hope in and chances at life.
January seemed to be a new beginning where many tend to have a positive outlook. However, events took a turn when the Taal Volcano, formerly thought of as… continue reading..
Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine that he drank. Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.”
Christians are surrounded by temptations. But just like Daniel, we should resolve not to defile ourselves with sins surround us. Avoidance of sin is a process as we can see from what Daniel did.
We might think that quarantine is a miserable state. Yet many have chosen to make the best out of this confinement by being productive. For instance, instead of indulging in Netflix, these moms in my neighborhood flex their arms and instantly become business persons selling variety of foods online from roasted chicken to vege-balls, from choco chips to doughnuts. Others offer delivery of fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry. An enterprising guy thought of delivering bread every Wednesday. These people not only make money but also spice-up the redundant menus of people in isolation.
With much time in hand, closets and drawers become organized, and… continue reading..
In this quarantine period, it is easy to lounge around, do nothing but eat, watch Netflix, and eat some more.
Time is time, whether we are in quarantine or not. Time has not lengthened just because we have nothing to do, and time seems long. As Christians, we need to be more on guard of our time. It is still 24 hours, no more, no less.
The key to leading ourselves is self-management, according to John Maxwell in his book, Leadership Gold. Taking some lessons from that book, we can lead ourselves to be productive even in this quarantine… continue reading..
Flowers are fascinating! They refresh and delight the eyes. Even wildflowers are beautiful to behold. We see them in open fields, on the sidewalk… along roadsides. But some flowers grow on rocks and cliffs, on crevices or rotten tree trunks. In these unpleasant places, the beauty of flowers is magnified.
Virtues are like flowers. They make people beautiful in the sight of God and men. Often, these are easily exercised in favorable conditions. For instance, it is not hard to be generous to an equally generous person. It is easy to love when you are loved in return. It is easy to be patient when… continue reading..
“I am giving you this endorsement. Present it to the hospital. You need to undergo dialysis now otherwise, your condition will worsen,” said Dr. Colago as he signed the prescription letter for my husband. He was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease – Stage 5.
Both speechless, I and my husband went out of the clinic and drove home. The verdict seemed to be an illusion.
As we reached home, he went upstairs. I was still immersed in my own thoughts when I heard that he was sobbing. I immediately went beside him. We prayed and cried together. Despite the weakness in my knees, I did my best to keep courage and… continue reading..
Many believers of God have fallen to the demise of asking what lies ahead
We wonder, “Will God let me have this? Will He finally heed my requests?”
Too many questions that our feeble minds cannot comprehend
More often, what’s left are doubts and distress.
Countless times I have been anxious of something I can’t control
And let the God I trust and praise vanish out of the picture
“When will these wicked thoughts end?” I cried
“Take heart, My child. I have overcome the world,” He replied.
Anxieties, doubts, and fears are inevitable realities in this dark fallen world
But casting it all to the merciful... continue reading..
The morning has just begun. Mom is beginning to notice that a bird is singing every 5:30 in the morning while she is praying. She looked at the window and noticed the sky in its awesome glow as if it was greeting her a pleasant morning. The flowers in the front yard are all in bloom because now she has more time to water the plants. It’s been two weeks – this quarantine period – and it is still uncertain how long it will last.
She left her husband in his very rare extended sleep and went straight to the kitchen. “What will… continue reading..
We are horrified with the escalating death due to Covid-19. This unseen enemy gets the upper hand even as the country strive hard to contain the spread of this infection. As of this writing, Covid cases in the Philippines has jumped to 803 and sadly, with 54 deaths.
We lament that because of the magnitude of the problem, death has been reduced to statistics. But each of this death is a person with families and friends. They all deserved to be recognized, to be mourned at and be given the best burial we can… continue reading..
