Truth is timeless, and no amount of relativism can change it...

It is as immutable as the laws of

nature, the laws of creation, and the laws of the Creator... While many argue that the Word should
not be taken 100% literally, and some would be remiss trying to appropriate all its ordinances
especially the ones specifically meant for the Jewish people and not all of humanity in the modern
times, one would also err not to take the ten commandments seriously for they are universal: murder,
lying, adultery, stealing are all crimes against another, causing untold suffering and pain... As we go
about our daily lives, may we hold on to the Word as a compass--of morality, reflection, and
guidepost in our struggles and relationships... It is a mine of ideas and principles, and wisdom can
guide us to discover the pearls hidden in it, those that may give us grace, knowledge, and strength,
and enable us to continue our journey in hope and faith...
#HappyJuly312023

No mean bone... A recent article stated what sociologists and behavioral scientists observe these
days: that people have generally become meaner, ruder, more selfish and abusive, greedier, and more
prone to defraud or at the very least, take advantage of other people's goodness, understanding and
generosity... And they have identified the cause to the general existential crises brought about by the
pandemic, climate armageddon, wars, political and economic upheavals that compound upon
humanity these past and current years... But in God's family, we are called to respect, take care, and
encourage one another (the true, 'not-giving-up-on-the-meeting' essence)... Sadly though, it is often
the church body where people experience first hand and most painfully, intolerance and abuse, greed
and oppression, scam and lies, pretense and flattery... Yet, the Word reminds us how to live and
thrive until the end: love and respect one another, especially those whom we feel are weaker, slower,
less capacitated and abled, and whom we perceive lower in socio-economic status... Because all
God's children are beautiful and precious in His sight, no matter the age, size, gender, personality and
preferences... All are equipped to heal, to nurture, to care, to pour out His grace and love; and all are
gifted to serve Him whom we do not see by giving to and serving our fellowmen whom we can see
but especially feel are far from life's good graces and favors... May we truly fulfill our commission of
being His children and heirs, His disciples and disciplers, in everything we do, everyday, every
moment that we can...
#HappyJuly302023

In quietness is strength... Is one shining example we should emulate from our Savior... It is not the
claps, the stars, the empty flattery and acknowledgements, the vain praise and recognition that
measures how far and successful we have come in life... But the one who truly succeeds has learned
the balance: between meaningful work, and down times spent in prayer and communion with Him,
with our thoughts, and with His natural creation... Yes, we can make our paid hours count with
productive labor; yes, we can build connections through fellowships with friends and brethren; but
those ties, those mental and emotional exercises lie only in this lifetime, while our sanity and
consciousness last... The one connection that we can keep forever though, beyond awareness, beyond
consciousness, beyond our physical existence, is the time we spent with Him in personal prayer and
meditation, that grounds us, but vertically aligns us, and holds our souls and spirits firm and strong
for all time...
#HappyJuly292023

The long view... My elders oftentimes measure people by how far they see or how long their vision
in life maybe... Which I observe is always one key question in the many job interviews I've had over
the course of my career... It seems not just in the secular world but spiritually too, we need to have a
far vision of the future, even stretching to eternity, though we may not always be certain about it...
And so we consider each other by the same crucible that determines faith and endurance--even in
marriage and building a family, in work and career: we look beyond to what we see in the moment,
we weigh the degree of commitment in our relations and connections by how each of us see the
future and what we want to do with it... May we likewise do so in all aspects of our lives...
#HappyJuly282023

When the 'Miss Minchins' attack, do a 'Princess Sara'... Only Gen X and Millennials could
understand; but we take this to mean that when we encounter people who are hard to deal with, we
maintain the poise and grace that befits a true princess--in our case, a daughter or child of God, and
still keep our sanity, wisdom and peace; until the truth comes out, we are set free from
misunderstanding and oppression, and will then be free to be ourselves, to do the best we can in
helping make life better for one and all... We need all that grace, and a heaping of hope and
confidence too, with much humility and wisdom; to make others see the light in us, that they too may
learn to trust and hope, not get envious, insecure, vindictive or abusive... May we tap into our eternal
source of goodness and love, our Heavenly Father, and fulfill the mission He charged us with, all the
rest of our days...
#HappyJuly272023

There's always grace, if we can find courage and hope within ourselves... Whether we be beset by
troubles and problems, whether rejected or abandoned, as long as we do not lose hope and stay
confident and content in the promises that our God has given us; and as long as we do not forget that
as He had been so good to us in the past, so will He continue to do good to us in the future, then we
can go on and thrive... For our journey will always be full of challenges peppered with moments of
joy; but hope and love, , faith and trust in the One who called us will keep us safe, sane, at peace, and
on the path of what is good and right...
#HappyJuly262023

Room for sadness and pain... We all have days when we are down, when we feel life and people
seem to seemingly beat us black and blue and push us down, not always physically, but especially
mentally and emotionally; so that we feel despair at every turn... Yet, our loving Father and Savior
has never left us without light and hope... As He promised, a more glorious, happy and pain-free
future awaits those of us who endure our journey in hope and faith... Yes, we will ultimately all go
home; and we can bring nothing beyond but our faith, our connection with Him who promised to
welcome us there at the entrance... And so, may every grief and sadness, resentment and sorrow be
laid down today, measured to their proper size, and even moments of gladness and joy, wealth and
winnings be taken in the light of His provision, in gratitude that they help us along in our journey, as
we come closer and closer to our ultimate home...
#HappyJuly252023

Hope springs eternal... Might be an old, tired cliché, but still rings true in our time today... Yes, many
of us can drown our sorrows and worries through the momentary distractions of social and
entertainment media; but without hope in a better future, we would still have to face bouts of
depression and loneliness... Yet our Savior has given us hope through His promises of never leaving
us, and of always caring for and providing for us... May we hold on to that, and spend our days more
confidently, humbly, and in wisdom, generosity and grace...
#HappyJuly242023
Praying for live souls... There is a tradition among many religions around the world, of praying to
and for dead ancestors and relatives... Maybe the main purpose is not really always for the salvation
of their souls from whatever after-death torment we believe they may be in, because salvation is a
personal, individual working out while alive; but rather it works more toward the one who prayed,
for peace of mind, to allay our own fears of being haunted, and to continue a tradition that we hope
will also be done to us when it's our time to go... But no matter the reason, it seems prayer finds its
purpose in helping us keep our sanity by settling our minds... Often, we don't get the answers right
away, or know when our prayer have come true and borne fruit; but when we pray, for ourselves and
others, we acknowledge our weakness and helplessness, and our ultimate dependence on the One
Who gave us life... And that connection He promised will never be severed even through time, age
and distance... May we pray always, everyday, each moment that we can, for whomever, for
whatever, whenever...
#HappyJuly232023

Salt and light... Salt flavors and cleanses; light illuminates, and separates from the unclear to the
transparent... And so it seems with one truly filled by the Spirit of God... Without even anyone
looking--either the secular world, physically or online, in the absence of people we want to impress;
if we can bring hope and love to a world awash in fear and hate, anxiety and misunderstanding; if we
can bring clarity to the confused, truth, not our own opinions and imaginations but the realities of the
times we profess to obey, and the realities of our time... Then we know His Holy Spirit has borne
fruit in us, and we can confidently proclaim we have been baptized and immersed in it...
#HappyJuly222023

Verbal diarrhea... Apologies to the sensitive, but this just means to me a person who can't stop
talking, who must have a say in everything, even if they don't know much about it, and something I
tease some people with, like friends and students... Because indeed, like the physical incontinence,
there are some who believe they know everything, and must express their opinions in every situation,
believing that it matters, which often it does not... For what truly matters is communication--with
God, with each other, with nature and life... And true communication is two-way: we can speak our
truth, but we must keep silent and listen to the revelation, to the response, to what the other party
thinks... And that is why we need to keep silent sometimes... This is probably why some
psychologists say this is an introvert superpower: by keeping silent more often, we hear things that
others who don't take the time can't, and we gain more wisdom... And on an eternal plane, our God is
praised by lightning and thunder, but just as He talked to Elijah in a gentle whisper, so do His truths
in our life come to us in our moments of keeping still and silent...
#HappyJuly212023

Humility stays down but stands out... As so often happens in life, any group, religious or secular,
where the human figurehead must be adored and venerated, is actually a cult, a kingdom of abused
and brainwashed slaves groveling over much hard-earned favor of the delusional at the expense of
sanity and self-respect... Because our Savior showed us what true leadership is--being one of and
among the team, relating to every need, giving support and understanding, generosity with time and
talent, and love... And that should be our mirror today... May we spend our days being followers of
truth and wisdom, and leaders of love, understanding, grace and peace...
#HappyJuly202023

Insidious... Should be how wisdom and good character develop in us, not of vice and harmful
habits... Because the destruction of our minds and bodies, ruin of relationships, and the death of our
souls come not from sudden changes in activity, but a seemingly unknowing but often small series of
mundane steps to cover over inefficiencies, to compromise, to hide the truth and sacrifice it at the
altar of convenience, fear and protection of image and status... May everyday we choose to do what
is right and good, speak only out of a heart of love and not envy, and keep our minds in tune with
what is pure, lovely and honest for one and all...
#HappyJuly192023

Working out our salvation is an everyday thing... Because we cannot buy our souls off by endless,
sometimes repetitive prayers, by regular church attendance, by purchasing indulgences or giving of
huge offerings; but by everyday doing what our Creator meant for us to do here, by loving Him and
caring for our fellowman as ourselves... We are called upon to treat each other fairly and with
respect, not abusing or oppressing or taking advantage of each other; and as much as we honor and
respect God, to feed His people and those whom He constantly calls each day, with His love, His
grace and goodness... And if we do falter and fail, we know we can call on Him for forgiveness,
repent what we did wrong, and still move on and continue doing our mission... May we find strength,
hope and peace, the rest of our journey...
#HappyJuly182023

The passed down faith... Is the truest legacy... A science article some time before said that the way
we think is actually written in our DNA, hence, hereditary... And they include creativity and crafts,
talents and intellect, mindset and perspective, and more metaphysically than most--faith... As in
minister Timothy's life, who was molded by the faith of his mother and grandmother, so also are
we... We may belong to different religions, we may claim superiority over others, but basically we
can never be better than the quality of our parents and elders... And that is the point of challenge too:
if our parents and elders were unschooled, ignorant of the ways of the modern world, uncultured if
we may say so, can we learn much and help them learn in return... Because each of us are made in
the image of our God; and regardless of age, gender, status, generation, obligated to know and learn,
responsible to gain wisdom and understanding; that we may share such to others, in an avenue of
love and concern...
#HappyJuly172023

The prayerful is truly powerful... Because prayer connects us to our Heavenly Father, the true source
of light, wisdom and strength, whose Spirit gives us life and drives our everyday motivations... And
by our words, by our priorities, by our causes, by our deeds, we manifest our prayerfulness... We can
never claim to be spiritual soldiers of Him if we do not come to the forefront of prayer in our daily
lives, and in the secrets of our closets; instead of just in the forefronts of our little congregations
where only praise of people becomes our aim, even at the expense of sincerity and real
transformation; and we can never claim to be life soldiers for His Word and kingdom if all we have is
talk, but we do not offer our lives for the safety, for the health, for the prosperity and wisdom of our
fellowman, but rather stay on the sidelines and make all kinds of excuses of our own illusions of
privilege and uniqueness... Life transformation indeed comes to those who take the risk, who stick
their necks out, who give life and limb, time and energy, talents and resources, to share and pour out
His love and understanding to all, at whatever cost, and consistently throughout the rest of the
journey...
#HappyJuly162023

The bond of perfection is generosity and understanding... Titles are forgotten, statuses are dropped,
when you show disrespect to others, putting them down, backbiting or criticizing them because you
think they are beneath you, less capable and less cultured... Because faith and character rests on what
the Word says; "would you have embraced the same humility, understanding, generosity, fairness
acceptance and love exhibited by our Saviour as written in the Word?"... Or would you rather say,
"because we are human, we cannot"; which actually means that because we live in the modern times,
we know better and would not emulate the One whom we nominally worship but whose example
from 2,000 years ago we ignore... May we choose what is right and good, do good to others and
show them respect; for each of us have our own issues, we are each gifted in our unique ways to deal
with life's challenges; but as all His children, obligated to help and deserve support from one
another...
#HappyJuly152023

What matters is what's in the heart... Because out of it are the issues of life, and what's in it drive our
everyday word and action... A proud heart insists on its rightness and self-righteousness, to a feeling
of superiority over others, but actually wallows in ignorance; while the humble and wise heart
recognizes and accepts the potential in others, understands their needs and issues, and is always
willing to lend a hand or to support... And the one whose life truly succeeds is the one who leaves a
good influence and impact on others, not on leading them on in envy, but spreading and sharing the
love and wisdom of God, and helping make the world a better place for one and all...
#HappyJuly142023

Ignorance is no excuse... A recent article says that the environment started degrading really fast since
around the 1950s, leading to the drastic conditions we experience these days caused by the climate...
It seems that whoever was born and in existence during these past seventy years must have had huge
and collective contributions to what we now call climate apocalypse... Yet, sadly, too few can really
do much significant impact, since whatever little effort one person or group does to alleviate our
plight, gets drowned by the massive apathy, ignorance, neglect and abuse the greater mass of
humanity heaps upon nature... And so is it with the consequences of wrongdoing as what the Word
says today--it is no excuse that we know little, or aren't aware, or aren't taught so in school, because
acquiring knowledge is our responsibility, and gaining wisdom our life goal, not of our parents,
teachers or elders... May we truly live out our calling, start as one human race to accept the
consequences of our actions and do our part to correct our ways, to do our best to thrive and help the
weak, and to give our lives to our ultimate mission still of being good stewards of creation...
#HappyJuly132023

Hypocrisy doesn't pay... Because we are all inadequate creatures, we all stumble and fail
sometimes... And like King David, we have to learn to face up to the consequences of our actions, be
humble and do better... And though we are forgiven once, but knowing our mistakes and doing them
over and over again does not anymore merit us mercy but a loss of grace and falling away... May we
not put out the Spirit's fire in us, and truly live with goodness and grace consistently, transparently, in
all honesty, justice, fairness and peace...
#HappyJuly122023

Bullying and body shaming has no place in the family of God... Yet, it seems many of us today who
claim to belong to His church can't stop our carnal, base and ignorant ways and still focus only on
outward appearances, on what glitters rather than what is inside, on what the world calls desirable
rather than what is good and godly; to the point that we are not aware that our words have wounded
our brethren, and dimmed the light of our Heavenly Father that should have shone from us to a
darkened world... May we realize that we are called upon not to glory on our efforts and our so-called
status and achievements; but with our words and actions, with our motivations and emotions, to show
appreciation to everything our Maker has done, in the lives of others and our own... Because He who
designed all things is loving and wise, and no respecter of persons--race, age, gender, body size and
shape, skin color, status or whatnot... And we show our love and worship of Him if we reflect the
same love and understanding to others too...
#HappyJuly112023

Salvation is free, and let's keep it at that... Because we believe our Savior died in His human form to
make it so... Therefore, may those of us who cash in on it with rhetoric, with schemes, with
misinformation taking advantage of people's ignorance and trauma repent from our evil deeds... May
we truly believe, and disciple others to believe in the same promise; and may we let our days and that
of others, be filled with the same hope and confidence... That we have a Savior who gave His
physical life 2,000 years ago to lead us to a life of hope and glory beyond the grave, and we need not
pay for it in installments now, especially through empty deeds and words we think secures us to that
passage, but lives lived in love and generosity, in wisdom and discernment, understanding and
humility... For the truly saved is humbled, the disciple and truly discipled is as He was--driven by His
love and mercy, His grace and light, and His brand of pure, unadulterated goodness...
#HappyJuly102023

A day in seven, but not on our own terms... For the Sabbath is a day of rest, even from each other's
overwhelming and profuse but empty attention and validation; and a day dedicated to an intimate
time with our Maker, and His natural creation... Therefore we forfeit it if we fill it up with our own
programs that seek only to highlight our talents and capabilities; we impoverish our souls if we do
not step back, keep still and stay down from who we are; and surrender our time, effort and will to
Him, and His glory revealed in our surroundings... Finally, it is recognizing that the best we can do
for Him whom we cannot see, is to do good, be generous and just, humble, fair, sincere and honest
with those around us whom we can see, whose needs we can perceive and help meet, whose pain and
sorrow we can alleviate... Because worshipping God on His Day is not from our agenda, nor from
canons passed down to us by so-called messengers; but according to His revealed will in key parts of
the written word, according to what His Spirit reveals to us each day...
#HappyJune092023

Standing up for God, truth and right takes time to get proven and bear fruit; but all worth it... There
are really no instant miracles in life, but blessings too long unrealized while in the making, and only
recognized for a fleeting moment when they come, yet, changes lives forever... And so there are no
accidents, no one better than others in living a life that truly matters and makes an impact... For each
one of us is given grace each day to uphold what's good and godly, and to do our work in the open, in
broad daylight, the truth in us in full view of the sun and the great cloud of our life's witnesses... May
we take up that challenge and live sincerely, honestly, and always with good intentions...
#HappyJuly082023

The right motivation for having more than enough... Is to be a vessel and share such with others...
Because our God is a magnanimously generous one; so that if we trust Him and believe on His
promises, and continue to do good, to share with others without condition or malice, we find that at
whatever point of our lives, He meets our needs, and we are blessed without burden, we are provided
for in all aspects--physically, materially, mentally, emotionally, and with peace... May we hold on to
that and learn patience, perseverance, honesty and fairness, good character...
#HappyJuly072023
Our temper makes or breaks us... And may we not forget that, and all the examples we see in people
around us; that no good comes from acting out in anger, that success does not come from unbridled
passions, that peace do not happen when we rage against people and life... Because if we claim to be
our God's children, then we inherit His peace also--His mind, His vocation and advocacy of it, and
we spread that out to others too...
#HappyJuly062023

Called out, stand out... In our world today where many people just want to bring attention to
themselves, who expect everyone to afford them privileges and favors at the expense of the weak and
silent, the humility and meekness exemplified by our Savior is a rare gem... Yet, that is often where
wisdom and love reside... For our faith is not manifested as a scream, but a silent yet clear book
where others may see the radiance of a life filled with His Spirit and presence... For our God is the
same through time: while the rest of the world are amazed by thunder- and lightning- like professions
of faith, convictions and ideas, He reveals Himself as a gentle breeze, a silent whisper, a still small
voice... And though we act with decency and decorum, we are still called upon to speak our truth
quietly and clearly, not competing with the screams driven by selfish motivations of the people
around us who try desperately to gain much-desired attention; instead we are commissioned to stand
out from the rest of the pack through lives lived in truth and love, in generosity and faith...
#HappyJuly052023

Doers of the Word... The apostle couldn't have said things more clearly and universally: that we are
only true to our professions and convictions of faith when we do the deed that matches it... That
because we serve the Heavenly Father of light, our actions and motivations should be clear and pure;
that because we believe and follow the God of mercy and compassion, likewise we give time to care
and support the weakest and least among us; that because we serve a powerful God, we feel
confident, at peace, and not doubt that in all of our struggles, He will strengthen us and see us
through... May we truly be doers of the Word, live the good news and promise He left as our legacy,
and not mere hearers and spectators of it...
#HappyJuly042023

This never grows old: that the surest manifestation of our faith is being a good neighbor... As in,
when our Savior said that the greatest commandment is to love God, that is a profession of our faith;
and to love our neighbor as ourselves, the second greatest one, the proof and the natural reaction and
fruit of having true faith... And so, as our weekend insight, it bears repeating too: that we must not
delay in doing good to others, and to enjoy and uphold what is good, true and sincere, pure and
honest and fair in life; for if we hesitate and pass up, we deprive ourselves of much needed break to
our physical bodies, and a necessary respite to our soul; but we also deprive others of the blessings of
our presence, generosity, grace, wisdom and love...
#HappyJuly032023

Through all of life's changes, our God is our ultimate sanctuary... So we need not fear what tomorrow
may bring, whether we have enough, whether we are equipped or qualified, and whether we will
succeed, break through and experience better days, because He is already there; He has laid out our
path, and we can trust that He will empower us through... And that will be the test of our faith: to
trust that our sincere and true efforts will bear fruit, to have confidence and peace that He is always at
hand, and we need not use many words and loud voices, even magnified actions and entitlements to
get His attention; because He already pays us much attention; and He knows us, where we are, what
we need, and where we need to be...
#HappyJuly022023

The proof is in the testing... Because many of us are predisposed to accept things that validate our
own biases and prejudices; we take opinions as fact, hearsays as canons, misinterpretations as
enlightenment, fake and fraud as truth- - hook, line and sinker, without caring to dig deeper,
understand more, and be a little more discerning... But the proof is in the pudding, they say; and we
can prove words with actions, convictions on reactions, professions of faith in how "The others" are
treated by the so-called Believer... And so it is with those who claim to have been baptized in and
filled with the Holy Spirit: it is not words, whether uttered from booklets, or unintelligible syllables
not belonging to any of the world's current and past thousands of languages and dialects that manifest
its realness, but by words of wisdom and understanding, actions of love, generosity and
unconditional hospitality... And because the power of our God cannot be faked, may we tap into it
always, meditate on it daily, and let it grow and bear fruit in our lives the rest of our physical
existence, into the fruits it clearly was exemplified by the physical life of our Savior, and magnified
in the teachings of His direct apostles... Here's praying His Spirit be poured out on us all everyday,
that as His earthen vessels and jars of clay, we might pour such on others too...
#HappyJuly012023