God in the Small Stuff

I have a permanent place for my keys but for some reason, I didn’t put them there and so I spent the whole day yesterday looking for them. Later that night my husband joined me and searched all around. We went to bed but we would get  up secretly trying to look for it, yes that’s how serious we were in finding my keys. Understandably so because those were the keys to our house and the mailbox.

My husband was more concerned (euphemism for upset),  I was not and I kept assuring him that the keys will turn up soon as we stop looking.

We went to bed.

We woke up and the first thing we talked about was the keys. We went the same route looking at places we’ve already checked just in case and there was nothing. He even looked in his car. When he left for work  I sat in his chair and I prayed ” Father in Heaven, please show me where my keys are. Please show me where they are.”

I got up and very specifically went to the guest room (you know how when you go to a room and wonder why you’re there?) and I started looking inside different purses. I thought I had it figured out re-tracing the different purses I used the past days , still none.

All of a sudden, my attention was focused on the new purse I bought hanging in the closet. It is like an envelope, thin and sleek. So I thought to myself “why would it be here? won’t fit”. As I was getting ready to leave I turned around again, I reached for that purse (as if someone grabbed my hands and put them on the purse).

I didn’t open it, I sort of felt/frisked it and there was none. There was a thinner slip on attachment in the front of the purse, so I opened it…

The keys were found!

I immediately took a picture of it and texted my husband.

As I began to text him, I suddenly realized how I found my keys (God must be clearing his throat saying “ehem”). I blurted out “Oh My God, I am sorry! I asked you to show me and I didn’t even bother thanking you first”. It led to a prayer of thanksgiving, praise and worship.

God is in the small stuff , believe it or not. 

A David Begets An Absalom

The book of 2 Samuel is a treasure trove for filmmakers. Like a typical Hollywood movie the story involved lust, incest, violence, betrayal. It is suspenseful, heartbreaking and full of action.

The dysfunction was multi faceted but would not be difficult to pinpoint what started the mini plots.

Most of the issues are traceable to one man-David. As admired and loved by God he was equally flawed and sinful. How a valiant young boy rose to fame and down to infamy is what makes the story gripping.

From adultery to murder to a negligent parent,  David tried hard to spin his life around and was successful in doing so, but not without difficulty.

                                   David and Absalom                        Photo credit: http://www.freebibleimages.org 

His bad parenting resulted from his inability to handle his own pain. The guilt and grief drew a hedge between him and Absalom. His failure to confront the issue that was Tamar triggered a deep seated hatred not only between the siblings but eventually towards him. 

Absalom lashed out and performed attention-seeking activities, desperate for his father’s approval and maybe the guilt and  agony of killing his brother and the defiling of his sister.

If you are facing some family crisis or lacking parental skills, learn from David and talk to God. Our God is compassionate. His love is unconditional. If we confess our sins and ask for guidance He is more than willing to help.

He heals, He restores.

The Beauty of Rediscovery

My trip to California was sweet. I was able to re-connect with old friends from church and my best friend.

My first day, my friends and I met in San Francisco and instead of going straight home they took me to Moraga and 16th. I worked in Sanfo for 3.5 years and I never once heard of the mosaic stairs. The artisan project was a beauty in itself with  succulents all around. But getting to the top to see a breath taking view of San Francisco was worth the climb. It was only 163 steps, but for someone who hates stairs it might as well be 1,163 steps! Did I mention it was free?

Halfway to the top of the stairs

Mosaic Stairs

There are “hidden”treasures right under our noses. Sometimes our appetite for everything grandeur overlooks simple beauties.  The best things in life sometimes are free. Not everything expensive is the best, that is a fallacy.

We look hard and go extreme to experience wonders and sights, but there is beauty in simplicity. Re-discover and explore, for you might find gemstones hidden in plain sight.

Let me end by saying that in our spiritual life, we are bound to re-discover “hidden” treasures and wonders. Re-discover your first love and re-kindle the fire the first time you fell in love with Jesus.

God’s wonders never go stale. His mercies and love are always free, always fresh.

…The LORD’S loving-kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.-Lamentations3:23

Go ahead, re-discover. Be amazed and be refreshed.

The Incorrectness of Political Correctness

Wikipedia defines Politics as the practice and theory of influencing other people. It refers to achieving and exercising organized control over a human community. It is a practice of distributing power.

Political correctness has overtaken our society that almost everyone is afraid to say something that might offend someone. It does make sense that the term was coined because it aims to influence the majority and at least I can say that it is being used to exercise control over me as a minute unit of our society.

I “can’t” say certain things because it might offend someone. I can’t do certain things because it might offend someone. I remember a story several years back when a teacher punished a student for using a spoon and a fork, instead of just a fork and a knife. It was offensive to him  and that the child was not conforming to Canada’s way of life. How about a grocery store putting out a watch list for Christians? Or I can’t say “menopause” anymore, instead it is a “change of life”. Please.

I am getting tired of people getting offended for the sake of being offended.

As Christians, we are to preach Jesus-his death, his resurrection and his death for salvation.  Are you offended because of that? News flash: The apostle Paul said it rather succinctly in 1 Corinthians 1:23:

but we preach Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.

People are gonna be offended no matter what, preach Him anyway.

Those who preach just to tickle the ears don’t preach about sin. They don’t preach about self-denial and are just there to tell you what you want to hear. If you need political correctness in what you want to hear so you are not offended, I pray that you will have an awakening one day (although the day is getting shorter), and a change of heart. Don’t take my word for it, do your due diligence and discover for yourself.

I’d rather hear that I suck and move me to change than hear what I want to hear and sit while I rot away.

Just saying.

I’m A Christian First

…every other stuff second.

I am a follower of Jesus.  I  am governed by Jesus, in thought, speech and deed. Although I am in this world, my citizenship is in Heaven. I am a Christian first, my other citizenship second.

At the crossroad, I am a Christian first,  not to be self-righteous and judgmental but to love others and be compassionate as well. Not to recompensate evil for evil, but will be honest in the sight of men.

I have the freedom to speak, not the freedom to disrespect other people. I am not holier than the rest of the world. I am a guiding light, I am firm but uncompromising with evil.

My actions are always purposeful, to share with the lost and glorify my Creator. It’s not my job to save the world nor to condemn,  for I was once lost and condemned as well, but Jesus found me.

What separates me from the rest is not tolerance. It is the compassion and the heart to share the good news of redemption and salvation. I pray that people will listen and if not, that is God’s problem, not mine.

I won’t provoke others nor will I defend the faith.  “God is my advocate and battles for me.” I know the ending and it is a victory!

May I conquer through gentle kindness, compassion and love. Jesus would do the same thing if He were on earth right now.

People are lost, I will try and guide them so they find the path to truth. I don’t share their lifestyle and principles, but won’t alienate them, either.

If I am persecuted because of my faith, I remember Timothy.

If the world hates me, I marvel not. I’m only second Jesus experienced it first.

I am a Christian first and eight times I am blessed.

 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.-Matthew 5:46

Identity Theft

Frank Sinatra while still alive had been frequently linked to the members of the Mafia. Reported rumors that were accepted as facts. Whether true or not, the point of this blog is this: our association and identity are shaped by either what we do, who we hang out with or even our past.

In America, we are identified by our Social Security Number. We are identified by facial features. Our basic identity is our names. In businesses and products, identity is crucial. We identify lost pets through their tags. So what is the big deal about identity?

From the beginning of time, our identity was established when God created man from the dust of the ground in His own image. That distinction between man and the rest of His creation is crucial because it reflects God’s character and intent-relationship. That relationship enabled Adam and Eve to identify the God who created them just by the sound of his footsteps.

Our present age is the age of identity theft. People pretending to be who they are not, stealing information to have access to certain services and privileges. Even the movie Face Off toyed with the idea of actually switching faces to assume different identities. When someone steals identity and wrecks it, the consequences is enormous. How does one repair a damaged identity?

Good news! Jesus died for us and gave us a new identity. The sin and the filth’s gone, washed away by His blood. We, as followers of Jesus are identified with Him. Sadly, some people who claim to be Christians refuse to be identified with Jesus and his works. Some even are ashamed to be identified with Christ.More people are rejecting Jesus. What’s up with that?

There is one master manipulator, the cunning hacker of life. He is Satan and he is the great identity thief. You don’t believe me? Read John 10:10. He is never happy to see souls won over to Jesus’ side and if we are not careful, Satan is so good at deflecting the truth by messing with your head. “You are a sinner”, “God doesn’t love you”, “God doesn’t care about you”, “You are good for nothing and Jesus won’t accept you”.

You can choose to be identified with the world and be accepted, or you can choose to be accepted with Jesus and be rejected. But guess what? When the curtain closes and we come face to face with our Creator, the sweetest sound of His voice recognizing us as his own is gonna be worth it all.

Blessings.

1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1

Paul’s Life Hacks

I imagine Paul all talked out after his third visit to the Corinthians. He was frustrated but quite a straight shooter. If he were alive today and is tech savvy he would probably blog everyday and use all the social media platforms available to get his message across.  He could be appearing on TED and tweeting crazy like this:

LH 1: Be #perfect. 

#Perfection is a process. Like diamonds constantly getting cut and polished, we should strive for maturity and becoming more like Christ daily.

LH 2:  Be of #one mind.

In unity and agreement  as to the teachings of Christ and His grace. The mission of the gospel and the mission of the church. No compromising of faith. Be drawn only to the things of God.

LH 3: Live in #peace.

There is no peace in the wicked, so be obedient to God and maintain a harmonious relationship with people around you. Don’t incite hatred, promote Godly love.

#saintlykisses everyone.

The Street You Call Home

I briefly skimmed through an article saying Jesus was homeless so be emphatic or be kind or something to that effect. The socio-economic issue of homelessness is a sticky subject and  I don’t know the circumstance that landed them in that situation, so there is no judgment. I  just wanted to give my spin to the story.

Some people are compassionate towards them, some are indifferent. Different people, different reasons.  Fair enough statement, yeah?

When I was living in the Bay Area, I was a volunteer in one of our church homeless ministries through Abode. Another ministry team would go to the Tenderloin district of San Francisco and Oakland, where they distributed toiletries, food and just hang out sharing with them the love of Jesus.  Where I live now, my husband and I are also involved in feeding and blessing the homeless.

As followers of Jesus, we are  to love one another and help the poor, to name a few.  I was just instructed when I read the phrase, Jesus was homeless. It wasn’t so much about being homeless that bothered me, it was the incompleteness of the thought and the attachment of unnecessary guilt. Just by simply saying “Jesus was homeless too, you’d do to him what you would do to me,  so give.” That is manipulation, an emotional blackmail even.

True,  Jesus was homeless …but he was not lazy. 

Again, there are homeless people but are still employed. There are homeless people who are proactively seeking help and assistance, there are homeless people living out in the cold. There are homeless people who don’t know what to do or where to go. There is HOPE, and help is available.

But if you are in your twenties, strong and asking me for money while you smoke your vapor-less cig?  I am a believer who will help, but I am not an enabler.

Jesus was a poor man until he died. But all his living years , he was working and built a career preaching,  performing miracles, raising people from the dead, casting out demons. He travelled, made and trained disciples. He was active and didn’t waste any time just being a busybody. He didn’t just sit in the curb, asking people for money.

If Jesus were to  walk the street of O’Farrell in Sanfo or Hastings in Vancouver, I believe that he would have compassion, he would feed them, preach to them but in the end Jesus would offer them something to do, like fish for people. Or refer them to agencies dedicated to help. There are agencies that help house the homeless while they transition. They teach them skills from resume writing, acing the interview , and other type of coaching until they are able to find a job and afford a rent, somehow.

If your homelessness is a lifestyle, I refuse to support that lifestyle.  I won’t pay for your coffee, nor your gas. If you don’t work you don’t eat.  If you are homeless because you are unfortunate despite your efforts, help is available.

http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org
http://www.voa.org/homeless-people
http://www.voaut.org/homeless
http://www.homelesssheltersusa.org
http://www.voagbr.org/Services/Housing–Homeless

Home

http://www.abodeservices.org

Some, if not all would not go through the program and surprisingly go back to the streets for various reasons. One could be fear. Fear of the responsibility, it could be just plain laziness maybe, lack of motivation.  I don’t know. Whatever it is, our hope is to lessen if not eradicate homelessness and help in our own little way; but for those who are young and able to work, roll up your sleeves and stretch your muscles.

You are not victims, and you can get out of the rut if you are willing.

Are You Afraid?

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

-(Isaiah 43:2, NLT)

Isaiah 43:2

HELP!

Would you include me in your prayers, please?

The foolishness of youth and arrogance of power is poison. The consequences of my sins from years ago still haunt me and every time the devil sees the opportunity to accuse and condemn me, I feel helpless and sad and stressed out and worthless.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord had already forgiven me, but like the mythical zombie,  the consequences of my sins just don’t seem to die and go away. ( at least not as quick as I hoped it would be).

The devil’s  tactics got old and with God’s grace, I was able to manage and deal with the attacks. Except this morning  the enemy sucker punched me with something unbelievable shocking that I started my day pissed.  Some sibling nonsense., you know?

I was persistent to find out which sibling said what and my hurt reaction was “how dare he/she!” (and I have no idea who it might be, lol) and  I found myself rambling about how I helped in the past and how I was a good sister to everyone, etc. I heard my voice and suddenly  realized that it was all rubbish- the devil dangled the bait and I took it!  Boy, was I confused.

I cried out to God, but I was not even sure what I was crying about. An overwhelming sense of sadness, desperation and losing control was just enough to break me down. As I was praying I said ” in times like this, how would I know if you are speaking to me still? How would I know if you’re listening to me?

I laid in bed crying just saying “help me, help me, help me please..help. Oh God help me.”

In case you are wondering what happened next, I sat in my  little corner, opened my bible and there He was. Speaking loud and clear in Psalm 30.

I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
² Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
³ You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
⁷ Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain^[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

God is not deaf.  The devil comes up with new tricks but our compassionate God equips us with  better weapons to counter the attacks while shielding ourselves from further harm.  There is great comfort in being helpless for it is when we are in this situation that we give God the opportunity  to rescue, save and  heal us.

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth.-Psalm 121:2