Smiling Service

 I used to take morning walks to the park. On the way, I always met old folks jogging, doing Tai Chi and doing stretches. Being a stranger having another nationality, I didn't really bother greeting or smiling at them.But one time,remembering about Smiling as a form of Service to God, my heart was moved. The following morning, I smiled at the first old grandpa and he smiled back. 1 down! Along the park, I smiled to two more grandmas and they greeted back.3 down! And so on. It went well on the days that followed. I have realized the essence of smiling to strangers for the joy echoes back,doubling it and vice versa.It has reminded me of another expression of humility to new friendship and understanding. It also caters a warm heart radiating readiness to help.Smiling envelopes us with peace from those around.

It feels really good to praise the Lord initially with a smile upon waking up. It becomes true service to Him when we share it heartily to others without choosing or judging whom to smile to.

Proverbs 15:13- A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Satisfaction

I was sitting at a square surrounded by a mall and skyscrapers when I noticed black ants swarming my feet. There, a decomposing grasshopper crashed by my shoes. I had shrugged it off then moved about 2 meters from the swarm.  

After a few minutes reading my devotional book, a woman approached me for a chat. Suddenly, the juice was accidentally spilled over the bench. A few seconds later, some black ants started to swarm the spill. And surprisingly, the previous swarm had been moving towards me carrying the remains of the grasshopper. 

I had to move back to my former seat leaving the spill to the ants and the grasshopper being moved. Reaching 2 meters away, a brown bird spotted the swarm. Watching curiously, the bird had perched the grasshopper twice before leaving it off. 

Later on, 3 women gathered for their lunch. One bird waited on crumbs to fall , so pitiful it was staring at them. I had asked one woman to give some rice so she did. In seconds more birds gather expecting for more. But when nothing was given they started to fly away one by one. Observing this, I was inspired to document it.

Indeed, it's all about food!Basically, survival increases with the availability of food- resource, competition comes following the scent of food and the consumer is never satisfied which leads for further search which is truly common to living things specially man. Survival of the fittest, elimination of the unfit.~Charles Darwin

Survival comes in providing the
basic food. Wherever there is "food"-work, business boom etc.- you find a "swarm" competing to live up their own satisfaction. But there is a longing that even if you have the whole world or anything money can buy or enjoy all types of pleasure, you never get to be truly or permanently contented.

Now there is hope, in John 6: 35 ~ Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."John 6: 27 ~ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6: 33~ For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.Indeed, true satisfaction can only be found in our Lord Jesus Christ.                        

DO NOT WORRY

DO NOT WORRY

It had been raining since dawn on Sunday .Drops created a tune as they  trickle on the window glass.The fresh vegetative glow lured me from the window. Immediately, I had put my cap on, had grabbed the camera then was out the door!

I found myself on the pathway 300 meters from home.I started to take some pictures of interest. I could hear the birds chirping but I couldn't see them.A fly had taken cover under the ferns as I turned my back.The most enlightening scenario was looking at a tiny spider sheltering under a broad pinnate leaf. Its gleaming  web didn't escape my camera's lens.

I enjoyed feeling the drops of rain on my feet and seeing the street water splashed as the cars passed. But as I walked on I couldn't help but wonder about the spider depending at that leaf. I just wondered how the spider would survive if the wind was stronger and the rain heavier? Could the leaf still be intact,sturdy enough for the spider to depend its web on? 

Does the spider worry about that? Well, spiders do have protective mechanisms created for themselves that's certain.God is so wise to have created every need to meet every living thing on earth.

As I was editing the pictures for this collage, I was inspired to link the spider scenario to man's worries in life like the needs, wants, diseases, calamities etc. I recalled from the gospel of Matthew 6:25-33 from the words of Jesus our Lord an amazing example of being at rest with Him with regards to our basic needs. The 91st Psalm also offers more from our Lord with regards to troubles, pestilence etc.

DO NOT WORRY

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;or about your body,what you will wear.Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air;they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,will he not much more clothe you. O h you of little faith? So do not worry saying,"What shall we eat?, "What shall we drink?" What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN YOU AS WELL.THEREFORE, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW,FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your right side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

You will only observe in your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling-even the Lord, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you,no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command your angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra:you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

BECAUSE HE LOVES ME, says the Lord, "I WILL PROTECT HIM FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME, HE WILL CALL UPON ME AND I WILL ANSWER HIM. I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE. I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM.WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY SALVATION."

The only condition to have it all in our life is to follow THE PATH that JESUS is leading us to. Again, "BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS"..from Matthew and "BECAUSE HE LOVES ME"- that is loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul. Loving God according to John is Obeying His Commands and Loving our neighbor as ourselves.

So, do not worry. I flung out the door that day depending to our Lord. Jesus was my raincoat of protection. :-)


W- worry not!
O- oh worry not
R- reach out to Jesus for
R- real help comes from Him and let
Y- your yoke unto Him be lain

Living my Life like Tangerine Sprouts

After a week trip in China for the Spring holiday, my boss brought some tangerines as present. I was about to throw the seeds in the bin when I noticed the back door pot with some space for growing seeds. I put about 7 seeds for trial and had prayed they would grow. The good taste and the idea of having them as bonsai moved me to take care of them. 

After a month, I was watering the potted plant at the back door when 7 sprouts about 4 to 7 cms gladly smiled at me. Joyfully, I transplanted them in separate pots to avoid competition and had added fertilizer . Worried about the lack of sunlight, I had transferred them near the window indoor.  I made a chart for growth and development and had taken some pictures for documentation. 

Looking back, memoirs have associated this joy of nurturing the tangerine seeds to my conversion as a Born Again Christian. The good taste of the tangerine is the Word I heard that directly convicted my heart to accept the ministry of reconciliation to God. Thereafter,it was followed by joy and strength in the spirit that I continued to nourish myself with the Word and grow in my faith and service to Him. One way or another I wish to share this good taste to others as the infinite goal.That would be from the seeds I am taking care of, hoping one day they will bear fruits.

In here the lives of the sprouts are dependent on me as the caretaker. They have no choice but to depend on me for water, fertilizer and the acquisition of sunlight since they don't grow in their natural environment.

Truly, recognizing that God is the source of everything and that I'm nothing without Him allow my life a total surrender  to Jesus Christ, the Only Vine I am attached as a branch where nutrients pass through. John 15:5~I am the Vine you are the branches,If a man remains in me and I in Him,he will bear much fruit,apart from me you can do nothing. Jesus has the control of everything from the source of my income, health, emotional stability etc.In case of trials and problems,I am also expected to trust in the Vine where the nutrients-solutions come from making all things easier for me to handle. Matthew 11:28~ Come to me you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart,and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

As the caretaker of the tangerine sprouts, I know somehow the basic needs for their growth,thanks for the gift of knowledge taught in my Biology class.For God, He is but all knowing and my life He knew before I was born. In Jeremiah 29:11~For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,plans to prosper you and not to harm you,plans to give you hope and a future." What more should I ask, yes, He has created me for His glory and He wants to make sure that I am doing just that. If I remain in Him obeying His commands then everything will go well as He had planned for my life ever since I was in my mother's womb. Like taking care of the sprouts making them as bonsai as ornamental and supporting them to bear fruits which are good goals. So as the plans of our Lord to our lives.

"So, we make it our goal to please Him ~2 Corinthians 5:9 and everything will go well.

LOVE'S PONDERING FEET

Where there is pain,you seek their goodness; where there is envy you seek your uniquesness ;where there is sorrow,you seek His comfort; where there is hate,you seek His Endless Love 

Love’s Pondering Feet

In the lateness of spring

The cold winter breeze swaying

The warmth of friendship begins

The passion starts to be seen

Admiring the intellect and wishes

Succumbing to the will of the flesh

Dreams begun to resurrect

Making all webs connect

Thus, away the love’s pondering feet

With great glee to the next fleet

Allowing the memoirs to meet

Through fantasies the heart beats

Long days and distant lands

Yet the heart still abounds

For the mouth always speak

Words in writing are not meek

Anchors set and planes parade

Sunrise to sunset hope is paid

Tears of longing unhidden

Yet the feeling unbeaten

But in one unexpected dawn

The heart feared to mourn

Yet attained the deepest wound

Tears mounting like a dome

Gazing myriad of stars above

Setting wings like a dove

Unleashing the burden to God

The only author of Love

For His love I’m forgiven

My heart should be forgiving

And the hate I’m riding

Gives my life no meaning

So, away the love’s pondering feet

With great glee to the next fleet

Allowing memoirs to rest

And realities to set

Thank God for the embrace

Now I feel at peace 

:-) 

The Lord is My Chef

The Lord is My Chef is a song that tunes with the Praise song: Dancing on the Street.

I was inspired to compose this as my theme song in the kitchen.It was a rewarding experience when I eventually stepped up from my comfort zone as a novice in the kitchen world and explore new dishes. It worried me at first about the taste result but with confidence in the Lord, I started to get the creativity and skill rock on! It's overwhelming when you recognize that your Chef is our Lord.Never had I known that His presence can be felt whenever and wherever until I truly believed that He is within me through the Holy Spirit.The  best way to attain this is recognizing our nothingness; always depending on Him as the Vine being only the branch that needs Him for the sap.If the Lord is your Chef, the kitchen world becomes so wonderfully fun and light creating another dimension of emotional healing, a moment to seek His presence and a chance to bless others.Indeed, the food you prepare becomes a blessing to whom you serve.

Philippians 4:13~I can do everything through Jesus Christ who gives me strength.

The Lord is My Chef

Recognizing cooking weaknesses

I prayed to seek His hand

Feeling my heart’s nervousness

He came to lend a hand

          A hand to stir the pan

          A hand to open the can

                   And chop with a skillful hand

                   And make sure no taste is bland

The Lord is my Chef

The Lord is my Chef

The Lord is my Chef

And so when I served to dine

I really saw how the face had shined

So I dearly praised the Lord Divine

For I know the dish wasn’t mine

The Lord is my Chef

The Lord is my Chef

The Lord is my Chef

Deeds Matter More than Words

It was March 13, 2010 when I read a column from The Standard daily newspaper about the Filipino tourists -civil servants from the Southern Philippines being scammed by their agents.The Tourism Industry of HK took care of them, had given free accommodation, tour to Macao and around HK before sending them home.

                                                                                                                                                                   

If today I was blessed with gladness by reading a column on the act of kindness, “ Deeds matter more than words”, ignoring my heart’s desire to express gratefulness is like alienating my self from the touch of kindness itself. As I was inspired by the kindness I hope to channel the blessing to others through this piece.

                                Deeds matter

-Friday, March 12, 2010

My heart moved at 8.8 quake scale

24 scammed Filipinos given a bail              

Not all men possess great care

To bar my countrymen’s nightmare

Mr. Tse deserves a bash

 In which we can pin a sash

                                  For his heart isn’t won by cash

Thus his act is not trash

HK Tourism industry deserves a ball

Where its tower can stand tall

And to let its light fall

To be remembered by all

For all Filipinos be merry

We owe a grateful heart to carry

For such help we shouldn’t burry

But it should spread thru a wand of a fairy

Thank you Jesus for such hospitality

We cannot pay such sympathy

But your blessings for prosperity

To those who cared are most worthy