A Searing Accident

A few days ago I had a searing accident. The boiling water I poured from the kettle to my coffee mug tumbled onto my chest. It scalded me with a heat I never previously experienced. I poured water over my chest continuously for 30 minutes as the pain seared my lower left breast down to all over my abdominal area. For more than 18 hours I needed an ice bag and cold compresses to ease the utter unrelenting pain. I cried out to God in my pain.

I turned to God for comfort. I read God’s promises of help and hope amidst life’s trials and struggles. Then I read that part that warns of rejection and burning (Hebrews 6:8), and judgement and fiery indignation (Hebrew 10:27) to those who reject repentance and salvation.

The pain of my searing accident I bore for just a day, but would I risk eternal fire? Lord save me! May I never go through such pain again, here or herafter.

 

Good Versus Evil

This morning I asked God a question of my heart. Why on earth does evil seem to overpower good?

I believe God really designed earth to be an eternal paradise on a system of love, justice, equity, mercy, forgiveness, selflessness and generosity. It is a system of good. Anything that goes against this system does not work and is not permissible in paradise.

Evil can only work outside of paradise as on earth, when the opposite system of selfishness, covetousness, pride, injustice, inequity, unforegiveness and hate, is observed and often perceived to prosper over good.

I believe evil will share the fate of the earth, that of eventual destruction. Earth is temporary and fleeting to its end. Paradise God holds permanent and eternal. In His eternal perspective, good prevails over evil finally and eternally.

This thought quiets my heart that yearns for immortality.

Rethinking Economics

I’ve always believed that the main goal of economic development policies and programs is to raise the real standard of living and incomes of the vast majority of people not only with respect to particular nations but more so with respect to the global family of nations. It’s time to rethink economics towards this perspective and Econ4 is a start.
http://www.econ4.is/
http://www.econ4.is

Thanks for the Happiness Steve Jobs

I am happiest when I could have some quiet time alone at home, in the garden surrounded by fruit trees, reflecting about life and my experience of it, my faith, my family, my work, and all else I love – seeking, studying, understanding and resolving to live and love more and better through it all.

Yesterday I learned of Steve Job’s death. I just want to acknowledge that personal computing, and all that it has made possible because of his creative genius, has given me more of these quiet times saved from mundane work and other tasks.

Thanks for the happiness Steve!

What Difference Does a Life make?

In times when I ask myself if I have made a difference for good in the world, I reread a letter sent me by my daughter in her junior year of college. She wrote:

Dear Mom,

I know this is not a mother’s-day card but it’s about your relationship with the Lord. Because He will be with you forever. We have not always agreed on every point, but God is our great bond. I pray that you will trust God in all you do. Believe that His eyes are always upon you and that His love will see you through.

I pray you develop your full potential in the Lord, and that you would not hesitate to obey and sacrifice for Him. We know that all that we do has an eternal reward, and is not in vain. I pray that in each moment, you will always opt for the right way. Be not afraid to die to yourself, God will be faithful to you.

The Lord deserves all our love, sacrifice and pain. To die for God is to have life eternal. We must indeed love God above all, even above our lives. Your faith is not in vain. Do not over worry about your body for the important thing is the soul.

Thank you for our talks. I am happy that you always ask me about the Bible. I hope and pray, I’ve also been a good daughter because I try my best. Still, much is to be improved. I pray we learn to love God more and more each day despite all our trials and tribulations. God knows us. He knows our future for He said, “For I know My plans for you, plans for good and not for calamity. To give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let us therefore forget what lies behind and set our hearts on the prize of the upward calling of God. We know God will be faithful to finish the work He began in us. (Phil. 1:6). We will live only once, we must give our all for God’s work, knowing that we are but stewards of His great blessings.

Thank you for everything! God bless you! May the Lord grant you peace and quietness of spirit. That you may trust in Him completely, for God’s eyes are always on the righteous. May He grant you great joy despite all your doubts. May we indeed know how to say, in our hearts, “Whatever may happen, the Lord has taught me to say, it is well with my soul.” And so for you also.

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt.6:25). But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matt 6:33-31).

Smile! Miam 🙂

God Bless and Spare the Japanese People from Further Suffering

I deeply sympathize with the Japanese people for what they are going through after the earthquake and tsunami that befell their land. I have read much about their discipline, technological skill and economic wealth, but I most admire them for their generosity of spirit about which my late husband shared with me. Years ago as a young UNIDO scholar sent for training in Rome,Italy he found himself arriving late on a Sunday afternoon when banks were closed and with hardly enough cash to be able to book himself a hotel room for the night. As he frantically explained his situation to the hotel personnel at the desk, a Japanese couple overheard his story, found out he was a Filipino and unhesitatingly put in his hand a wad of local currency to tide him over the weekend. He never saw them again even as he tried to locate them to thank them and return their money as soon as he got back from the bank the following day. I pray to God that He may look upon this spirit of generosity and multiply it a million fold to especially bless and spare the Japanese people from further suffering.

In the World but Not of the World

I think the thought – that as a Christian I am in the world but not of this world, per bible scripture – this thought must have given me some comfort in looking to this “other world of God” when the pain and troubles in the world seem too much to bear at times. Perhaps providential circumstances come to goad me to reflect and acquire insights on the meaning of scriptures, an understanding which is based on a searing experience in the heart, a personal imprint of understanding that may not be possible otherwise.

What Do I pray?

What do I pray?

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Friday, September 4, 2009 at 5:05pm | Edit Note | Delete

What is the Kingdom of God?

I woke up this morning thinking about the question my friend asked me: “What is the kingdom of God?” Then, I looked at Luke 17:20-21: “The kingdom of God does not come with observation…. For indeed the kingdom of God is within you.” I believe that the kingdom of God is the kingdom that exists and operates through the common faith of believers in Jesus Christ that He is God who loves us and gives us eternal life.

To write or not to write

Originally, I thought I would make this blog one on economics, at least on my thoughts about the subject. After all, I’ve worked as an economist – teaching and consulting – for more than 25 years now.

But economics is no longer very important to me, or not as important as it was. Its theories and models that are used to describe and explain the events of the world and men’s activities do not seem as convincing and real to me now as before. Somehow, I don’t see an unambiguous focus in the discipline which leaves my soul unsatisfied to think that these are mostly all that I know of life, and of my life. And even these I’m not sure are the constructs that really describe our world, that really matter in our world. So what to write on. If not economics which has been all of my career life, it should be something really important to me.