My Walk with God 🌱

"I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." - Psalm 69:30 Have you ever heard the expression "Ungratefulness is worse than witchcraft" ? I have heard this being said time and time again where persons share about having helped or nurtured others, only to be on the receiving end of quite the opposite - acts of unkindness, carelessness or neglect. While we all may have benefitted from the kind care of another at one point in time, many either felt they were entitled to it anyway, or were too wrapped up in their own self to appreciate the effort of another. Imagine the irony when the opportunity presents itself to help someone who has helped us, and we let it pass us. While being helped doesn't necessarily mean you are indebted for life to the person who helped us, sometimes we are guilty of causing hurt and disappointment to others when we behave in a way that shows outright thoughtlessness and disrespect, or demonstrates ungratefulness. I...

  “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? -Jeremiah 32:27 A few weeks ago, hurricane Beryl made her way through the Caribbean. While parts of the region were spared from the full extent of her impact, others were not so fortunate. Several islands experienced devastation, with many homes flattened or damaged extensively. One such location was Union Island, St. Vincent. The island's infrastructure was completely destroyed... and yet this photo emerges out of the landscape of rubbles. The home of Joseph Franklin, resident of Union Island. Photo courtesy The Guardian:   https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/12/solitary-wooden-house-on-union-island-escapes-fury-of-hurricane-beryl Allow me to indulge you a bit further with a news report and interview. The Little House That Went Viral on Union Island Persons may have varying opinions or perspectives on this story, but there is no denying that a house continues to not only stand, but sta...

  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." -Galatians 5:22-23 Welcome to Mango Season!  Mango trees that were once flowering, now are delivering on their promises, bearing mangoes plentifully. Tree owners cannot keep up, persons selling mangoes are capitalizing on the season, and even the birds and the animals are guaranteed a good meal from the many mangoes high up in the trees. It's mango season where I am. Is it by you too? According to research, this fruit originated in Asia, and has even been declared the national fruit of India. There are also over 500 varieties of mango. This means, that no matter how selective we might be, there just might be one variety that can suit our taste. There must be more to this fruit than only what meets the eye. 🥭 3 L essons I 'picked' from a Mango Tree 🥭 🌳Every good mango comes from a good tree. Did you know t...

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. - Proverbs 3:24 If you saw anyone nodding off today during work or on the bus, it is a possibility that they were 'celebrating' World Sleep Day. Yes, you read correctly. I was pleasantly surprised too to learn that there is a day set aside every year to commemorate it. According to the advocates, its objective is to serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining healthy sleep habits for overall well-being. By promoting awareness and understanding of sleep disorders, World Sleep Day aims to reduce their impact on society and improve global health. So out of curiosity, I started researching this very common, yet seldom acknowledged part of our daily life, called sleep. According to Wikipedia, "sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activit...

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." - 2 Corinthians 3:18 Have you ever stopped, observed life around us, and wondered to yourself "Hmm, Christianity today surely looks a lot different to the Christianity lived and displayed by Jesus" ? It is something I have been contemplating for a while. Historically, the early Christians lived in simplicity, hungered for truth and righteousness, endured persecution to the death, shared what they owned with each other, worshipped together in secret because Christianity was considered illegal, and were bold in their courage of living for Jesus and dying in Him. Their belief and testimony was so firmly rooted in Christ that even after their death, through the working of the Holy Spirit, more persons were won over and converted to the message and movement of the gospel. After all, something w...

"I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine." -Song of Solomon 6:3 This week many around the world celebrated and treated the loved ones in their life in a special way. Persons may have either showered their partner with affection or engaged in acts of appreciation to their friends, coworkers and family members. Let's be honest: intimacy is something that the human being craves. Finding someone to love and be safely loved by is a beautiful experience, however sometimes, we find ourselves looking for that intimacy in places that can instead end up being a source of disillusionment.  So how can we go about fulfilling that need for intimacy without risking disappointment? While nothing in this life is perfect or guaranteed, it is an important step to acknowledge that human love was created to reflect the love of God in many ways. If we were to learn what true love is from God, we not only elevate our ways of loving, but also, elevate our criteria in our search for and identifi...

  "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29: 12-13 Fun Fact: Did you know that this year (2024), more than 1 billion people around the world will be celebrating the New Year on February 10? While this may sound a bit late to many of us who follow the Gregorian calendar and would have typically celebrated on January 01, Chinese citizens and the diaspora follow the lunar calendar in which the new year falls at this time for them, and varies every year. Great importance is placed on celebrating and spending this time with family, with  traditional meals,  reunion dinners, and prior cleaning and renewal of ones environment. Interestingly enough, my appreciation for Chinese culture has mostly been limited to Chinese cuisine and a visit to a dragon boat festival last year. I have usually perceived it as out of reach due to the language barrier, until recently, ...

"How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small." -Psalm 104: 24-25 Insects are following me! Ok, that was just me being dramatic. Thank God they aren't following me. However, recently, I have been coming across a few insects that have allowed me close enough to them to take their photo. I sure do love getting closeup shots of all sorts of creatures. I like to be able to see the detail our heavenly Father has put into them. Spending time observing the fine details tends to give me a better appreciation of not only the creature itself, but also of the Creator we all share in common. But I digress. Allow me to introduce you to two personalities. Common Green Bottle Fly (Jan 06, 2024) Our first is a humble fly. It has probably been called many unpleasant names, and understandably so due to its function in spreading d...

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" -Mark 8:36 Have you ever watched an item in the store, and when you check at another store or even online, the price is lower there? Merchants usually purchase their goods at what is called a cost price, and mark up their selling prices because making a profit is how they make a living. It is up to the customer, who has the power of choice, to decide where they get the best value for their money. At the end of the day however, we all value the idea of making a reasonable profit, be it from the seller's side, off of anything that is sold or a service that is provided, or from the consumer's side, profiting well from a product or service that is paid for. It is wise to weigh choices well, and ensure we get the best outcome possible. This week, a well-established and rapidly expanding supermarket chain was catapulted into the media headlines due to one of it's top executives calling ...

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." -Titus 2:11-14 While going through my Facebook account, a reminder notification came up showing me this post that I made nine years ago. At the time, I had put it together to present at my local church as the opening remarks for the service that day. Reading it again today brought back some fond memories, but it also sobered me up to the fact that I am ten years closer to the promised event of which it speaks.  Homeward Bound Jesus' birth was the subject of many prophesies before he was born. They outlined his mother'...

  “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." - Job 12-7-10 These past few weeks, I have been seeking soothing encouragement from nature. I missed being able to be outdoors and enjoy my usual exercise. I had to settle for looking at photos and videos. Deadlines, marathon sessions to complete work assignments, fatigue and pressures of daily responsibilities had taken up most of my focus and time. There were some moments where I was wondering how was I going to get everything done. I had to remind myself that with God all things are possible and that I can and will reach the finish line by God's grace. Today I reached the finish line, and what a feeling of relief and release I felt...