Lando a jeepney a form of public transport in the Philippines driver in Manila gulped down coffee at a roadside stall Daily commuters were back again after the Covid- lockdowns And the sports event today means more passengers Lando thought I rsquo ll get back lost income Finally I can stop worrying He was about to start driving when he spotted Ronnie on a bench nearby The street sweeper looked troubled like he needed to talk But every minute counts Lando thought The more passengers the more income I can rsquo t linger But he sensed that God wanted him [... more]

For days the sickly cat cried huddled in a box near my workplace Abandoned on the street the feline went unnoticed by many who passed it by mdash until Jun came along The street sweeper carried the animal home where he lived with two dogs which were former strays ldquo I care for them because they rsquo re the creatures no one notices rdquo Jun said ldquo I see myself in them No one notices a street sweeper after all rdquo As Jesus walked toward Jericho on His way to Jerusalem a blind man sat begging by the roadside He [... more]

As a child I viewed grown-ups as wise and incapable of failure ldquo They always know what to do rdquo I rsquo d think ldquo One day when I rsquo m grown-up I rsquo ll always know what to do too rdquo Well ldquo one day rdquo came many years ago and all it has taught me is that many times I still don rsquo t know what to do Whether it rsquo s illness in the family problems at work or conflict in a relationship such times have wrested all delusions of personal control and strength simply leaving me [... more]

When I was studying in seminary years ago we had a weekly chapel service At one service while we students were singing ldquo Great is the Lord rdquo I spotted three of our well-loved professors singing with fervor Their faces radiated joy made possible only by their faith in God Years later as each went through terminal illness it was this faith that enabled them to endure and encourage others Today the memory of my teachers singing continues to encourage me to keep going in my trials To me they rsquo re a few of the many inspiring stories of [... more]

For over thirty years Lourdes a voice teacher in Manila had taught students face to face When she was asked to conduct classes online she was anxious ldquo I rsquo m not good with computers rdquo she recounted ldquo My laptop is old and I rsquo m not familiar with video conferencing platforms rdquo While it may seem a small thing to some it was a real stressor for her ldquo I live alone so there is no one to help rdquo she said ldquo I rsquo m concerned that my students will quit and I need the income rdquo [... more]

As a child I collected postage stamps When my angkong Fukienese for ldquo grandfather rdquo heard of my hobby he started saving stamps from his office mail every day Whenever I visited my grandparents Angkong would give me an envelope filled with a variety of beautiful stamps ldquo Even though I rsquo m always busy rdquo he told me once ldquo I won rsquo t forget you rdquo Angkong wasn rsquo t given to overt displays of affection but I felt his love deeply In an infinitely deeper way God demonstrated His love toward Israel when He declared ldquo I [... more]

I needed two medications urgently One was for my mom rsquo s allergies and the other for my niece rsquo s eczema Their discomfort was worsening but the medicines were no longer available in pharmacies Desperate and helpless I prayed repeatedly Lord please help them Weeks later their conditions became manageable God seemed to be saying ldquo There are times when I use medicines to heal But medicines don rsquo t have the final say I do Don rsquo t place your trust in them but in Me rdquo nbsp nbsp nbsp In Psalm King David took comfort in God [... more]

Dizziness struck me in the stairwell of the office building Overwhelmed I gripped the banister because the stairs seemed to spin As my heart pounded and my legs buckled I clung onto the banister thankful for its strength Medical tests showed I had anemia Although its cause wasn rsquo t serious and my condition was resolved I rsquo ll never forget how weak I felt that day That rsquo s why I admire the woman who touched Jesus She not only moved through the crowd in her weakened state but she also showed faith in venturing out to approach Him [... more]

When my cat Mickey had an eye infection I put eye drops in his eyes daily As soon as I placed him on the bathroom counter he rsquo d sit look at me with frightened eyes and brace himself for the spurt of liquid ldquo Good boy rdquo I rsquo d murmur Even though he didn rsquo t understand what I was doing he never jumped off hissed or scratched me Instead he would press himself closer against me mdash the person putting him through the ordeal He knew he could trust me When David wrote Psalm he had probably [... more]

The owner of the bookstore where Keith worked had been away on vacation for only two days but Keith his assistant was already panicking Operations were smooth but Keith was anxious that he wouldn rsquo t do a good job overseeing the store Frenetically he micromanaged all he could ldquo Stop it rdquo his boss finally told him over a video call ldquo All you have to do is follow the instructions I email you daily Don rsquo t worry Keith The burden isn rsquo t on you it rsquo s on me rdquo In a time of conflict with [... more]

I sat in the stillness of a workday rsquo s end my laptop in front of me I should rsquo ve been exhilarated about the work I rsquo d finished that day but I wasn rsquo t I was tired My shoulders ached with the load of anxiety over a problem at work and my mind was spent from thinking about a troubled relationship I wanted to escape from it all mdash my thoughts wandered to watching TV that night But I closed my eyes ldquo Lord rdquo I whispered I was too tired to say more All my weariness [... more]

At p m Hui-Liang was in his kitchen eating rice and leftover fish balls The Chua family in the apartment next door was having dinner too and their laughter and conversation cut through the silence of Hui-Liang rsquo s unit where he rsquo d lived alone since his wife died He rsquo d learned to live with loneliness over the years its stabbing pain had become a dull ache But tonight the sight of the one bowl and pair of chopsticks on his table pierced him deeply Before he went to bed that night Hui-Liang read Psalm his favorite psalm [... more]

In the book Physics Charles Riborg Mann and George Ransom Twiss asked ldquo When a tree falls in a lonely forest and no animal is nearby to hear it does it make a sound rdquo Over the years this question has prompted philosophical and scientific discussions about sound perception and existence A definitive answer however has yet to emerge One night while feeling lonely and sad about a problem I hadn rsquo t shared with anyone I recalled this question When no one hears my cry for help I thought does God hear Facing the threat of death and overcome [... more]

I rsquo m a worrier Early mornings are the worst because I rsquo m alone with my thoughts So I taped this quote from Hudson Taylor on my bathroom mirror where I can see it when I rsquo m feeling vulnerable ldquo There is a living God He has spoken in the Bible He means what He says and will do all He has promised rdquo Taylor rsquo s words came from years of walking with God and remind us of who He is and all He can do through our times of illness poverty loneliness and grief He didn [... more]

The year was At only twenty-three years of age Nelson had just graduated from medical school in his native Virginia And yet here he was in China as the new superintendent of the Love and Mercy Hospital the only hospital in an area of at least two million Chinese residents Nelson together with his family lived in the area for twenty-four more years running the hospital performing surgeries and sharing the gospel with thousands of people From once being called ldquo foreign devil rdquo by those who distrusted foreigners Nelson Bell later became known as ldquo the Bell who is [... more]

I had a medical check-up scheduled and although I rsquo d had no recent health concerns I dreaded the visit I was haunted by memories of an unexpected diagnosis long ago While I knew God was with me and I should simply trust Him I still felt afraid I was disappointed in my lack of faith If God was always with me why was I feeling such anxiety Then one morning I believe He led me to the story of Gideon Called ldquo mighty warrior rdquo Judges Gideon was fearful over his assignment to attack the Midianites Although God had [... more]

Olive watched her friend loading her dental equipment into his car A fellow dentist he rsquo d bought the brand-new supplies from her Having her own practice had been Olive rsquo s dream for years but when her son Kyle was born with cerebral palsy she realized she had to stop working to care for him ldquo If I had a million lifetimes I rsquo d make the same choice rdquo my friend told me ldquo But giving up dentistry was difficult It was the death of a dream rdquo We often go through difficulties we can rsquo t understand [... more]

The year was At only twenty-three years of age Nelson had just graduated from medical school in his native Virginia And yet here he was in China as the new superintendent of the Love and Mercy Hospital the only hospital in an area of at least two million Chinese residents Nelson together with his family lived in the area for twenty-four more years running the hospital performing surgeries and sharing the gospel with thousands of people From once being called ldquo foreign devil rdquo by those who distrusted foreigners Nelson Bell later became known as ldquo the Bell who is [... more]

Ten-year-old Lyn-Lyn had finally been adopted but she was afraid In the orphanage where she rsquo d grown up she was punished over the slightest mistake Lyn-Lyn asked her adoptive mom a friend of mine ldquo Mommy do you love me rdquo When my friend replied ldquo Yes rdquo Lyn-Lyn asked ldquo If I make a mistake will you still love me rdquo Some of us might ask that unspoken question when we feel we rsquo ve disappointed God Will You still love me We know that as long as we live in this world we rsquo ll fail and [... more]

As a child there was a time I dreaded going to school Some girls were bullying me by subjecting me to cruel pranks So during recess I rsquo d take refuge in the library where I rsquo d read a series of Christian storybooks I remember the first time I read the name ldquo Jesus rdquo Somehow I knew that this was the name of Someone who loved me In the months that followed whenever I rsquo d enter school fearful of the torment that lay ahead I rsquo d pray ldquo Jesus protect me rdquo I rsquo d feel [... more]

It was a Monday morning but my friend Chia-ming wasn rsquo t in the office He was at home cleaning the bathroom A month unemployed he thought and no job leads His firm had shut down because of the COVID- pandemic and worries about the future filled Chia-ming with fear I need to support my family he thought Where can I go for help In Psalm the pilgrims to Jerusalem asked a similar question about where to find help The journey to the Holy City on Mount Zion was long and potentially dangerous with travelers enduring an arduous climb The [... more]

Early mornings can be painful for my friend Alma a single mom of two She says ldquo When everything is quiet worries surface As I do household chores I think about our financial concerns and the kids rsquo health and studies rdquo When her husband abandoned her Alma bore the responsibility of raising her children on her own ldquo It rsquo s difficult rdquo she says ldquo but I know God sees me and my family He gives me the strength to work two jobs provides for our needs and lets my kids experience His guidance each day rdquo Hagar [... more]

Loving God thank You for Your gentle nudging correction With my shoulders slumped over my desk I murmured those difficult words I rsquo ve been so arrogant thinking I could do it all on my own For months I rsquo d been enjoying successful work projects and the accolades lulled me into trusting my capabilities and rejecting God rsquo s leading It took a challenging project for me to realize I wasn rsquo t as smart as I thought My proud heart had deceived me into believing that I didn rsquo t need God rsquo s help The powerful kingdom [... more]

Lea was about to start a job as a nurse in Taiwan She rsquo d be able to provide better for her family more than she could in Manila where job opportunities were limited On the night before her departure she gave instructions to her sister who rsquo d be taking care of her five-year-old daughter ldquo She rsquo ll take her vitamins if you also give her a spoonful of peanut butter rdquo Lea explained ldquo And remember she rsquo s shy She rsquo ll play with her cousins eventually And she rsquo s afraid of the dark rdquo [... more]

ldquo Kumain ka na ba rdquo Have you eaten This is what you rsquo ll always hear as a visitor in many homes in the Philippines where I rsquo m from It rsquo s the Filipino way of expressing care and kindness for our guests And regardless of your reply your host will always prepare something for you to eat Filipinos believe that true kindness isn rsquo t just saying the standard greeting but also going beyond words to show real hospitality Rebekah too knew all about being kind Her daily chores included drawing water from the well outside town [... more]

When Anita passed away in her sleep on her ninetieth birthday the quietness of her departure reflected the quietness of her life A widow she had been devoted to her children and grandchildren and to being a friend to younger women in church Anita wasn rsquo t particularly remarkable in talent or achievement But her deep faith in God inspired those who knew her ldquo When I don rsquo t know what to do about a problem rdquo a friend of mine said ldquo I don rsquo t think about the words of a famous preacher or author I think [... more]

Seated at the dining room table I gazed at the happy chaos around me Aunts uncles cousins nieces and nephews were enjoying the food and being together at our family reunion I was enjoying it all too But one thought pierced my heart You rsquo re the only woman here with no children With no family you can call her own Many single women like myself have similar experiences In my culture an Asian culture where marriage and children are highly valued not having a family of one rsquo s own can bring a sense of incompleteness It can feel [... more]