On the Rough Roads of Planet Earth

Happiness and Wellness

2021-05-31T09:52:00.007-04:00

This blogsite very much reflects my passion for happiness, wellness, peace, and spiritual and emotional well-being. At the moment what concerns us all is wellness and safety from COVID19. That's the reality of the year 2020 to the present. It is my hope, together with all of you out there, that this pandemic whittles into thin air sooner than later. At this point I hope you agree with me that the more info we know the better we can fight this pandemic. Truly, that only confirms what the LORD always tells us in His holy book,

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hosea 4:6)

Knowledge is gold - true in the Bible age and even more so in these times.

"The Law of Your mouth is better to me

Than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

(Psalm 119:72)

We need all the wisdom, understanding, counsel and knowledge that comes from the LORD. The primary place to find those? It's the Bible, the word of God.

In the same way, it will do us good to know as much scientific knowledge on COVID, its treatment and the touted "vaccines" against it. So we are all eyes and ears on the news from the trusted tv channels, radio stations, newspapers, the worldwide web, social media. So much info! It's a deluge of information out there. How do we wade through, digest, curate and vet them all? Which ones are truly important, truly truthful, truly reliable and essential to bring relief and salvation from COVID? Wow, I used the word "true" so many times! I guess I'm wary of lies, hoaxes and flip flops.

I have waded through quite a bit of info - from the news agencies on the internet, YouTube, the social media, etc., and here's one gem of a vid I gleaned from the lot. This presentation was banned from Facebook but I believe in science where there are scientists having differing ideas at solving a problem. They respect one another, they discuss and evaluate one another's ideas and nobody's opinion is less valuable than that of others. I believe every expert's and researcher's ideas should be heard, especially at a time as this, when nobody seems to have the answer to this disease we're faced with. Scientists are also not afraid of people asking questions. In a science community they have what they call "different schools of thought" and they are all valuable contributions to the collective knowledge used in dealing with a problem. As they say, there are many ways to kill a cat. For example, on the origin of the species, we have both the Evolution Theory of Charles Darwin and the Creation Theory of the Judeau-Christian thought. When it comes to losing weight one can have a choice of doing the keto diet or the low carbo-high protein diet, the gluten-free diet, the pilates diet, vegetarian diet, etc. All are scientific and no one group of proponents denegrates or cancels the other. Even in food handling, there are many ways of preservation - by dehydration, canning, freezing, freeze-drying, pickling, etc. If I wish to go to the North Pole I can travel by land, by sea, by air or by all three. There are just so many ways of achieving the same end result in almost all facets of our lives. This is what we call academic freedom. It is simply the freedom to think on how to solve a problem. With COVID-19, many scientists, doctors and pharmaceutical companies say the way to go is by vaccines. But some experts, medical practitioners, administrators and researchers also say the better way is to do it through treatment. The debate goes on but sadly, the vaccine advocates seem to have steamrolled the treatment proponents down. Simply because they have more clout. The world governments are aggressively pushing the vaccines on everyone and they have withheld the available treatments from their peoples. Whatever happened to academic freedom and freedom of choice?

I am posting here a link to a 28-min info-packed video. Every minute of it is worth a listen. But if for any reason you can't access it, you have the choice of reading the transcription instead. I may have missed a word or phrase here and there - it is not perfect - but I believe I captured at least 95% of what the speaker said. I tried to stick to the word-for-word transcription of the lecture as much as possible. I also highlighted the points I consider important.

So, here goes. https://www.facebook.com/alyciacooley/posts/10224925405152258

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Reference:
Cooley, Alycia (2021, Apr 3). I don’t think you’ll be seeing him on the news. [Public Facebook Update]. Retrieved May 6, 2021 from https://www.facebook.com/alyciacooley/posts/10224925405152258

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2021, May 31). “Happiness and Wellness” [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://purejoyland.com/2021/05/happiness-and-wellness/

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America in the Balance

2020-11-29T00:00:00.003-05:00

“My fellow Americans, I stand here with all the feelings that I do, disgusted with this lie, that Biden has been chosen…

As if we all don’t know the truth.
And when one tries to deceive we know that one can’t get away with it. There will be a price to pay. The ones who are jumping for joy now are jumping toward the harm they will be in for.

Because I know the promises being made from the Left to the American people will never come to be.

My friends of all colors, races and religions, this is now our greatest fight since the Civil War – the battle of Righteousness versus Satan. Yes, Satan.

Because these Leftists are evil, corrupt, and they want to tear down this nation.
We must not allow this. We must fight this corruption that has taken over and fight for the good that seems lost.

Let us give our trust to God and fight now for Trump‘s victory, because we all know this ballot count is corruption like they are. So let us not back down, let us fight this fight as if it is our last fight on earth.

As Muhammad Ali said, “It is not over, till the last punch you have.”

God bless…” – Jon Voight
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How the Left ripped this vid apart in scoffing, mockery and derision on YouTube is unbelievable. Obviously, they are very much unnerved by the simplicity of the message of this “old man.” For me, Mr. Jon Voight is not just an old man filled with wisdom from his years, he is also the celebrated Best Actor from the movie “Coming Home.” People of my age would remember that although many young people nowadays wouldn’t know that movie. It was one of the most poignant movies produced in my growing up years, inspired by the tragically infamous Vietnam War of the 1960’s. I do have great respect for Mr. Voight. Of course, most importantly, I admire him for standing up to his convictions and I agree with what he says. I’m posting this here for wider viewing just in case YouTube scrubs it off its platform. Enjoy!

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Reference:

LifeSiteNews. (2020, Nov 18). “Actor Jon Voight urges Americans to ‘fight now for Trump’s victory’” [Vid Post]. Retrieved Nov 28, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_a3Fmtf1ug

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Nov 28). “America in the Balance” [Blog Post]. Retrieved from
https://purejoyland.com/2020/11/america-in -th e-balance/

New York is on PAUSE Over Coronavirus

2020-11-28T23:17:00.000-05:00

As of today, a Google search on the latest on the COVID-19 yields this worldwide statistics:

To see the latest counts, click here.

New York State has overnight become the epicenter of this outbreak clocking in about 5% of the world’s total infections at 20,875 as of this morning. There are 12,305 cases in the city of New York alone and a total of 157 deaths in the whole state. New Yorkers like me are bracing for the worst. A week ago it was Italy, now it’s us.

Gov. Cuomo had put in place a state of “PAUSE” for the state of New York, instead of the more encompassing “shelter-in” put in place in California, another hotspot of the virus. PAUSE is the acronym for the 10-point “policy to assure uniform safety for everyone.” Effective 8pm on Sunday, Mar 22, all non-essential businesses are closed. Essential businesses are pharmacies, food shops and groceries. Public transportation is also running. Social distancing is mandated, which means that food shops serve only takeouts and people are supposed to stay home and go out only if essentially necessary. They are supposed to keep a distance of 6 feet away from one another if they are out. The use of sanitizers is also mandated and they are provided to the customers of business establishments that remain open. Outdoor recreational activities are discouraged and limited to non-contact ones.

As a Bible-believing Christian, this coronavirus scourge reminds me of the First Passover which happened roughly 3,600 years ago, in Egypt. The children of Israel had to stay indoors as the angel of death passed by and claimed the lives of the firstborns of Egypt. The blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the lentils and doorposts of the Israelites’ homes warded off the angel of death that swept through the region that night. The firstborns of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of their slaves and prisoners all died, but all of the children of Israel were spared. It was a grim picture of sorrow, death and loss for the Egyptians but a picture of freedom and hope for the children of Israel who, on the same night, received their freedom to leave Egypt and their life of slavery in that land.

How does that story impact us today? It would be so easy to just regard that Bible account as some strange phenomenon in the past, classified among the many mysterious events in history that no one can explain, curious and spectacular as they might seem. But the Jewish people still celebrate Passover to this day, and so do the Christians, indirectly. For the Jews it is the commemoration of their freedom from slavery as a nation in Egypt 3,600 years ago. For the Christians, the historic day that their Savior Jesus Christ was crucified and died was on the first day of Passover 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, Israel. According to the Bible, Jesus is the Passover Lamb who, 2,000 years ago, fulfilled the Passover sacrificial lamb foreshadowed by the First Passover in Egypt, 3,600 years ago. Yes, the first Passover was a prophetic event that had its fulfillment at the Cross in Calvary 1,600 years later. That day is traditionally immortalized by their annual observance of Good Friday. Easter, a most important Christian holiday second only to Christmas, falls on the third day after Good Friday. Easter Sunday is the day when Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead after he died on Passover. Passover is celebrated for 8 days by the Jewish community. It spans a week. Now you would think Passover would fall on the same week the Christians celebrate their Good Friday and Easter. But no, they don’t, because they use two different calendars to calculate when this week falls in each year. Interestingly though, this year, Passover week for the Jews falls on the same week as Holy Week for the Christians. Passover starts on April 8, Wednesday and ends on April 16, Thursday. On the other hand, Holy Week starts on Maundy Thursday, April 9 and ends on Easter Sunday, April 12. It also looks like the coronavirus worldwide escalation might peak that same week.

God had been speaking through signs and wonders, moons and seasons to our generation. It looks like He is speaking loudly to us once again through the COVID-19. It is only fitting that we PAUSE, pun intended, stay indoors and ponder in our hearts about God and what He’s saying to us at Passover and Holy Week this year.

Keep safe, keep distancing, eat well, sleep enough and live healthy, dear friends! Young ones, this is not the time to visit grandma and grandpa. Use Zoom or Skype to spend “face time” with them. “A merry heart is good medicine.” Watch a comedy and chat with friends over the phone to keep happy and healthy! Let’s keep our spirits and immune system up as we weather through this coronavirus challenge. It will also do well to pray for protection for our first responders – the firefighters, doctors, nurses, caregivers and everyone in the front lines – and wisdom for our government leaders who have to make swift and wise decisions in these stressful times. Let us pray for provisions of more PPE (personal protective equipment) for our medical practitioners and more hospital beds as we are suffering shortages of those right now. Let us also pray for those already infected so they would recover, and for peace and comfort for the families who have lost loved ones. Let us connect with our communities and extend practical help, like monetary donations, where needed and if we are able.

Let us keep cheerful and prayerful.

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References Cited:

1) Danner, Stieb and Hart (2020, Mar 23). “Coronavirus in New York: Latest Updates” [ Mag Feature]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/new-york-coronavirus-cases-updates.html

2) Google.com (2020. Mar 23). (Search Result on Coronavirus Latest Updates). [Online Data]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://www.google.com/search?q=New+York%2C+latest+on+coronavirus&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS883US883&oq=new+york%2C+latest+on+coronavirus&aqs=chrome.0.69i59.7574j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

3) health.ny.gov (2020, Mar 23). “New York State on PAUSE” [Site Update]. Retrieved Mar 23, 2020 from https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Mar 23). "New York is on PAUSE Over Coronavirus" [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2020/03/new-york-pause/

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The Day After Valentine's 2020

2020-02-15T17:46:00.003-05:00

Today is the day to shop for roses if you can still find them. They'll be half the price of yesterday - a real bargain! That's just for bargain-seekers like me, who also like roses, any day, anytime.

Well, I got expensive roses on a vase sitting in my living room, too! I know they are pricey because they were bought yesterday and it was Valentine's. The next most costly day to get them is probably on Christmas Eve. Hmmm, love... and roses. I'm just so blessed I have a daughter whose Valentine gave her flowers on the mandatory flower day.

I'm a mom and just like the many moms out there I just hope that my daughter will be happy and will actually one day marry her date, have a settled and stable life, maybe have kids. For life goes on and that's how it's meant to be. We can't run away from the realities that we all grow old, we pass on, and hopefully, we have children by our side who would help us in the years when we are frail and need help. We also hope that our children will have children who will have the same heart of compassion to do likewise for their parents, and so on. Yes, nursing homes and retirement plans are there, but it is never the same to grow old surrounded by your own family who care for you.

So, what do we have on our plate today? The raging Coronavirus in China, the threat of locust swarms in Africa, the impeachment acquittal of President Trump, the upcoming US presidential race, Krushner's proposed peace plan for Israel and Palestine, Brexit, Megxit, the Oscars, the passing of Kobe Bryant, the viral American Airlines vid of a man repeatedly hitting a woman's reclined seat in front of him? Today we have these challenges, losses or wins; tomorrow they may be a little bit different, but quite like the same. But the faithfulness of God never ends, His mercies are new every morning, and we manage through another day. Win or lose, He is in control of everything. We may be in dire circumstances for which we have no answers - utterly clueless how to turn things around for ourselves - but we can always wait on God and He would do it. What a great, mighty and loving God we have!

Yay! Valentine's Flowers!

19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Feb 15). The Day After Valentine's 2020 [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2020/02/the-day-after-valentines/ ‎

Why is the New Testament So Hard to Read Compared to Psalms or Proverbs?

2020-02-15T17:36:00.002-05:00

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matt 5, NASB Version)

It's because of hard-hitting passages like the above. 😁 It's so much easier to read Psalms where you can cry to God with the Psalmist to help you with life's burdens and cares. But passages like the above from Matthew point us to the Savior in the Bible. We can't go through life without breaking any of God's commandments. Because that's what we are - sinners. But sin leads to entanglements, catastrophic consequences, illnesses and death - true signs that we need a Savior from sin and death - Jesus Christ. We need to receive Him into our hearts so we will have power to overcome sin. We need to be spiritually re-born.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1, NASB)

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
(John 3, NASB)

9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3, NASB)

It is this "seed" - a deposit of the Holy Spirit - that comes into us when we receive Jesus into our hearts that gives us the power to overcome sin. This happens when we repent of our sins and make a covenant with Jesus, that in exchange for the life He laid down for you and me on the cross, we lay our own lives in return, promising to obey His commandments in the Bible. Without that commitment of total surrender of our lives and will to Jesus, no Covenant Relationship happens. Of course, we are human and we make mistakes and we break promises. But If the repentance and total turning around is done in all sincerity at one point in one's life, Jesus recognizes that, and a transaction actually happens. Once that transaction is in place we can still break promises but God doesn't because He's the Covenant-Keeping God. So, what does that mean? He will always turn you back to the right track to make sure you finish the race of overcoming sin, as much as possible, to enjoy Eternal Life now and forevermore. That is what it means to be born-again in Christ and to have Eternal Life.

This is also what sets Christianity apart from Religion. All the religions of the world teach us to follow certain rules to achieve Heaven or Immortality. In biblical Christianity God Himself came down and lived among us and imparted a part of Himself to live in us so we can attain Heaven and Eternal Life. God does not just throw at us a list of rules to follow but He Himself dwells in man to enable him to live out those rules and be united with God. As such, Christianity is not a religion, it is being in union with God.

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2020, Feb 6). Why is the New Testament So Hard to Read Compared to Psalms or Proverbs? [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2020/02/why-is-the-new-t…alms-or-proverbs/ ‎

Happy New Year 2019!

2019-01-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

New Year 2019 Fireworks, London

2018 was a great year for me. So many lessons and revelations, far more precious than the gardening lessons!

Early last year two of my family members and I attended a seminar called, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” based on the book of the same title by Pete Scazzero. Whoa, that brought my world upside-down. I learned two basic things from that eight-week course. First, I realized that I kind of deny or ignore negative feelings like anger, fear, sadness, because I am not supposed to feel those things as a believer of Jesus. Anger for example, is definitely a sin according to the Bible. (Ephesians 4:31 and Colossians 3:8) So, when I have that feeling I don’t think further of what goes into that feeling, I just tend to forget them. I know I have to forgive anyway. Whether it’s my fault or the other person’s fault, it does not matter. I have to forgive! Or it won’t go well for me. That’s just how the Christian life goes. If you do not forgive men their sins neither will your Father in Heaven forgive you your sins. (Matthew 6:14,15) However, whenever I did that I was not exactly dealing with it. I was just suppressing it or ignoring it. I did not realize that not dealing with it results to denying myself or the reality of my state of heart. So, what’s so bad about that? It hampers one’s growth spiritually and it also can result into more serious things. When anger is bottled up and left to ferment it can blow up at any unguarded time or worse, result into a physical illness or a psychological condition like depression. The course we did specifically mentioned anger, fear and sadness. I was guilty with denying anger.

The course taught us to “embrace” every emotion, even though it’s negative, and bring it to God to be dealt with. We need God to help us in our difficulties and for me, it was facing my negative emotion of anger. Sometimes, we are not even aware we have those emotions. Like guilt, or shame, how do we actually realize we have those? Even unforgiveness. This is what sometimes people call being “in touch” with our emotions or connecting with ourselves. We need time and quiet to reflect and connect with ourselves. So, when we’re really busy or we have too many things in our plate this connection just doesn’t happen.

The second life-changing lesson I learned was that I realized I parented my children exactly the way my parents parented me. I’m a born-again Christian. I am supposed to have been regenerated through the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the word of God. My parents were religious but they did not really know the word of God nor lived according to it. My conversion to Christianity should have changed me. I should have been a better parent than my parents. But I wasn’t. Finally, the concept of parenting by example became real to me. I took on the mold of the examples my parents lived out before me and I imbibed the domestic aura they created for me and my siblings in our formative years. Unless that part of me is presented to Christ for cleansing and rebuilding (regenerating), that part of me would remain un-reborn (broken) and in dire need of healing. I had to have dialogues with my children and I had to confess and apologize and had reconciliations with them. It was painful and humbling, in the least. I would say this course was pivotal for me even for just this one important lesson learned.

Also, at the onset of 2018 I joined a church group that majors on inner healing and deliverance. What is that? As I had always mentioned in this blog, most of our illnesses are psychosomatic. Most physical illnesses have emotional or psychological roots. So, this group is learning from Bible mentors on how to receive emotional healing through prayer and counseling and in turn also to pray and counsel people for emotional healing, if it is perceived that their physical ailment is rooted in emotional brokenness. They are also taught that if a demon presents itself during the counseling and prayer, then the demon has to be cast out in a sensitive, biblical and dignified manner. This group is also taught how to receive prophetic words from the Holy Spirit and give it to the person/s to whom the edifying words are for. Hence, last year I learned a bit more on this through this church group, on top of the things I had previously learned from books, conferences, YouTube vids, etc., and my own personal time with God.

How does this impact me personally?

I had blogged here before about a physical healing I had on an inflammation called trigger finger. I had shared that I was healed after I started taking a herbal supplement of Moringga capsules. I had also shared that I was robbed once in front of our house and my right wrist was injured. It was in a soft cast for about five weeks. Apparently, when it was removed it did not heal completely at once. I continued having a kind of pain and stiffness on the ring finger and pinky and the area below them. That was early 2016. Then on top of that the ring finger started showing symptoms of trigger finger, maybe about a year later, in 2017. By around end of 2017 I remembered Moringga. I thought it is time to put it to good use again. Before that I was just taking the multivitamin VG7 on and off. So, I started a regular regimen of daily Moringga capsule intake. I expected the trigger finger to get better after one week just like last time. It didn’t. I waited a month. It still didn’t. I finished the whole bottle (60 caps, i.e. two months), it still didn’t. Now I thought, this is going to be embarrassing. The healing I had the first time was a fluke? Well, obviously, this one needs more than just Moringga. Well, it was time to pray for healing, seriously. I needed a miracle from God!

The inflammation went on until one day a miracle did happen. It was early 2018. I suddenly started having a sharp inflammation-like kind of pain on my left index finger. I was so annoyed by it. One night when my older daughter and I were having our mother-and-daughter bonding time at a restaurant I mentioned it to her. I told her that it is very strange that I am getting this kind of pain on my left hand when usually, I get this kind of pain only on my right. I presumed it’s because my right hand is more overworked than my left. (I have looked online and they say trigger finger usually affects older women like me because of repetitive motions like doing house chores.) So, she asked me when it exactly started. I told her it was just on the Wednesday night when we attended a church meeting. She remembered that Wednesday night I had told her I was so embarrassed because we were coming in to the church meeting very late. She also remembered that the Sunday before that Wednesday I had told her how embarrassed I was when my “signs and wonders” child made so much noise in church I had to walk her out while the pastor stopped preaching and waited for us to move out. A series of embarrassing events had recently occurred to me. My daughter said, “Mommy, I think that pain is caused by ‘shame’. You are just overly sensitive to embarrassment and it is now affecting your body and manifesting as pain.” At that time we were also talking about how our senior pastor’s wife had mentioned at our EHS class that “our body is the best prophet and that we should listen to it.” She had said that most often the emotions we ignore manifest as ailments in our bodies. So, my daughter reminded me of that because she herself had experienced pain in her body before which she identified as an emotion/s she was having right at that time. I thought about it. I said, "I think you're right." A few moments later I realized the pain on my left hand was gone! Totally gone, suddenly, from a ten to a zero! I told my daughter about it and we were shocked! We didn’t even pray for healing nor rebuke any spirit. We just talked about it and it disappeared!

In our next inner healing and deliverance church meeting there were prophetic words being called out and one of them was “shame”. I thought, “That’s me!” So, I went forward to be prayed for, and indeed, nobody else did, just me. I told the lady who called out the prophetic word about how I knew it was me, relating to her the story that happened with me and my daughter at the restaurant.

Then after that I reflected more where the root of this “shame” is coming from for me. I realized that my childhood was very much entrenched in shame. I come from a big family and my parents struggled sending us all to school financially. I remember going to school with holes in my socks. I remember not having a new box of crayons like everyone else whenever the new school year started. I remember I sometimes wore mended uniforms which were hand-me-downs from my older sister. My siblings and I also had to commute farther to school as we lived in the next town from where our city schools were located. I was often late because of lack of transportation and was reproved for it. We also spoke a different dialect from the city school where we studied. So, we spoke our own dialect at home but spoke the city dialect in school although it was just a 30-minute commute away. Often, I forgot to switch and my classmates would laugh at me because it’s the language of "backward rural people." I stood out for the odd and wrong reasons.

Besides all these there had been many embarrassing things I had to go through even in the last 30-40 years of my adult life. They probably should not have injured me inwardly that much but because I had these childhood wounds from shame, whatever embarrassment I have has a spiked effect on me because of that unhealed brokenness.

The trigger finger pain on my right ring finger still went on. I had prayed for its healing but it just won’t seem to go away. I stopped taking the Moringga capsules after I finished that whole bottle. Some months later I attended a Global Awakening (Randy Clark’s ministry) meeting held in our area and I went forward for prayer for that trigger finger. That was in late 2018. When it was my turn for prayer it was revealed that one of the associates had actually received a prophetic word for “trigger finger” but did not call it out. So, I was prayed for and I felt there was a reduction in the pain, from maybe a level 10 to a 6. For many days after that it remained at 6. It was still painful. I thought the healing prayer was just taking time to complete its job. But the pain did not leave at all even after weeks had passed. Finally, I thought, “What if this trigger finger was after all also just caused by ‘shame’, knowing that ‘shame’ seems to be a major issue of my life?” So, I thought, what is there to lose if I just try it? I started rebuking it as shame. I would just speak to it something like, “Shame, you have to leave now! Your cover is blown! You have no right over my body! I am covered by the blood of Jesus!” Or while massaging that finger I would say something like, “Shame, I apply the blood of Jesus upon you now! Go, in the name of Jesus!” Interchangeably sometimes I would also just pray, "Pain / inflammation, you have to leave. You have no place in my body anymore because I am in Christ!"

I did not observe a sudden change but as the days went by just praying that kind of prayer, the pain did reduce and sometimes it’s just a stiffness, and then it was down to zero! I don’t exactly remember when it left but all I know is it’s gone for 2-3 months now. I just know it’s gone! I am healed! And to think it was bothering me for about a year.

I had other healings and deliverances in the past year but suffice it to say God showed up miraculously and tremendously for me. I believe He has greater things ahead of me, not just in healing or knowledge on His healing power but in all of His Ways and Person. I know my narrative will probably get edited or fine-tuned many more times, and there may be more temptations of embarrassments, but I am trusting God at how my uniquely weird life is unfolding. I know my life and testimony are in the safest of Hands. For that I have great expectations and hopes for 2019!

I’m sure you have your own stories, too. Let me know in your comments below. A happy and blessed 2019 to you all!

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2019, Jan8). Happy New Year 2019! [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2019/01/happy-new-year-2019/

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This is a reblog. If you wish to read more of my blogs, please log on to www.purejoyland.com www.purejoyland.com

Gardening Lessons I Learned This Year

2018-11-23T16:05:00.001-05:00

In my last blog I said that I love watching things grow in summer and the reason I love gardening is because with just a little water, some sunshine and good soil, voile! You have bountiful produce in no time! Well, nothing can be further from that this year. I had birds pecking on my seedlings, whiteflies and ants infesting my young vines, more birds pecking on fruit buds and whoa, humans pilfering the fruits, too! By and large, a very interesting and challenging growing season! :)

May 25, 2018

Jul 3, 2018

Jul 12, 2018

By the middle of July they had already reached the top of our trellis. They grew lots of leaves and branches too, so thick at the bottom that I was alerted to check on them when a friend told me she had powdery mildew on her grape vines. I looked up the remedy and cause of powdery mildew online and it says it is mainly dew to overcrowding. It occurs when the growth becomes too profuse and the best mitigation measure is to thin out the growth. I thought I better check on my bitter gourds, too. True enough, I was too late! They were already badly infested with whiteflies! How did I know they were whiteflies? No, I didn't. I looked up pictures of common garden pests online and that's how I identified the unwelcome guests in my plants!

Jul 14, 2018 - Whiteflies infestation

The attack was quite bad. I could not take a good pic of the most badly affected leaves because I did not want to disturb the whiteflies in them. I quickly cut off those leaves and isolated them in a plastic bag. I did that to prevent them from moving to the other plants in the garden and come back to infest my bitter gourd vines again once they recover from the gutting.

Jul 14, 2018 - Gutted vines.

Yes, in a drastic move to save the vines I applied the "scorched earth method" - I totally trimmed off the leaves and left only the buds at the top. See pic above. This removed most of the whiteflies and whatever larvae / eggs left behind would have limited greens to feed on. I also watched a vid on YouTube where some gardeners used water to hose down the whiteflies from hibiscus plants. I did that too, but soon regretted it because it turned out bitter gourd buds are too fragile for that treatment. The water jet blew away almost all the tender buds!

I was trying to keep to the natural ways of averting the pest attack so I looked online for the best plant repellent for whiteflies. French marigold, alliums (green onions and garlic) were among those I found. I used French marigold and green onions because they were the most readily available. I planted them immediately and ten days later they were quite established and healthy. Meanwhile, I kept manually brushing off new growths of whiteflies off the leaves. I also found out online that you can make a solution of chili pepper and garlic and spray it on the vines as the smell of those spices also repel whiteflies and other insects. So, I did that, too. I also did more mulching. I discovered that tansy is a kind of flower that strongly repels whiteflies because of its strong pungent smell. I realized that the weeds I had used for mulching two years ago kind of looked like tansy. Maybe it was its wild relative. So, I looked up those weeds again and used them for mulching, as well as dried leaves and whatever plant material I could get hold of. I believe these measures did help keep the infestation at bay because the whitefly population decreased severely after that.

Jul 24, 2018 The tops bounce back.

After ten days the tops had grown to a healthy mass of foliage. There were already some fruit buds on the vines when the infestation occurred so, fruiting for this year was delayed by one week.

Jul 24, 2018 The insect repellent plants French marigold and green onions were established by now.

Soon after that I noticed something else. Tiny reddish-golden ants had grown in number and were over-running the vines, feeding on the succulent buds. According to my readings online, ants work in synergy with whiteflies because they feed on the wastes of the whiteflies. Hence, it was only logical that ants would become my next problem.

I looked online again for the natural remedies against ant infestation. I found this site where I got tips on how to get rid of garden ants using whatever you have at home - detergent, vegetable oil, water, white vinegar, etc. So, I followed their advice: Mix one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid soap and one and a half teaspoons of olive oil with some water. Now that was kind of tricky because I had to guess how much "some" water meant. I used only one cup of water and it probably turned out too concentrated. I also poured white vinegar on the ground where the ant nests were. Another method mentioned in the same article is by introducing nematodes into the soil. The nematodes invade the ant nests and prey on them. The only nematodes I know are those that naturally occur with mung beans. So, I thought I would plant mung beans in my garden (as I did two years ago) but I didn't have any in my pantry at that time so I grabbed any beans I could find. I planted small red beans instead and they actually grew!

The young bitter gourd leaves sprayed on got "burned"! The burnt effect didn't appear quickly but after the buds turned into fully-formed leaves the brown spots appeared and those leaves withered. The ones that were not sprayed on were good.

The first fruits were small, averaging 5 inches in length and the young leaves were affected by the home-made ant spray.

I had to trim off the withered leaves but the vines grew healthy. The ants reduced a lot towards the end of the planting season, too. The vines flourished and the fruits that followed were bigger and did not look blighted.

Eventually, the vines filled up the trellis and bore more fruits than I had two years ago. More in number but smaller in size. The majority averaged only about 6 inches long and 2-2.5 inches wide. The ones I had two years ago were averaging at 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. Now I wonder whether it's because the vines this year were infested, affecting the size, or it's because I planted more vines this time (5 vines instead of 2). I also wonder whether it's because I harvested my fruits earlier this year because if I didn't collect them early enough they got pilfered! I had no chance to wait for them to grow bigger.

Mature vines and fruits.

At the beginning of the planting season I was lazy to do a lot of mulching and instead I thought I would just use organic fertilizer to enrich the soil.

The organic manure I used as fertilizer.

This turned out to be a bad idea as it made the plants grow lots of leaves and branches at the bottom and created over-crowding which set the stage for whiteflies infestation. Apparently, mulching is the best way to go as it fertilizes the soil gradually and keeps the moisture in efficiently, causing slow but steady and healthy growth. Of course, it probably would have helped if I did not plant too many vines. I had to cut down four vines after I discovered the infestation, leaving only five.

Obviously, I didn't know anything about over-crowding plants before this. I thought the more plants I have, the more fruits I would get.

The small red beans I planted to boost the nematode population in my garden.

With the whiteflies and ant infestations I had this year I realized my success at growing bitter gourds two years ago (without any problems with pests) was because I did many things right, just by chance. I grew celery and green onions as early as spring. This year I found out that alliums (green onions is an allium) and cilantro are insect pest repellents. Celery is not exactly cilantro but they are kind of related. It is the essence of these plants that repel the insects. Two years ago I planted mung beans just for fun to see if it would grow and knowing that they grow fast, they could increase the nitrogen content of my garden soil and I could use some of the plants as mulch when I thin them out. This year I found out that another benefit of beans, besides enhancing soil fertility, is ant control. I may not know whether the particular nematodes that grow with small red beans are really the type that inhibit ant population growth but i would surely plant beans again as a companion crop when I plant my vegetables. Two years ago I continually mulched my bitter gourd plants with leaves, weeds, dry leaves, etc., whatever plant materials I could find. I did not use any fertilizer, organic nor inorganic. I totally depended on the mulch to fertilize the soil. That made my bitter gourd vines grow steadily, no growth spurts, no sudden overcrowding of leaves and branches. I also found out that the underlying concept in permaculture homesteading is mulching. It is a sustainable way to feed people organically although not many may have the means to own enough land to do that. Two years ago I grew only two vines, because those were all that germinated from the many seeds I planted. That itself prevented overcrowding. This year, after I responded to the challenges of the infestations of my bitter gourds, towards the end of the planting season I noticed I had a good mix of organisms in my garden, including ladybugs which I had taken for granted two years ago.

In summary, these are the hard lessons I learned about vegetable gardening this year:

Don't be lazy. Grow the spring season vegetables in spring (celery and green onions). They set a clean and safe environment for your summer vegetables. They will slow down in growth in the hot summer season but they would have fended away the harmful insects from the summer vegetables by then. Keep them growing as they will survive when the cool fall season sets in and you can keep harvesting them till the first snowfall.
Don't be lazy. Don't resort to organic fertilizers from the market. They can cause growth overdrive and cause overcrowding which will attract pests. Do continuous mulching instead.
Don't do shortcuts. Grow seedlings in spring and replant them into your garden in summer. That's how you fend off birds pecking on your seedlings.
Don't let your plants leave ground without their companion crops. Farmers don't plant flowers with their crops for beauty. They are there to fend away pests! French marigolds are attractive, pungent and go well with bitter gourd vines. God meant plants to thrive symbiotically. Beans help fertilize your soil and also, apparently, fends off ants.
Prevent overcrowding by planting plants about three feet away from each other. Don't be simplistic and greedy thinking you can get more yields by planting more. It's counterproductive.

Companion plants (green onions, French marigolds and small red beans) - don't let your garden plants leave ground without them.

So, did I have a happy summer? Oh yes, I did! Watching my plants grow and learning a few more gardening tricks make life more interesting than ever! Happiness is having plants! Let me know how your own planting season went in your comments below. Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to those of us in America! Hope to see you all again in my next blog!

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References:

(1) P. Allen Smith Garden Home Staff. (2014, Oct 26).17 Plants to Control Pests [Article]. Retrieved from https://pallensmith.com/2014/10/26/17-plants-control-pests/ Access Date Jul 14, 2018.

(2) Oder, Tom. (2014, Oct 2). 12 plants that repel unwanted insects [Article]. Retrieved from https://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/12-plants-that-repel-unwanted-insects Access Date Jul 14, 2018.

(3) Bogdanowicz, Richard. (2017, Feb 6). Repel Pests with Plants [Blog Post] Retrieved from https://permaculturenews.org/2017/02/06/repel-pests-plants/ Access Date Jul 14, 2018.

(4) Lohmiller, Becky and George. (Undated). Companion Planting Guide [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-guide Access Date Jul 14, 2018.

(5) Fantastic Gardeners Team. (2017, Mar 7). Ant Killer tactics - How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://blog.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/ant-killer-tactics/ Access Date Aug 6, 2018.

(6) Cuervo, M. and Medina, C., et al. (Undated). Nematodes - common bean [Article]. Retrieved from https://cropgenebank.sgrp.cgiar.org/index.php/management-mainmenu-434/stogs-mainmenu-238/common-bean/guidelines/nematodes Access Date Aug 7, 2018.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2018, Nov 20). [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/11/gardening-lessons-this-year/

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Summer Fun 2018

2018-07-11T02:09:00.000-04:00

Summer is here! At least for us in the northeast. Surely summer is always fun, happy, bright, relaxed... Hmm, probably not relaxed for many, more like hectic. It would be relaxed for students out of school but hectic for those doing summer jobs. It’s never relaxed for people working nine to five or night shifts, part-time, full-time, having two jobs! *o*

But this time let’s focus on “happy.” Like, "happy summer." Does it bring up pictures of leisurely beach walks, evening barbecues, a lackadaisical day with the kids at the park or lazy strolls down the neighborhood, donning shorts and tees for a hike to McDonald's to get soft-serve sweet, creamy ice cream...? You probably smell the flowers along the way, or glimpse at the neighbors walking their dogs, or you meet kids roller skating on the sidewalk, or playing basketball in a makeshift goal at the street corner, or you pass by a green patch and get chased by a buzzing bee. Or you bump into a friend at the 7-11 shop or the bunch of classmates who bullied you last Spring at gym. Oh, life. No, no, let’s focus on “happy” and “positive.” By now I guess you know my mantra: physical health is very much dependent on mental and emotional well-being. Happy emotions always point to good health, more motivation and success, whereas, sadness, loss and stress always point to poor health, low energy and less results towards achievement of goals. So, let’s think “summer” and “happy”. What thoughts come to your mind?

When I think of summer I always look forward to seeing things grow. I love gardening, if you would indulge my redundancy. I love watching plants grow. It’s one of the things that give me so much pleasure. I watch every leaf, every tendril reaching out for the skies; I hover over every plant, examine every bud and get excited by the slightest sign of a bloom or fruit. Maybe because with growing plants you see the results of your efforts so quickly; it brings so much satisfaction. Imagine if you’re a teacher and you hardly see your students improve in their reading or math skills. Downer. Or, ponder if you’re a parent teaching a child how to be consistent with going to school on time or making his own bed or washing his own dish. Or, picture yourself as a pastor and you’re counseling a person who can’t seem to get over his low self-image or his rejection. Or, suppose you’re a parent of a special needs child - like me - who’s teaching his / her child the life skill of folding the laundry but every time the child does not even have half the mind of being into it. Ugh. Most often it’s hard work and slow getting results when working with humans; but with plants, just a little water, some sunshine and good soil and voile, you have verdant produce in no time!

Maybe some of you get as much satisfaction caring for pets or farm animals. I have no pets so I focus on my plants. You must be wondering whether the rose bud I had last Valentine’s Day eventually bloomed. Well, it did six days later and my, how it flaunted many more flowers after that!

It was a Christmas rose I bought on, yes, Christmas Eve last year. It was among the last ones on the shelf so I didn't have much choice. It wasn't pure red, much as I wanted a simple red rose plant. It was mottled with white for that Christmas effect. It had four flowers but they soon dried up after Christmas. Most people would just throw the pot away but I trimmed it and kept it watered to see if it would survive. It did! And that's how I got those buds I had hoped to bloom on Valentine's. It had three flowers and when those dried up, I trimmed the plant again and it produced four more!

My winter rose which added life and color to my living room last winter.

Now that it’s summer I planted the bitter gourd seeds I collected from my harvest of two years ago. Yes, it’s been two years! I didn’t get to plant my vegetables last year but this year I am back puttering round my backyard again!

Low sprouting rate: one out of six!

I chose to plant bitter gourd once more because it is the easiest to grow and I have seeds from my produce of two years ago. I also hope to harvest enough to make them into smoothies this hot summer season. Speaking of hot, it hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit for us here a few times this past two weeks!

I made 5 mounds of bitter gourd plantings, all direct-seeded. I placed 5 or 6 seeds in each mound but only one sprouted in mound 1, another one in mound 3 and three in mound 4. None sprouted at all in mounds 2 and 5, so, I replanted them. Thus, as of today they are still seedlings while the ones that sprouted at the first planting are already vines.

However, I was surprised that not all of the seeds sprouted up. I dug up the mounds where no seeds sprouted but the seeds were all gone. How did that happen? Do squirrels actually dig them up? I didn’t see any signs of digging though.

Detail of Mound 2. Two seeds sprouted at the second planting but one of them (arrow pointing) was badly pecked upon by birds.

I noticed a seedling or two turned up stunted, like they were pecked upon. I guess the birds ate the sprouting seedlings when they were tender and succulent? I never wake up early enough to catch them in the act but just to make sure that “seed viability” is not the problem, I planted six seeds in a pot in our window sill. (Yes, I threw away the dead rose plant but kept the pot and used it for this purpose.) That way I know no rodent or bird can dig up the seeds nor peck on the seedlings, the pot being safe behind the window screen. Cha-ching! All six seeds did sprout up! I believe the birds are the culprit and my two-year-old seeds are completely viable!

100% viability!

I know I had resolved two years ago to do seed starting in a pot like this but yeah, laziness just caught up with me again, I did a shortcut and this is really just what happens. (I also vacillated because I was hoping the rose plant in that pot would still grow despite the heat.) But now I understand that seed viability is not the problem, it's the garden animals (most likely birds!) that sabotage my direct seeding. Now I wouldn’t have space in my garden for these sprouts but I can keep them in this small pot and use the leaves for soups! I wish I have more window sills directly hit by the sun. I can probably proliferate this into window sill gardens! :D

Meanwhile, traipsing the parks on evening walks is so much more fun in summer because of the greens and the wild blooms! Here’s some of the stunning stills I got of those wild beauties I had spied upon! As it turned from pleasant spring to hot summer the foliage round the pond we stroll in grew thicker, and so did the wild flowers. Here they are... tada!!

Here comes the bride! The wedding colors of June.

Gold and bronze in the sun and shadows.

Morning glory in sailing colors.

Sky colors.

Teeming with life, this tranquil lake is where all these colorful weeds thrive around. It's complete with a proud pair of swans showing off their newest cygnets this summer. Just perfect!

On top of all these delights for the senses what makes this year's summer stand out among other summers is that I notice we have more fireflies! I do not know whether it's the good mix of hot and humid days and cool evenings or just the right amount of rainy days in between the hot spells, or some other peculiar reasons, but this year we definitely have more fireflies than I have ever seen before. I was kind of complaining about this muggy weather but if it brings these magnificent fireflies, I can't complain! God, our Creator God, is truly a God of balance. He created everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and He holds all things together by the power of His word. I believe He truly is the all-wise God who put us in the midst of these ecosystems, and physical laws that govern them and us, and thus, He made all things beautiful and good! It's a pity I do not have a powerful camera to capture them but they definitely add to the magic of this summer's evenings. What joy! To think our summer has just begun; I look forward to more!

Let me know your own summer joys in your very own corner of the sky by writing your comments below! (Or winter fun if you're from the other side of the hemisphere.) Summer or winter you may be in, tropical weather, or frozen ice all year through, I would love to hear from you all out there! Cheerio!

Belated happy 4th of July to my American friends!

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand.(2018, July 8). Summer Fun 2018 [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2018/07/summer-fun-2018/

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Father Abraham

2018-06-28T12:04:00.000-04:00

The Bible says that the fathers of the Jewish nation are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But in many instances it also singles out Abraham as the father of the nation of Israel. His original name was “Abram” which means “exalted father,” but God changed it to “Abraham” which means “father of many nations.”

Genesis 17:5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

The footnote in the NIV (New International Version Bible) says that “Abram” means “exalted father” and “Abraham” means “father of many.”

Father of Many Nations

The apostle Paul explained in his letter to the Roman believers that anyone who has faith in the God of Abraham also becomes an offspring of Abraham by that faith, for sonship in God is by faith, and so with sonship in Abraham. Thus, through that faith God fulfills His promise to Abraham that he would become a father of many nations. He is not only the father of the Jews but also of all the believers of his God, Jew or Gentile. (Romans 4:12-18) Of course, God is ultimately the Father of all believers, the Divine Father of all believers from all nations, Jew or Gentile, through faith in Jesus Christ, an offspring of Abraham (through the tribe of Judah) and the one and only begotten Son of God (as conceived in the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit).

God our Father is indeed the ultimate model for all earthly fathers for He is not only perfect as a Father but also perfect in everything - in love, holiness, wisdom, justice, power, knowledge, mercy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, etc. It is indeed God’s desire that we aspire to be like Him as individuals, and especially more so as fathers, if we are fathers. But today I would like to focus on Abraham. I had often wondered why God chose him to be the father of Israel and the father of many nations, through whom all nations would be blessed. Why not Enoch, or Noah, or Job or Melchizedek, etc.? What was special about Abraham?

From the stories in the Old Testament we can tell that God chose certain personalities to accomplish His special purposes. David was “a man after God’s own heart,” thus, he was chosen to be king of Israel, and to him was shown by God where the temple would be built, and its location was also shown to be in “the city of David.” From him also the Messiah would come, the true king of Israel, and the world - the King whose government would have no end. On the other hand, Moses was chosen through whom God would give the Torah (Teaching / Law; the first five books of the Bible). He was known to be the most humble man on earth.

Numbers 12:3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. (NIV)

Noah, the man whom God chose to build the ark and to be preserved with his family in the Great Flood, together with the animals, was known as “righteous” in his age, an age of great violence and moral degradation and spiritual defilement. (Genesis 6:9) So, what was special about Abraham?

The Man of Faith

Abraham was a man of faith.

Genesis 15:6 Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

In fact, because of his faith he became known as God’s friend.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

So the narrative goes. Abraham is so highly commended in the Bible for his faith that in Hebrews 11, the chapter of the “Faith Hall of Fame,” Abraham’s acts of faith are mentioned in detail over a total of six verses in all, in contrast to the others whose acts of faith are described only in one verse each (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, etc.) Truly, Abraham lived a life of faith as He was challenged by God in many ways to believe Him so that he could fulfill the highly important role of founding the Jewish nation that would bring forth the Savior / Messiah to the world. Henceforth, God was able to fulfill His most important promise to Abraham, that he would be blessed and through him all the peoples of the world would also be blessed. What an overwhelmingly awesome promise! Amidst the pain and sorrows of our earthly curses of poverty, sickness, wars, prejudice and hatred against one another, and one’s self, just think, God said one person will be a blessing amidst all these. That person was Abraham. In fact, for bringing forth the Messiah, Abraham indeed brought THE blessing that exonerates us from all our earthly curses, IF we choose to be exonerated! Such was the pivotal role of Abraham in the history of the world.

Personally, I believe that the most powerful evidence of Abraham’s faith was the fact that he could believe that God would raise Isaac from the dead even if he sacrificed him at the altar in Moriah according to God’s command. For one thing, this was the son he was waiting for, the same son God promised to him through whom all His other promises would be fulfilled, one of which was that of becoming a father of many nations. There had been no event of resurrection performed by God in the history of man in Abraham’s time. The only event known in the Hebrew recorded history related to death and resurrection was the translation of Enoch to Heaven. It was close but it wasn’t exactly the resurrection that Abraham thought God would or could do. Even miraculous physical healing was not ever mentioned before Abraham’s time. In fact, the first event of miraculous physical healing was performed by God through Abraham himself when he prayed for Abimelech and his household and they got healed.

Genesis 20:17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again,

18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

The word “navi” which translates to “prophet” in English is also first mentioned in the Bible in that particular account, and it refers to Abraham. (Hence, I would say, one trait of a prophet is that he / she is able to heal the sick through prayer to God.)

Genesis 20:7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.”

Now as I write this I wonder if the fact that because Abraham saw how God healed Abimelech’s household through his prayer it actually led him to think and believe that if God can heal then He can certainly resurrect a dead body as well. Now this illuminates how Abraham’s journey of faith, as led by God, enabled him to receive the promises that God had given him, one step at a time, from glory to glory. Actually, if we study the life stories of all the important Bible characters we would be able to see how God dealt with them and how they responded and grew in their faith and fulfilled the destiny that God had for them.

The Great Mentor

So, definitely, the most prominent trait that stood out in Abraham’s character was his faith in God.

But there is one other item that recent teachers have been highlighting about Abraham. I first heard this from Sid Roth of “It’s Supernatural!”, a Jewish believer in the Messiah Jesus who is an evangelist, teacher, tv producer and healing minister. He says that this other trait of Abraham is what made God choose Abraham to be the father of Israel.

As a Messianic Jew, that is, a Jewish believer in the Messiah Jesus, and one quite senior at that, I actually kind of look at him as a father figure of the Christian faith for our present-day generation. By taking on the mammoth task of evangelizing the Middle East through television, and the rest of the world, too, he is doing a great job of gathering the people of Israel, and the nations, to a saving relationship with God our Father. So very much in line with the call of Abraham as a blessing to the nations! What he’s saying about Abraham is nothing new. It’s right there in the Bible. But he is the first person I came across who has emphasized this. Maybe other preachers have also taught this, and are teaching this now, but I give credit to him for bringing it to my attention first.

Sid Roth says the secret of why God chose Abraham to be the founder of the nation of Israel is found in the following passage:

Genesis 18

17 Then the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

The ONMB (One New Man Bible) version says it a bit differently and sheds more light on this passage:

Genesis 18

17 And the LORD said, “Will I hide from Abraham that thing which I am about to do,

18 seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him and they will keep the Way of the LORD, to do acts of loving kindness and judgment, so the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.” (ONMB)

If we combine these two translations, it would mean that God chose Abraham because He knew him, that he would command (teach) his children and household to be faithful in keeping the Way of the LORD. The ONMB footnote says that “acts of loving kindness” means “going beyond the requirement of God to be just, to do right.” So, God knew Abraham would teach his children and his household the Way of the LORD, and go beyond just fulfilling the basic requirement of a righteous and just life, but by being truly pleasing to God. So, did Abraham really teach his children and household well?

Abraham’s Disciples

We can see how Isaac feared God, that in fact, one of the titles of God in the Bible is “the Fear of Isaac”. (Genesis 31:42, 53)

Isaac was obedient to the point of death, a true shadow of the Lamb of God, Jesus Himself, who would eventually take away the sin of the world. For truly, Isaac was a shadow or type of Christ. He was the Promised Son, and so was Jesus. God demanded that he be sacrificed on an altar in one of the mountains in Moriah. Abraham faithfully complied, wholeheartedly, without delay. The Bible account makes it sound like Isaac was a child when this happened but according to the ONMB (One New Man Bible) translation footnote Isaac was 37 years old and Abraham 137 when this happened. Isaac could easily have escaped from that sacrifice if he wanted to defy his father Abraham. Truly, he was obedient to his father Abraham and to Father God, even unto death, just like Jesus Himself. Here, in this account is exemplified before us the person of Abraham being a shadow or type of Father God Himself. Both are willing to give up their begotten son to fulfill the purposes of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind.

Eventually, Abraham too would become a father of many nations through his sacrifice of Isaac, the Promised Son he had waited for for so long, and as such he foreshadows God the Father who truly is the Father of all nations, being the Creator of the universe and all worlds and of all mankind, and the Father of Jesus Christ, the Promised Son. For being obedient to God the Father to the point of giving up his own beloved son Isaac, Abraham was proven by God, and received the confirmation of the promises God had given him in the beginning - becoming the father of a great nation from whom the Messiah would arise, the father of many nations, and the dominion and supremacy of his descendants.

That Isaac himself lived a faithful life, sired and taught Jacob who eventually would become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, is evidence enough that Abraham taught his son Isaac well.

Did he teach his household? Oh yes, he did. Even Hagar, a servant in his household and the mother of his son Ishmael had a fear of God though she was of Egyptian descent. I believe she developed that faith through the role modelling of her master Abraham. Hagar’s faith in God was so real that when she tried to run away from Sarai (who was later renamed by God “Sarah”) her mistress, the angel of the LORD appeared to her in the wilderness. He instructed her to return and submit herself to Sarai, was told she would have a son and will have to name him “Ishmael” and that he will also be a great nation, having numerous peoples. Later, when Isaac, the Promised Son, was born to Abraham and Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael were eventually sent away and would have died in the wilderness had not the God of Hagar appear to her again and showed her a well to quench their thirst under the scorching desert sun. (Genesis 16:7-16, Genesis 21:11-21)

Even Ishmael was taught well by Abraham. He was circumcised the same day his father Abraham was, just like all the men in Abraham’s household, when God commanded that all the males in Abraham’s household be circumcised. Ishmael may have been jealous of Isaac, because the latter was made the lawful heir of their father Abraham, and for that he and his mother Hagar were sent away, but Ishmael did not turn into an outright "godless" person like Esau (Hebrews 12:16). His sons became heads of the twelve tribal rulers that God promised He would bless Ishmael with but they did not turn into archenemies of the descendants of Isaac and Jacob, unlike the Moabites and Ammonites (descendants of Lot) and the Edomites (descendants of Esau). They did not figure prominently as hostile to the children of Israel in the Bible account, although eventually the Ishmaelites became known to have spawned the present-day Muslim nations, as they refer to Ishmael as their "father." Neither did Ishmael remain hostile to Isaac as he even came back at the passing away of Abraham, to bury his father together with Isaac. Genesis 25:18 says, "His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers." (NIV) However, the ONMB states it differently: Genesis 25:18 And they dwelled from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria; he died in the presence of all his brothers.

Hence, I would say, Ishmael was well-trained by his father Abraham, too. Nowadays many among the Muslims get dreams of Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, and because of those dreams they turn to the God, the Father of Jesus Christ and the God of their father Abraham. It is not surprising as Hagar had declared that He is the God who sees her. (Genesis 16:13,14) Indeed, He is the God who sees each one of us, His Creation, especially in our direst need.

He didn’t only teach Hagar and Ishmael. There was also his head servant Eliezer of Damascus. Traditionally, it is believed he was the chief servant of Abraham who was sent by Abraham to the house of his brother Nahor in Aram to bring back a suitable bride for his son Isaac. Eliezer himself had such a real faith in God that when he was tasked of finding a suitable bride for his master’s son Isaac he prayed for God to guide him every step of the way and he was spot on! God guided him so clearly that he actually found the rightful bride Rebekah, granddaughter of Nahor (brother of Abraham), daughter of Bethuel, sister of Laban, the very one intended by God for Isaac. It was a perfect match and Rebekah brought happiness to Isaac and comfort to him after the death of his mother Sarah. (Genesis 24)

Then there were the 318 men born and trained in Abraham’s household. Were they his army? According to the account in Genesis 14 there were these wars between Kedorlaomer king of Elam and his allies and the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah and their allies where Lot, the nephew of Abraham, was caught in the cross-fires and was carried away as booty with all his possessions and his whole household. Abraham and his 318 men pursued the raiding party and successfully brought back Lot, his household and all his goods. It was nothing short of a miraculous rescue. Who were these 318 men?

Genesis 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. (NIV)

According to the glossary notes in the One New Man Bible the Hebrew word for “trained” in Genesis 14:14 is “hanikh” and it means “trained or educated” but certainly not trained for war. Apparently, when Abraham, Lot (his nephew), Terah (his father) and Sarah (his wife) moved from Ur of the Chaldeans to Canaan there were people who came along with them. Whether they all came from Ur or they joined Abraham’s party only along the way (they tarried in Haran / Paddan Aram for a while) is not clear. If they were “trained or educated” by Abraham it looks like they were taught by him about God and His call and purposes for his life. 318 men would mean many more women, children and older men who would be with that contingent. In the ONMB translation they are mentioned as “disciples” not trained men:

Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his disciples, born in his own house, three hundred eighteen, and pursued them to Dan. (ONMB)

Abraham had disciples! He truly was a teacher / mentor of many! They were not soldiers trained for battle, as this was the only war that Abraham ever fought, but they were shepherds and herdsmen trained by Abraham to have the same faith in His God. The ONMB notes on Abraham even goes as far as saying he was an "evangelist" because those "disciples" were his converts who continued on to follow him, even moving to Canaan with him. Thus, the successful rescue operation! It was a battle of the LORD and it was a miraculous success.

He healed the sick. He had encounters with angels. God spoke to him directly. He led a miraculous combat-rescue operation. I think he was some sort of an Old Testament "apostle"!

After Sarah died Abraham married again ad his wife Keturah had six sons, from among whom were, most prominently descended, the Midianites. A daughter of a priest of Midian, Zipporah, later became Moses' wife and the priest, Jethro (Reuel) became his father-in-law. They were Midianites and were a refuge for Moses at a low point in his life when he was running away from pharaoh. It was at that juncture in time when he was commissioned by God to bring the children of Israel from Egypt back to Canaan. (Exodus 2:15-4:17) That there was a priest of God who was a Midianite whose daughter was suitable to be Moses' wife, is evidence enough that the sons of Keturah followed in faith and obedience to the God of Abraham, their father. Indeed, Abraham taught them well.

And what about Lot, you would say. If Abraham was a great mentor and role model to this great community he had brought along with him into Canaan as well as among the children he bore with his wives and concubines, why was Lot lost? I believe Lot was mentored, too, but he had his sight on the fertile lands of the valley of Sodom. His end would have turned out glorious as well had he chosen to live within the security of Abraham’s community. He had his own worldly ambitions and it led him astray. This is one example of one who may have been taught well but still missed the way because of his own foolhardiness.

How about Sarah? Was Abraham’s faith a great inspiration to Sarah? She was the one who suggested “helping” God fulfill the promise of an heir by giving her servant girl Hagar to Abraham as wife, thus they had Ishmael, which later caused a lot of problems for their whole family. I would say Sarah didn’t have as much faith as Abraham did? Indeed, God's promise of an heir was to Abraham, not necessarily a son through her but surely a son of Abraham. Probably she thought the heir didn't necessarily have to be through her. Thus, she thought of giving her servant girl Hagar to Abraham to be his concubine. However, even later when God visited them and promised that the heir will come through her, she laughed. (Genesis 18:1-15) Sarah may have had lows in her faith as they struggled waiting for their son but the Bible does give her credit for being submissive and respectful to her husband, despite the fact that he exposed her to the danger of lustful and murderous men two times! She did not give in to fear but instead trusted in God to deliver her. (1 Peter 3:5,6)

The Heart Factor

So why was Abraham zealous for the LORD, in obedience and trust in Him and also in teaching others about him? The Bible says he was a friend of God.

Isaiah 41:8 “But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,... (NIV)

2 Chronicles 20:7 O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? (NIV)

According to the ONMB version the Hebrew texts for these verses are rightly translated as:

Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, are My servant; Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham who loves Me. (ONMB)

2 Chronicles 20:7 Are you not our God, Who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and gave it forever to the seed of Abraham who loves You? (ONMB)

So there, that’s the secret. Abraham was one who loved God. Everyone is loved by God but not everyone loves God. Again, my first life verse speaks there. Jesus summarizes intimacy with God here:

John 14:21 “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Abraham heard the command of God and He immediately obeyed. That’s how he loved God and he loved Him so much he couldn’t help but teach whoever was willing to be taught about God. Such was his passion for God and such was God’s favor for him in return. When God shows Himself to you, you get to see His glory! The glory of the LORD is His goodness! (Exodus 33:18,19) Truly, Father Abraham is a great example to us all, especially to us who are fathers!

Happy Father’s Day Week, everyone!

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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Reference Cited:

Morford, W.J. (2011). The One New Man Bible. Travelers Rest, South Carolina: True Potential Publishing, Inc.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2018, Jun 23). Father Abraham [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2018/06/father-abraham/

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to read more of my blogs please log on to www.purejoyland.com

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Lenten Season Meditations 2018

2018-04-01T00:46:00.000-04:00

I know that God's thoughts for me are countless because of the following passages:

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139)

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. (Psalm 40:5)

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.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29)

But it thrills me even more that Jesus had me particularly in mind when He went to the cross. Of course, that means you and me. How do I know that?

Just listen to this song. Whenever I hear it so many Scirpture passages come to mind. They are so appropriate for the Lenten Season that I listed them down for my meditation. I wonder if you guys would agree with me. Is it too long to read? Just listen to the song then. It’s a fav of mine because it’s so “loaded.”

A blessed Good Friday and Holy Saturday to all. May the LORD prepare our hearts for the joy of Resurrection Sunday!

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John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Luke 2

46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

...

52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Isaiah 11

2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him -

The Spirit of the wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

Matthew 3

17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

John 1

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’

31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

John 1

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”

51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Psalm 50

10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Isaiah 46

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Hebrews 1

1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

Colossians 2

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,...

John 10

17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Hebrews 10

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am - it is written about me in the scroll - I have come to do your will, O God.’

Matthew 26

53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Philippians 2

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

John 15

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

Romans 5

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 14

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

14 You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 18

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Hebrews 8

26 Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Hebrews 9

11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

...

24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

2 Corinthians 5

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 John 3

5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

1 Peter 2

22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

John 8

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 3

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

...

35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

John 5

24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Isaiah 50

4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!

9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.

Who is he that will condemn me?

They will wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

...

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8 He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

...

12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

13 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death,

16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 1

17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 3

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -

9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Titus 3

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Romans 8

9 ... And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

1 John 5

11 And this is the testimony: God has

given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Philippians 2

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Hebrews 12

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2018, Mar 31). Lenten Season Meditations 2018 [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2018/03/lenten-season-meditations/ ‎

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to read more of my blogs please log on to www.purejoyland.com

Happy Valentine's 2018!

2018-02-15T02:12:00.001-05:00

I got excited when the meager sunshine on my window sill caused my potted rose plant to bud. It's hovering at zero degree Celcius outside. I had hoped the bud would bloom on Valentine's Day but it didn't. Maybe tomorrow, maybe another day. Love always hopes... :)

Eros is commonly known as the god of love and Cupid is that little “angel” or "cherub" who shoots people’s hearts so that they “fall in love”. The most popular “love” I knew growing up was romantic (or “erotic” from “Eros”) love and the rest is just foggy talk on idealized “love” - God’s love, familial love, love for fellowmen, and so on.

However, growing up into adulthood, by reading the Bible, I came to know Jesus Christ as the true and living God, and the Bible says, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) In that same chapter, 1 John 4, the apostle John explained that we are able to understand God’s love by His act of giving us His own son Jesus Christ who gave up His life in our behalf, so we can be reconciled with God, from whom we have been alienated (Acts 10:36, Romans 5:10, Ephesians 2:14, Colossians 1:20). Quite a lot to digest, that one, hu? But that’s how we get to understand the concept called “unconditional love” - God Himself authored that and expressed it through His supreme sacrifice of giving us His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) In turn, Jesus Himself actualized His own love for us through His ultimate sacrifice of laying down His own life to save us. (Romans 5:7,8, John 15:13) We are loved “unconditionally” by God. He continues to choose to love us, even when we continue in our sin and continue to reject Him. His offer of salvation and love still stands, to our very last breath. (Alas, we must choose to embrace His gift before our time runs out!) Thus, I had found out that the true God of Love is Jesus Christ, for who else can ever love greater than He does?

So, what is “love”? We have all sorts of ideas about it and we may be right, or we may be wrong, or slightly or mostly right, or wrong. Some people would even say there’s no right or wrong definition of it, everything is “relative”. But God’s definition of love is the “unconditional love” He has for each one of us, expressed in His unfathomable gift of a new life through His Son. “Unconditional” means there’s nothing about us or what we have done that makes God choose to love us. He loves us just as we are, without conditions!

For some of us this may be very strange because we are so used to being loved for how we behave or what we have achieved or how we look. On the other hand, for those of us who are loved unconditionally by our family what might sound absurd is the “new” life in Christ that God offers to those who will love Him back. For those of us who are well-loved and also have everything else in life, why would we think of having a different or “new” kind of life in Christ? Truly, when life is so good, we can’t ask for more!

That might be the reason why some people say Christianity is only for the weak. I guess when they say “weak” that means the poor, lonely, insecure, sick, abandoned, slow, unattractive, unpopular, the lowly, etc.? Actually, the Bible says something similar to that, too. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 - the first verse of The Beatitudes.) The One New Man Bible version states it as, “Blessed are the repentant, because theirs is the Kingdom of the Heavens.” The footnote in that version says that “poor in spirit” is a Hebrew idiom for “repentant”. I guess we do not reach that state of being repentant, or being humble before God, until we are humbled enough and have become “weak” - i.e. we become poor or sick or abandoned or slow, unpopular, disillusioned,... Well, yes, disillusioned. Sometimes we have everything in life and yet we find that life is empty, but let’s not go into that right now.

Getting back on track, for those of us who have not experienced “unconditional love” from anyone all our lives, we may not even think of it, or we may have an unconscious or conscious yearning for it, but might never even think it exists. Well, here’s a hint we can all make use of: Unconditional love is found in Jesus Christ and He showed it by laying down His own life as a sacrifice in payment for our sins. He took our place of punishment through that sacrifice.

If we are to learn from Jesus on “love”, I guess by now we know any form of “sacrifice” another person does for us to make us happier or feel better is “love” or “kindness”, right? It may be financial, or an effort, a giving of time, a giving up of something sentimentally valuable, just any act that entails “sacrifice”, is a sure expression of love or kindness. The more sacrifice, the more love is communicated. Some may have ulterior motives doing it and that sends a muddled signal to the recipient, but the basic premise is “sacrifice” - some amount of it has to be involved for an act to be seen as “love” or “kindness”.

Well, today is Valentine’s Day, the Day of Love. Let’s do some “sacrifice” for someone we “love.” Or better still, let’s do it everyday! The more we do it, the more we get better at it! Have fun giving / receiving love today! May we also ponder on the unconditional and sacrificial love of God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son for you and me. May we all have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jesus is the God of Love. "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2018, Feb 15). Happy Valentine's 2018 [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2018/02/happy-valentines-2018/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a re-blog. If you wish to read more of my blogs please log on to www.purejoyland.com

Morning Glory Talks at Evening Walks

2017-08-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

These photos were taken in early June and I wrote captions in the album. I just took so long to put them together into this post. Procrastinating, as always!
I had my birthday in the past month (07/2017) and the date itself has so many sevens! And my age also has so many 7's and 8's. So, I believe God is really speaking to me about Sabbath rest, the end of the "shemitah" cycle, and new beginnings (the number 8).

7 is the number of God, in many ways. For instance, there are 7 days in a week. God made the world in 6 days and He rested on the 7th day. It is the day of rest, a Sabbath rest for God and for His people, too. The 7th day is very important to God. The Bible talks about entering God’s rest on the Sabbath Day. Many preachers equate that to coming to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, i.e. having true eternal rest in Christ even before the body finally rests from its labors at the end of its earthly life. But I think there is more to that.

In the Old Testament, the 7th year is known as “shemitah,” the year when debts are reset to zero, the year when farmers rest their farm and themselves by not planting nor harvesting that year. They just eat from whatever grows from the ground (grains or fruit trees) naturally, and they let the poor people harvest those as well, besides the birds and animals that naturally feed on them. It is the year of rest both for the land and the farmers and farm hands. That’s how they naturally allow the land to replenish its nutrients and how their bodies rest from the stresses of life. Also, the jubilee year is on the 50th year, at the end of 7 “shemitah” cycles (7 x 7 years). That’s the year when slaves are allowed to be set free, if they desire to be set free. These are all God’s design!

Also, the Holy Spirit is known as the 7 Spirits of God (Isaiah 11:2) and the rainbow, the sign of God’s Covenant with Noah and all flesh, has 7 colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. The lampstand ("menorah") in the Holy Place inside the Tabernacle had seven lamps.

So, was last year a year of rest for me? It was a year of many struggles but it did turn out into rest. Let’s just say I had to fight to get that rest. LOL!

Well, 7 may seem to be the number of God but 8 is the number of Jesus! According to this site, http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/8.html “eight is the number of Jesus, whose name in the Greek adds up to 888.”

Every 8th day is the beginning of the new 7-day cycle and every 8th year is a new beginning for the “shemitah” year cycle. The 8th is the time of new beginnings and resurrections! Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Thus, Jesus always brings us new life, a new hope, a new beginning - if we want to have those - by believing in Him and following His ways. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

So, this month is the first month of the year of new beginnings for me, . Yes, I believe that by faith!

“7th is completion but the 8th is a new beginning!” Even the prophets of our day say so. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlzlpGFw2OE&t=876s Just pull the toggle to 14:25 to hear what Cindy Jacobs has to say about the year 2017.

When I turned into a born-again believer of Christ at age 23 I decided on my life verse which happened to be John 14:21. Whoa, more sevens in there, like 5! And a few years ago I had a dream from God which I didn't understand but as I sought God it became clear to me. Based on that dream my life verse changed to Job 28:28; whoa, that’s 8 sevens in there, and two 8's!

John 14:21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me and he loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Ever wondered what the secret to seeing God's face is? It's in that verse above!

Job 28:28 And he said to man, 'The fear of the LORD - that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' "

The more popular verse says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." (Psalm 111:10, Prov. 1:7, Prov. 9:10)

Why is Job's version different? Psalms is mostly attributed to King David and Proverbs to his son King Solomon. Whether they were the specific authors of these particular Psalm and Proverbs mentioned above is not really clear from commentaries. For one, Psalm 111 is not listed among those attributed to King David in particular, but just to a "psalmist." But suffice it to say that this was the popular "version" in David's and Solomon's times and those were times of great success and glory in the nation of Israel. Job on the other hand, though I would also consider him a "king" in his own right, materially, was in the "worm" state when he spoke his version: "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom...," and he was quoting God Himself. I believe we truly get wisdom when God brings us to the "wilderness" of life, to the "between a rock and a hard" kind of places in our journeys; thus, Job was able to crystallize that for us and strip the scripture to its simplest form: "The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom...." Hence, whenever we lack wisdom, the simple rule of thumb is, "What does the word of God say? Do you tremble at His word? Do you have the fear of the LORD in your heart, right here, right now?" We need to be in that place where we tremble at God's word, then we make the wisest decision.

Our special needs child went through a major spiritual attack in March until about end of May. It was a time of great testing for me and my family. But God brought a major victory and it changed all of us spiritually. From that experience we saw "death" of old selves and resurrection in our spiritual lives and our faith in God. We truly need to see death if we are to see new life! It's the way of God. (1 Sam. 2:6) It also opened my eyes and brought me deeper into what the Gospel of Peace / Shalom truly means. It brings order into our lives. God's Covenant of Shalom is for families and households, not just individuals. God is good!

"7 is for completion and 8 is for new beginnings!"

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.
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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2017, Aug 2). Morning Glory Talks at Evening Walks [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2017/08/morning-glory-talks-on-evening-walks/ ‎

Happy New Year 2017!

2017-01-02T03:44:00.000-05:00

Praise God for Christmas! It reminds us to face the New Year with Hope and Courage!

Isn’t it so apt that just one week before the new year we always have Christmas? Every end of the year we are faced with uncertainties for the future, and especially more so this year! But Christmas reminds us that the One who sits enthroned and rules above all rulers, kings and princes, is the One True Infallible Perfect Ruler. He never makes mistakes, He is in control of everything and He has your back - if you let Him!

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end....

Isaiah 9

Governments, kings, presidents and princes. They are all human and fallible, no matter how smart, strong, smooth, shrewd and savvy they may be. But praise God, we have received the One True Perfect Ruler who rules above all fallible governments, world organizations, institutions, leaders, strongmen and straw men alike. We received Him at the very first Christmas, and His name is Jesus!

Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.

The year 2016 saw the passing away of entertainment icons Prince, David Bowie, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. On the other hand, Kim Clement, a Christian prophetic minister, also died in the past year. Clement is probably the most prominent minister to have uttered prophetic words concerning Donald Trump rising as a leader of the American nation. Eventually, 2016 ended with the “upset” win by newcomer and philanthropist-businessman Donald Trump over expected winner ex-Senator and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the American presidential elections. The Obama administration blamed the Russian nation for interfering in the said elections by hacking into Mrs. Clinton’s emails and leaking them, an absurd claim according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Wikileaks’ Julian Assange claims his organization only beamed the leaked emails to the world. Then, just two days before Christmas, on the Sabbath before Hanukkah, the UN Security council passed a resolution for a "two-State solution based on the 1967 lines" concerning the Israeli-Palestine conflict. That implies the division of the city of Jerusalem between the two states of Israel and Palestine. It was carried through because President Obama did not veto it, contrary to what US presidents had done in the past, including himself in September 2015. President-elect Trump had been calling on President Obama to veto the resolution but the latter was defiant, with many citing the deteriorating relations between Bibi and Obama as the main reason for the latter’s actions.

Now with 19 more days in office left in Obama’s 8th and last year in the White House, Trump’s and Israel’s supporters only wish they could hasten the presidential inauguration slated for Jan. 20, 2017. Trump had promised that America’s stance on Israel’s plight will be different when he takes over the top post. Meanwhile, they are also pondering what more parting moves Obama is going to pull off in these crucial final days before he ships out from the Oval Office.

With this backdrop for the year 2017 ahead, we do need assurances of hope and stability from God, and praise God indeed for Christmas, as we already had that certainty of hope and peace in Jesus Christ when we celebrated Christmas a week ago! He rules the world in truth and grace and that truth brings peace to our hearts, at Christmas and New Year, and beyond! Jesus Christ rules now and forever more!

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 1

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

Revelation 17:14

Desserts at the New Year's Eve party I attended with my family. I made the naked choc cake garnished with fruits. Yup, I should try a new cake recipe for the year ahead, maybe lemon cake!

I am truly happy that Jesus is in my heart and I know He has my back, come what may! How about you? Have you received Jesus in your heart yet? Now, right now, is the best time to do it. Makes one ready for the year ahead like no other! Invite Jesus into your heart now! It's the only way to truly have a happy new year!!!

A Happy and Blessed New Year to one and all!

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References:

1) Kim Clement. (2016, Nov 14). Untitled [Facebook Update]. Retrieved Jan 1, 2017 from https://www.facebook.com/ProphetKimClement/?fref=ts

2) Jacobs, B. (2016, Dec 24). Julian Assange gives guarded praise of Trump and blasts Clinton in interview. [Web Log Post]. Retrieved Dec 30, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/dec/24/julian-assange-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-interview

3) Snyder, M. (2016, Dec 26). Obama Betrays Israel At The United Nations - Is America's Reprieve Now Over? [Web Log Post]. Retrieved Dec 26, 2016 from http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=902#j0TslKExkwh4oQZL.99

4) Benjamin Netanyahu. (2016, Dec 28). President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel! 🇮🇱🇺🇸[Facebook Update]. Retrieved Dec 28, 2016 from https://www.facebook.com/Netanyahu/photos/a.376960237075.156823.268108602075/10154241151347076/?type=1&theater

5) childrenlovetosing. (2013, Oct 20). Joy to the World with Lyrics Christmas Carol & Song Kids Love to Sing. [Video file]. Retrieved Jan 1, 2017 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30OaM6b48k8

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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This is a re-blog. If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2017, Jan 1). Happy New Year 2017! [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2017/01/happy-new-year-2017/

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Lazy Esau

2016-10-26T18:18:00.001-04:00

Appreciating a long-stemmed rose is just like reading the Bible. You would think the long, boring “introduction” of the Old Testament would amount to nothing but voile! Right at the end of the stem is the lovely, sweet-smelling flower - the New Testament! And that rose is fully alive. It continues to grow into full bloom as history fulfills all the prophesies from the stem, the Old Covenant, and the bloom, the New Covenant! So, take time to smell and appreciate the rose! It’s waxing fragrant right in front of you as you tackle your day!

There was a man who despised his birthright. His name was Esau. He sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a lunch of bread and lentil stew. (Genesis 25:29-34) He sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son, for a single meal! (Hebrews 12:16)

“Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.” (Hebrews 12:17)

When we believe there is no God and claim to be atheists, we are just like Esau. We disown the God who made us and we toss aside our birthright. Besides, we do not only incur the wrath of a despised father but a despised Father God Himself!

Let that sink in for a while. That is the true scenario, if indeed there is a Creator God who created you and is your Father. No, it's not Darth Vader telling Luke he is his father. This is the infinitely good GOD telling YOU HE is YOUR Father!

God owns everything, He is also all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present. Who wouldn’t want to have a father like that? (And who are we to even turn away from Him??)

If I’m a son or daughter of His I inherit everything He has and eventually, some of those omni powers, too! Besides, God has a Kingdom, the Kingdom of Light, and His Enemy owns the Kingdom of Darkness. And alas, what sucker fate, when I disown God and my birthright, I am also automatically thrown out of God’s Kingdom and will end up in the Kingdom of Darkness outside - that of His Enemy, the King of the Kingdom of Darkness! (Colossians 1:13; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 2:2,3; John 12:31; 1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 8:12; Luke 13:28)

Yaiks, can’t afford to be an apathetic Esau!

“...the Kingdom of the Heavens is taken by violence, and shares in the heavenly kingdom are sought for with the most ardent zeal and the most intense exertion and violent men are seizing it, each one claiming eagerly for himself.” (Matthew 11:12, The One New Man Bible, emphases mine)

Adam was a son of God. (Luke 3:38) But one disregard for one simple rule took his firstborn birthright away, as well as his standing as a son. Alas, we all are sons and daughters of Adam. And by default we all came into the world in that fallen standing with God our Father. That's pretty much the reason why we have this disowning, abandoned and orphaned spirit that makes us deny there is a God and He is our Father. The spirit of rejection in us keeps reiterating the narrative in our head: "You reject me? I reject YOU!" We can say it was the "separation anxiety" with compounded and multiplied effects handed down to us through our generations, stemming from the banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden!

But hey, God is infinitely able and resourceful. He emptied Heaven by sending His own Heir, His own Son Jesus Christ, to restore us to our sonship with the Father, through the Blood, the Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God! God was deeply offended by Adam's (and Esau's) mindless disregard for his birthright but His love and wisdom are infinitely able to fix that up. Although it comes at an infinitely heavy price, too - the life of His one and only begotten Son. For Adam’s sloppy mistake, Esau’s wicked contempt and our apathy or ignorance of God and His instructions, God has one answer. He brings us back to sonship through the Blood - the Blood of the Perfect Lamb!

Now this is mind-boggling and deserves our utmost attention. Beyond Jesus, there is no other way back. It's our last and only chance. Disregarding Jesus and His life message incurs the final wrath of God for which there is no Plan B. (Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5) We must avail of the covering and saving power of the Blood of Jesus by getting to Know Jesus Himself! Now! Asking a friend who believes and reading the Gospels are great ways to start!

Don’t miss out! Look up! Go for it. “Afterward” could be too late.

“The Kingdom of the Heavens is taken by violence...” (Matthew 11:12)

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2016, Oct 23). Lazy Esau [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2016/10/lazy-esau

Happy Resurrection Sunday 2016!

2016-10-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

Yup, I was away for some time. I only had funny clips added to the “Lighten Up” section of this site in the past month or so. Truth is, I hurt my right hand and it was in a cast for five weeks and now I’m on my 12-week physical therapy phase. I couldn’t use my right hand much, including typing on a keyboard, thus, I took a break from blogging for a while. I can type now but my hand gets tired really fast. Hence, will keep this short, and sweet. :-)

My purse was snatched on the first week of last month (February). I drove to the ATM one dark cold night, the day before the snow was forecast to fall. I was the perfect crime victim - I parked on the side of the road because I thought, “Wow, so few people out on a cold night in a usually bustling corner! Might as well make use of the parking space - it’s all mine tonight!” I was also in a hurry leaving the house and mistakenly grabbed my daughter’s beanie which had a bright pink pom-pom at the top. Looking back now, if I had parked at my usual pharmacy parking the carpark cameras may have scared the thugs away. If I was wearing my usual black non-descript headgear they probably would have had more trouble singling me out and following me from the ATM to the drugstore and to my car. But then, you see, I was being the perfect crime victim that night. On my way back home, at a traffic light, I thought there seemed to be a car which was much in a hurry behind me. But then again I didn’t give much thought to it. Must just be some young people out late at night, I thought. When I got home I took my usual sweet time to park and straighten my car. Our house has no fence and our front light wasn’t on, as usual. If ever I sensed an “impatient” driver behind me at a corner on the way home, that car seemed to have gone further on after I turned at our corner. When I got out of my car I saw a teenage-looking guy about to pass in front of our house and he was wearing only a thin hoodie. I thought, "That's was pretty under-dressed for an unusually cold night like this." He looked like he was one of our neighbors living just down the road from us. I thought, "Oh well, young people. They would rather be cold but look nice." Was I wrong! Before I reached the steps of our front door he came up to me and yes, that was when the snatching happened. When he finally wrenched the bag off me I fell backwards on the pavement and I saw a car rev up to go, right at the corner, when the robber ran towards it together with my bag.

Well, what did I learn from that incident? So many things, of course. First, forget about using ATMs. Now I understand why people use “cash back” at the drugstore. After I was made to view at least 1000 faces of suspects I also realized you really can’t judge a book by its cover. Some of them looked so innocent, just like any guy sitting next to you on the bus.

Was I mad? Well, at first I thought, next time I should be carrying a satchel that would teach a snatcher a lesson; very much like this one:

Or better still, lug a nightmare knapsack like this one:

What d'ya think? Tsk, tsk. Nah, instead, I decided not to carry any pouch at all, at least for a while, until the trauma dies down. :-)

And then again, it's Resurrection Sunday. What better time to forgive and move on! At the cross, despite His suffering and sorrow, Jesus prayed to His Father for His crucifiers. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing.” If only we fully understand the repercussions of every mindless did we do or worthless thought we entertain, I guess we would think a million times before we do them. If Adam had known all of mankind, from his generation down through the ages, would suffer the disastrous consequences of him and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, he probably would never have given a second thought to the serpent's suggestion. Or, would King David have bothered to take a second glance at bathing Bathsheba if he had known it would result in the decline of his kingdom and ruin of his children? When people try to make light of divorce and remarriage they always cite David’s sin of adultery as if saying it’s acceptable because even a great king like David did it and he was still what God considered “a man after God’s own heart” ! They always forget that that adultery he did weakened the foundation of his dynasty and posterity. It brought catastrophic events into his very own household, resulting in the rape and murder committed by his children against one another, his son raping his own wives in public humiliation on the roof of his palace, and he himself and his personal guards running away for fear of his life from his own son! Nathan the prophet declared to him: "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel." (2 Samuel 12:11,12) If David had known all those events would follow, he wouldn’t have dared take another glance at his neighbor’s wife, would he? How about Moses? If he had known that giving in to his anger by striking the rock instead of talking to it, would result in his being barred from the Promised Land, would he have struck the rock still? I doubt it. If barren Sarah had known her act of impatience - giving her Egyptian servant Hagar as wife to her husband Abraham to fulfill God’s promise for an heir - would result in the cataclysmic chasm between the descendants of Hagar’s son Ishmael and the descendants of her son, the promised heir Isaac, for all time (thank God, not really, but until "Shiloh comes"), would she have been more patient? And would Abraham have persuaded her to wait if he had known what they were doing? Adam, David, Moses, Sarah, Abraham (and many others) - all pillars of the Bible story. Yet, they did not know what they were doing! How much more us? Do we know what we are doing? Have we learned from the mistakes of these heroic personalities yet? So yes, most likely, we all have done wrong and we knew it not. We all have sinned and did not know what we were doing. So, no, I actually did not feel resentful towards the robbers. In fact, I prayed they read the books I had in my bag - a New Testament and a Christian biography - besides spending the cash and throwing away my cards, my low-tech cellphone and other personal effects! I felt more like how-silly-of-me-to-have-played-the-dumb-sitting- duck-that-night. But then again, I did not know what I was doing. So, yeah, I had to forgive myself, too. And yes, I was able to turn aside to gaze on the Burning Bush. When we fall sick or get into some accident or mishap I believe it is God calling us to pull aside, take stock and reflect. What an opportune time - the true essence of the Lenten Season! And praise God, we have Resurrection Sunday at the end of it - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ which gives us hope for a new life and new beginning! It's the apt time to reflect, forgive, repent and live again. Happy New Beginnings! So there, "Happy Resurrection Sunday!"

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified.

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This is a re-blog, a really late post originally posted on March 27, 2016.

If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2016, Mar 27). Happy Resurrection Sunday 2016! [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2016/03/resurrection-sunday-2016

Boxing Day

2015-12-30T00:42:00.000-05:00

Phew! Feeling relieved having survived all that shopping, cooking, sending off presents, partying and eating days of left-overs of rich food? Well, take a deep breath, honey, you will start the cycle all over again tomorrow!

How did you spend your Boxing Day? If you’re in England, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, you were probably busy at the shops picking up the best deals of the year! I remember when we were in New Zealand, Boxing Day made me feel like I shouldn’t be doing any shopping all year except for that day! That’s THE Day when best deals are truly best! It’s probably the equivalent to Black Friday shopping here in America, but minus the stampede and the overnight queues.

Well, as for me, I went to the post office first thing, after all I did my basic chores for that day. With the Christmas rush over you would think the streets would be quieter and the mall parking less stressful but no, there were still many people. Well, probably buying post-Christmas item sales for next year’s trimmings, gift wraps, cards, Santa hats and suits? Or returning purchases or presents with receipts for the right color, size, style, model, edition, etc, or refund? Boxing Day or Returns Day?

I had bought a reference book but realized I bought the wrong edition year I wanted for that book just hours after I placed the order on Amazon. So, I went online again to cancel it. They didn’t reply although the status didn’t show anything like it was already being prepared for shipping. I sent 4 emails in total, still no reply. There is no number to contact, by the way. (Later, my credit card company gave me a number to contact Amazon but it turned out to be a fax number.) When the status started showing that it was already being prepared for shipping I emailed for the 5th time and only then did they reply saying it cannot be cancelled anymore and that I can always return it but they won’t refund me for the shipping charges I would incur. So I disputed the transaction saying I had cancelled it early enough but they insisted on shipping it. I thought even if I would incur some money for shipping back I don’t care, I really don’t want that book. They probably are hoping I would get discouraged by losing money on the return shipping and I would just keep the unwanted merchandise. But our house is already bursting at the seams with old books I don’t even want anymore. The USPS (US post office) has this “flat rate” boxes that are relatively reasonably-priced. Anything that fits in those boxes, no matter the weight, would ship at that flat rate. So, I thought I will try just see how much it costs to send back the item as it is first and then compare its price if re-packed and sent in a flat-rate box. So, that’s what I did. And voile! The post office clerk said since I didn’t open the item she can treat it as “refused” and she can send it back as it is, WITHOUT any fee on my part! Hurray! I’m glad I was so mad about the way they treated my cancellation that I was actually mulling sending it back as it is, even if the price of shipping would cost me a bit more than sending it back on a flat-rate box. (The book is big and heavy.) I’m glad I decided not to even touch the thing!! So, she gave me a tracking number and I called my credit card company again to continue with my dispute. Yesss, that should be the end of it! I was blessed by God through that clerk on Boxing Day, and for all time for that info on “refused” deliveries!

Took photos of the "refused" merchandise to make sure I have a record that I sent it back unopened and in excellent condition.

Meanwhile, I just read this feature article by Alex Shephard saying that Amazon business did so well this past year and his conclusion is that, “Amazon’s influence on the American economy is greater than ever been before, and it will almost certainly be even greater next year. There are some reasons to feel good about this—no company is more committed to making it easier for consumers to buy things—and a lot of reasons to be troubled.” I can’t agree more on that. They make shopping so easy but "returning" wrongly-bought items seemingly difficult; well, in fact, it actually is not only difficult but impossible. (Read the Epilogue all the way below.)

Actually, this was the second time this happened to me - buying the “wrong” thing. Last time I also bought a reference book from Amazon and I got two confirmation emails from them for that transaction. I thought it was just a duplicate email. Horrors! It was actually two distinct purchases for the same item. They said their system got two purchase orders from me and it looks like I clicked on the “buy” button twice!? Their solution? “Just return the merchandise but we can’t pay for the shipping charge you incur.” Of course that deterred me at once as the book was heavy and that time I did not even know about flat-rate boxes in the USPS (not sure even if they already had that option then). So, I kept the merchandise and decided to give it as a present to a friend instead. But now that I discovered about this “refused” option at the USPS, phew! that’s a relief! Online shopping may not actually be suicide, just close.

On the other hand, I just found this thread online on how to refuse a delivery and it looks like if it is delivered by a private courier, like UPS, returning goods is not that straight-forward. Apparently, with private couriers, they have their own “culture.” (Well, just as my son had said, I could have known about this earlier if I just Googled it. *emoticon*)

So, there, this has put my guards up on online shopping, at least for now! Meanwhile, I’m cleaning up my house for the year-end “Spring cleaning,” at least before the New Year frenzy starts all over again, and will be boxing away clutter and happily throwing away a lot more! Hopefully, my house will get a clean, streamlined look again,... till new clutter sets in, again. Hmmm, sounds like the humdrum of life, year-in, year-out. Still,

Blessings to You All and All the Best for your New Year Celebrations!

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This is a re-blog.

If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Dec 29). Boxing Day [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/12/boxing-day/ ‎

Thanks for dropping by! See you in my other site for more blogs: www.purejoyland.com

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Epilogue of this Incident:

I got a refund of 75% of the book price from this transaction although I returned the item well within the return window of 90 days given by the third party vendor BooKnack. See here for Amazon's Partial Refunds & Restocking Fees. I ordered it on Dec 20 and they received it back in original condition on Dec 29.Well, I'm sure BooKnack have their own returns policy to justify the lesser amount they are refunding me, and it's toolate for me to know what their policy is. The wrong purchase on my part cost me a total of $13.42, the vendor citing "restocking fee and the return shipping costs that the USPS charged" them. That means the post office clerk telling me that return shipping costs me "nothing" is as good as a lie. I looked at the USPS website online to send them an email to inquire how they can make such an empty claim when the vendor can actually charge me their "free" service but there is no option available in their menus to make that kind of inquiry. I guess I can go back personally to the post office and tell the clerk to stop spreading "misleading info" (euphemism for "lies") to naive customers like me when it comes to Amazon merchandise but that is the best this case can go. No, there is no free lunch on Amazon, honey. You clicked the wrong button, you pay for that and walk, drive, park and line up as well. Let's just say, set aside a pleasant morning for that. The trite thing is, I cancelled this order 6 hours after I realized I placed the wrong order and emailed them four times (they give you no phone number on their site to contact them for cancellations, returns, etc.) and they did not reply. In one of the emails I offered them to please just cancel the order, just charge me 25% of the book price plus the Amazon shipping fee of $3.99, because I did not want to go through the hassle of receiving the item and going to the post office to return it. I even argued that we would be doing the environment a favor if they agreed with my proposal. No reply. Until then Amazon had not posted any status on my order so I knew the book was still with them, the order unprocessed and could have easily been cancelled. When Amazon already posted the status on their site that the item is being "prepared for shipping" I emailed the third-party vendor BooKnack for the 5th time confirming that I really did not want that order and I still wanted it cancelled. Only then did they reply and all they said was that the order was already processed too far down the line to be cancelled. I have never cancelled an order before on Amazon or anywhere, so, the 25% amount off the item price plus the shipping fee charge I had proposed was just a wild guess on my part. Well, true enough, those are the amounts they lopped off the money I had paid them for this order. So there. Hard lesson learned. Don't be so click-happy with your cursor when ordering online. Just a finger-press on your part and you have to pay 25% of the item cost, plus the shipping fee, plus incur a trip to the post office. The main hard lesson learned for me: Online shopping is not there for the convenience of the customer but rather for the vendor/s and the credit card companies.

Did the credit card company help me by withholding payment just because I argued I made the cancellation request just hours after I made the wrong order? No. They said once you give the vendor authorization over your credit card number they have no authority to stop payment.

Was Amazon able to help me cancel the order? No. The best they can do is give me the $13.42 I lost in the form of a coupon which I can use on my next purchase with them. (Will I still shop with them?)

Did the USPS promise of "free shipping" for "refused" delivery carry through? No. USPS is over-ruled by the vendor's "return policy," of which I usually don't even bother to know before I place any order. Yup, that's head-in-the-sand me.

Did the third-party vendor reply to any of my requests for cancellation just hours after I placed the order? No.

Did the third-party vendor have a phone number on their website that I could easily contact for customer support when I wanted to cancel the order? No. Their system only allowed me to email them.

Does the Amazon website have a number I could easily contact for customer support when I wanted to cancel the order? No. I called my credit card company to stop / hold payment but instead they gave me an Amazon phone number to contact but it turned out to be a fax phone number. That was before the transaction had "posted" on my online credit stream, which, being "unposted" yet, could not be "disputed" at that point. When it had finally "posted" already and I called them to dispute the transaction as they had promised, then my credit card company gave me another Amazon phone number instead which I could finally contact. By then Amazon could not do anything much to help because the product had already gone through the whole cycle of being delivered and returned to the vendor. The transaction was over and they had all the right to refund me just any percentage-amount they arbitrarily decided to do so. I was at everyone's total mercy. All that by just one wrong flick of my finger.

Well yeah, here's naive me, thinking online shopping was so convenient! Well, not anymore! If I was just shopping at a brick-and-mortar shop, say Macy's or Barnes and Noble, and changed my mind about a purchase, I could come back hours or even a day or so later, return the product with the receipt and they would credit back the full amount to my credit card or membership card. Online shopping does not allow that to happen.

Alex Shephard quoted in his article which I cited above that, "Amazon resists narratives because Amazon has only one narrative: complete commercial domination." That actually sounds just as it does: alarming. The last Barnes and Noble in Queens, NY will close this new year and now, having had this experience with Amazon (and BooKnack) makes me even more sad about B and N closing down. Will I keep my account with Amazon? Maybe I will, but just for the purpose of snooping around. Or I lose a grip on what the real world is like. But hey, "happiness!" This mis-purchase just opened my mind to yet another window of what our real world is like - the reality of the increasing predominance of e-commerce and its powerful sinister curb on our shopping liberties.

Christmas Happiness

2015-12-25T19:28:00.001-05:00

Christmas! So much happiness and cheer comes with the season of trees, Santa Claus, stockings, sleigh bells, reindeers, carols, parties, presents and church plays! Well, at least for many people. If you are in Southeast Asia and you’re not Christian you most probably are not celebrating Christmas and it probably doesn’t mean much to you, except for the Christmas songs you hear in the malls and the radio, or tv. If you’re in Northeast Asia you may not be a believer of Jesus and His birth but you are most likely having a Christmas party at work or with your friends at the bar. You will have a Christmas tree at home and some trimmings and may even eat a Christmas cake at your Christmas party where you exchange gifts. If you’re in Europe you would have Christmas trees at your mall or town center and trimmings and lights on the roads, even the houses. It would be the same in many other countries where England, Spain and France have ruled once before. As for the rest of the world where Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism and other religions are followed, as well as those where communism is the ideology (Russia, North Korea, Myanmar, etc.) there probably would be no vestiges of Christmas in the commercial places at all, probably only in some homes, and in secret. But for us here in America and in the part of Asia where I come from, Christmas, just like Thanksgiving, is always associated with family reunions, get-togethers, parties, church-going, exchanging gifts, etc. It’s the time of year when people would pay a premium just to purchase a ticket to be home. In the olden times it’s that time of year when we hear from family and friends though we hardly hear from them at any other time of the year. We would send Christmas cards, letters, photographs, even presents, to one another. Nowadays, because of technology and social media we just send our greetings through the airwaves. We get to save many trees and the environmentalists rejoice!

Christmas in our neighborhood.

Sounds really awesome and great but it could be terribly awful and lonely for those who do not have family, or friends, real friends who care. I am thinking about the homeless, or the elderly parent whose children are all abroad and can’t come home for the Christmas dinner. Or the single senior parent in a hospice and his / her family are scattered all over the place and they all are too far to come and see him / her. Or the grieving one whose spouse or child had just passed away this year, or had an accident and is in coma, or is terminally ill and in hospital. Or the one who just had a divorce, or had a bitter quarrel with a child and are not in speaking terms with him / her. I guess Christmas would be more like misery than happy?

If we have friends and loved ones, neighbors, who may be in these situations, this is the best time to reach out to them, as Christmas becomes depressing rather than cheerful for them. It is a reality that holidays are the worst times of the year for them. Let’s remember to pay them a visit or call, send a card, flowers, bring a dish or something.

Wrapping up the chocolate bundt cake I gave to my friend for a Christmas present.

For those of us who have broken relationships, we can take this time to take a deep breath, re-think once, twice, one more time... Voile! it is the best time to make amends! Send a gift, card or something to indicate that you want to forget whatever bitterness had transpired between you and your loved one, you want to start afresh and of course, that is not so easy to do unless we have had a true renaissance in our hearts. Well, Jesus came at the first Christmas to bring love, hope and forgiveness to all of us. Maybe we can take a moment to reflect on that?

Does it really matter that we are able to attend parties? That we wear the most eye-catching clothes and brightest smiles to see friends and family? Does it really matter that we have a dining table loaded with goodies on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve? Does it really matter if we don’t have a tree, or lights or trimmings on our windows? When we are not in good terms with people we love isn’t it that the only thing that matters would be to be reconciled with them and have peace in our hearts?

14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6

That is the reason why we do not have peace when we have discord with other people, especially our very own family. When there is a broken relationship and unforgiveness it creates a barrier in our relationship with God. That barrier is the main cause of the unrest in our hearts. We might try to ignore it, sometimes for years, on and on, but it is one of the things that cause illness in our bodies. It is also known as sin. This is one of the most basic concepts on living and it’s found in the Bible, the word of God.

Adam and Eve, the first humans, committed the first sin of mankind which broke man’s relationship with God. In fact, they fell out of the grace of God - they were driven from God’s presence and His heavenly place of dwelling for them - the Garden of Eden.

Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. As such, they were meant to be eternal just like Him. But because of sin they became mortal. Our being mortal is another result of that original sin they committed - eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil of which they were forbidden to eat.

Being put away from God’s presence and his heavenly habitation created both an estrangement and a breach between God and man. That condemnation has brought shame, guilt, low self-esteem, self-pity, despair, loneliness and rejection in the heart of man. As such, man became predisposed to broken relationships. Relating with his spouse, children, friends and family became a struggle rather than a natural thing. All these bring unrest in the heart of man. The only solution to that restlessness is the peace of God, being reconciled with God and restored to that place of fellowship and intimate relationship with God. Alas, how do we ever get back to that place of fellowship and trust with God again? Can we ever get Eden back? (Yes, even global warming and all the environmental problems we’re having are results of our sin and sinful nature inherited from Adam and Eve!)

Well, God, the only true wise God, came up with the solution. He sent somebody to pay for our sins so our mortality can be reversed and we can be restored to the original state of Adam and Eve before the Fall. That somebody has to be human so he can take the place of humans (he cannot be an angel or an animal like a goat, sheep, cow, etc.). Also, he has to be sinless. He has to be totally pure or he cannot be a fitting sacrifice. If he has sin, even just a single one, when he offers his life in the place of mankind he would be dying only for his own sin, not for anyone else’s. Thus, he has to be totally sinless, perfect beyond reproach. So, Jesus volunteered to do the job. As well, he is the only one who qualifies to be the legitimate sacrifice. Any human being wouldn’t have qualified because all humans have inherited the effects of the sin / iniquity and resulting sinful nature of Adam and Eve after they committed the first sin. When Jesus became human he had to be born of a woman but He was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, hence, the virgin birth. Jesus was 100% human but also 100% Divine. It doesn’t make sense? Well, if we can understand everything about God we would be the same level as Him. But as it is, we are not, thus, God remains incomprehensible, at least in areas that He hasn’t chosen to reveal to us. So yes, Jesus was truly human yet truly divine - one who was truly obedient to His Father, the God of the Universe, the One True God. The obedience of One Man paid the price of punishment for the rebellion of the whole human race. (Take note: only humans! Angels, demons nor “aliens” cannot be redeemed through Jesus’ sacrifice.)

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;

6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am - it is written about me in the scroll - I have come to do your will, O God.’ “

Hebrews 10

So, there, God became flesh for us on the first Christmas! And such great joy and peace He brought unto men for doing that! If His peace and joy are not real to you, I know what that means. I was once like that, too. Neither did I understand the love of God, especially His love for me (and you) expressed through His only son Jesus. I can tell my story in another blog, maybe next time, or this blog will grow too long. I still remember how it felt like celebrating Christmas the first time after I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. So much joy, peace, happiness and meaning came into my life! It was my first time to spend Christmas and New Year away from my family but it was the most meaningful, joyful and peaceful for me. It was like not knowing what you’re searching for yet knowing that you need to search for it and when you find it, you know it answers all the questions you’ll ever have in life! It’s coming to know and have what you have been missing all the while.I felt like I found the meaning of my life and existence. Looking back, I actually found Life itself! It’s just how wonderful God truly is!

I just recently watched this vid post on youtube and I think this song and singer (Phil Driscoll) say it very well. When this song was famous my friends and I used to make fun of this song, saying “pitiful” instead of “beautiful.” For really, nobody deserves that kind of cheesy adoration! It’s plain silly! But now that this singer explains that this song was originally composed ( by Billy Preston) with God in mind (not a human love interest), the song suddenly makes sense to me. Well, yes, He is truly BEAUTIFUL!!!

It starts at 2:00 onwards. And yes, Jesus brings so much joy and happiness into our lives! (If you let Him.) Go ahead and watch it!

Well, back to our topic today - “Christmas Happiness.”

1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.”

Until we realize how much God loves us we won’t be able to receive that love into our hearts, and we won’t be able to give away something we don’t have in the first place.

We can’t forgive and be reconciled with the people who irk us if we have not received the forgiveness of God, yet.

Unless we realize how much sin we have committed and how much we have broken God’s heart, we won’t realize we need to know the holiness of God.

Unless we know the holiness of God, we will never know how far we fall short below His standard and we can never realize how truly “ugly” we are, and how badly we need His beauty imparted upon us.

Unless we look at ourselves in a mirror and see ourselves as we are, we will never know how wretched, poor, blind and naked we are, and how badly we need God.

The Bible, the word of God, says:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Revelation 3

Could this be true about ourselves? Could the word of God be actually a mirror that reflects our true state in God’s eyes?

If it is not true, then Jesus left His glory and majesty as King in Heaven and became a humble human being born in a lowly manger in a home fit only for animals - a stable - for nothing. For Jesus came to lift us up from our dark and sorry plight to a glorious one - full of abundance, favor, light, freedom, comfort, joy, gladness and beauty.

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion -

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,’the oil of gladness instead of mourning,’ and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61

Are you intrigued about Jesus yet? His birthday is celebrated by so many! His birth re-set the calendar of human activity, from “BC” to “AD.” “BC” means “before Christ” and “AD” means “Anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord,” referring to the Lord Jesus. Every year after the birth of Jesus is known as “the year of our Lord,” meaning, “after we already have the Lord who came as our Messiah - Savior, Messenger, Prophet.” His birth was so significant that the timeline of the history of human civilization is pegged at His birth, albeit the scholars who did it made a wrong calculation of Jesus’ actual year of birth. You can read more about that here.

Well, “Christmas Happiness?” I say you can find it in Jesus. But don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself!

Merry Christmas and Peace to all!

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified. Emphases in bold letters are mine.
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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Dec 24). Christmas Happiness [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/12/christmas-happiness/
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This is a re-blog. If you wish to read more of my blogs please log on to www.purejoyland.com.

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Thankful at Thanksgiving

2015-11-29T17:03:00.000-05:00

It is hard to celebrate Thanksgiving without giving some thought, in fact, deep thought, to what actually happened around that “mythical picture" of the “first” Thanksgiving.

I had been homeschooling my special needs child for the past two years and whenever Thanksgiving comes around I would borrow books from the library for us to learn what this special holiday of Thanksgiving is all about. At first we just learned about the Pilgrims or the Pilgrim Fathers and their historic crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from England on the iconic “Mayflower” ship - a group of about a hundred colonists including 35 Puritan Separatists seeking religious freedom in the New World. It is said that two friendly English-speaking Native Americans, Samoset and Squanto, especially the latter, helped them to cope with the harsh winter and the New England way of life, teaching them how to plant corn using fish as fertilizer, where to find herring, eels, lobsters and clams, how to hunt for beavers and how to plant the Three Sisters - pumpkin, corn and beans, even mediating a treaty between them and the Wampanoag natives and advising them which tribes are more friendly and which ones are war-like. Also, it was said that when the Wampanoag Grand Sachem, Massasoit fell ill a few years later, it was the Pilgrims who nursed him back to health. (1)

However, some people are saying that there were no friendly relations at all between the Wampanoag or other Native American peoples and the Plymouth settlers from Europe. The history textbooks are vague about Samoset’s and Squanto’s motivations in helping the colonists. However, one point of view we just read says Squanto was captured as a slave and purposely taught English to serve as the colonists' interpreter and guide into the New England wilderness. An alternate reading on this supposedly history of Thanksgiving can be found here.

For many Americans, Thanksgiving is associated with football, overeating, family gatherings and bountiful celebrations. However, for many Native Americans, it is a time of mourning as they remember "the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture.” (3) Traditionally, it is associated to the Pilgrims or the Pilgrim Fathers who docked in New Plymouth, Massachussetts just days before the Christmas of 1620. For many, the “picture” of the First Thanksgiving dinner was that of a feast held by these Plymouth settlers in the Autumn of 1621 after they had a plentiful harvest after the long period of want, hardship, death and despair which they endured from the time they left their safe haven of Leiden, Holland until their circumstances turned around that Fall 1621. 90 Native Americans were said to have joined the 50 or so settlers in that First Thanksgiving meal. In fact, this is probably the most famous picture of that momentous event:

A post going around on Facebook uses this picture with a caption that says, "The irony of refusing aid and assistance to refugees / migrants while preparing to celebrate a holiday about receiving aid and assistance as refugees / migrants." [Above image taken from (5).]

However, apparently, that feast or food sharing between the locals and the new settlers was more like a giant picnic party in the tradition of the English Harvest Home. (5) It is an English tradition practiced by the pre-industrial English in their villages. It was typically hosted by the lord of the manor – the local landowner – a celebration of feasting and gaiety, attended by everyone in the farming community – from the lowest farm hands and simplest folks to the noblest gentry. Singing, dancing and playing games were part of the celebrations which was supposed to mark the end of the harvest season and usually celebrated when all the crops have just been gathered in. This reminds me of the closing scenes in the tv movie “Emma” by the British Broadcasting Co., starring Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong, based on the novel by Jane Austen.

That picture sounds more plausible to me. As Ozborne mentioned in his account, this is most likely what happened:

As they Pilgrims were shooting their guns in the air – likely with a mixture of the hefty amounts of alcohol they consumed – they were met by ninety or more Wampanoags. As the story goes, they invited the Indians to join them. However, it is more likely that the Indians rushed over to see what all the gunfire was about and then were asked to join. They had a three-day feast, in which the Indians provided the majority of the food. (3)

Personally, I do think that Squanto did have a good relationship with the Pilgrims. A narrative I found online by Chuck Larsen gives a pretty vivid picture of what could have happened. I am actually fascinated as to why Squanto took it upon himself to help the Pilgrims of Plymouth:

Squanto was originally from the village of Patuxet (Pa TUK et) and a member of the Pokanokit Wampanoag nation. Patuxet once stood on the exact site where the Pilgrims built Plymouth. In 1605, fifteen years before the Pilgrims came, Squanto went to England with a friendly English explorer named John Weymouth. He had many adventures and learned to speak English. Squanto came back to New England with Captain Weymouth. Later Squanto was captured by a British slaver who raided the village and sold Squanto to the Spanish in the Caribbean Islands. A Spanish Franciscan priest befriended Squanto and helped him to get to Spain and later on a ship to England. Squanto then found Captain Weymouth, who paid his way back to his homeland. In England Squanto met Samoset of the Wabanake (Wab NAH key) Tribe, who had also left his native home with an English explorer. They both returned together to Patuxet in 1620. When they arrived, the village was deserted and there were skeletons everywhere. Everyone in the village had died from an illness the English slavers had left behind. Squanto and Samoset went to stay with a neighboring village of Wampanoags.

One year later, in the spring, Squanto and Samoset were hunting along the beach near Patuxet. They were startled to see people from England in their deserted village. For several days, they stayed nearby observing the newcomers. Finally they decided to approach them. Samoset walked into the village and said "welcome," Squanto soon joined him. The Pilgrims were very surprised to meet two Indians who spoke English.

The Pilgrims were not in good condition. They were living in dirt-covered shelters, there was a shortage of food, and nearly half of them had died during the winter. They obviously needed help and the two men were a welcome sight. Squanto, who probably knew more English than any other Indian in North America at that time, decided to stay with the Pilgrims for the next few months and teach them how to survive in this new place. He brought them deer meat and beaver skins. He taught them how to cultivate corn and other new vegetables and how to build Indian-style houses. He pointed out poisonous plants and showed how other plants could be used as medicine. He explained how to dig and cook clams, how to get sap from the maple trees, use fish for fertilizer, and dozens of other skills needed for their survival.

By the time fall arrived things were going much better for the Pilgrims, thanks to the help they had received. The corn they planted had grown well. There was enough food to last the winter. They were living comfortably in their Indian-style wigwams and had also managed to build one European-style building out of squared logs. This was their church. They were now in better health, and they knew more about surviving in this new land. The Pilgrims decided to have a thanksgiving feast to celebrate their good fortune. They had observed thanksgiving feasts in November as religious obligations in England for many years before coming to the New World.

The Algonkian tribes held six thanksgiving festivals during the year. The beginning of the Algonkian year was marked by the Maple Dance which gave thanks to the Creator for the maple tree and its syrup. This ceremony occurred when the weather was warm enough for the sap to run in the maple trees, sometimes as early as February. Second was the planting feast, where the seeds were blessed. The strawberry festival was next, celebrating the first fruits of the season. Summer brought the green corn festival to give thanks for the ripening corn. In late fall, the harvest festival gave thanks for the food they had grown. Mid-winter was the last ceremony of the old year. When the Indians sat down to the "first Thanksgiving" with the Pilgrims, it was really the fifth thanksgiving of the year for them!

Captain Miles Standish, the leader of the Pilgrims, invited Squanto, Samoset, Massasoit (the leader of the Wampanoags), and their immediate families to join them for a celebration, but they had no idea how big Indian families could be. As the Thanksgiving feast began, the Pilgrims were overwhelmed at the large turnout of ninety relatives that Squanto and Samoset brought with them. The Pilgrims were not prepared to feed a gathering of people that large for three days. Seeing this, Massasoit gave orders to his men within the first hour of his arrival to go home and get more food. Thus it happened that the Indians supplied the majority of the food: Five deer, many wild turkeys, fish, beans, squash, corn soup, corn bread, and berries. Captain Standish sat at one end of a long table and the Clan Chief Massasoit sat at the other end. For the first time the Wampanoag people were sitting at a table to eat instead of on mats or furs spread on the ground. The Indian women sat together with the Indian men to eat. The Pilgrim women, however, stood quietly behind the table and waited until after their men had eaten, since that was their custom.

For three days the Wampanoags feasted with the Pilgrims. It was a special time of friendship between two very different groups of people. A peace and friendship agreement was made between Massasoit and Miles Standish giving the Pilgrims the clearing in the forest where the old Patuxet village once stood to build their new town of Plymouth.

It would be very good to say that this friendship lasted a long time; but, unfortunately, that was not to be. More English people came to America, and they were not in need of help from the Indians as were the original Pilgrims. Many of the newcomers forgot the help the Indians had given them. Mistrust started to grow and the friendship weakened. The Pilgrims started telling their Indian neighbors that their Indian religion and Indian customs were wrong. The Pilgrims displayed an intolerance toward the Indian religion similar to the intolerance displayed toward the less popular religions in Europe. The relationship deteriorated and within a few years the children of the people who ate together at the first Thanksgiving were killing one another in what came to be called King Phillip's War.

It is sad to think that this happened, but it is important to understand all of the story and not just the happy part. Today the town of Plymouth Rock has a Thanksgiving ceremony each year in remembrance of the first Thanksgiving. There are still Wampanoag people living in Massachusetts. In 1970, they asked one of them to speak at the ceremony to mark the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim's arrival. Here is part of what was said:

"Today is a time of celebrating for you -- a time of looking back to the first days of white people in America. But it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People. When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end. That before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a tribe. That we and other Indians living near the settlers would be killed by their guns or dead from diseases that we caught from them. Let us always remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white people.

Although our way of life is almost gone, we, the Wampanoags, still walk the lands of Massachusetts. What has happened cannot be changed. But today we work toward a better America, a more Indian America where people and nature once again are important." (6)

Even William Bradford, one of the leaders of the Pilgrims, mentioned Squanto in his memoirs. Thus, I am inclined to believe that Squanto, Samoset, and of course, Massasoit, were real (not fabricated, as some people say) and that their kindness and friendliness to the Plymouth settlers of 1621 were crucial in the survival and success of that group, who were soon followed by other boat-loads of Puritans from England, said to be escaping the worsening persecution by the British monarchy. Squanto must have been an adventurous and smart guy to have befriended and travelled with the English explorer John Weymouth. That he learned English, was captured as a slave but escaped and was helped by a Spanish friar and he was able to get to England from Spain and find Weymouth there - these are all feats not commonly seen among most people. He must have been devastated to have found all his own people gone, the Patuxet, because of an epidemic that swept his village. Now that village he grew up in is gone and in its place were these helpless English people with whom he can easily relate with and whom he probably saw as "family" because of his close friendship with John Weymouth and also the kindness he received from the Catholic Spanish priests. I wouldn't be surprised if that affinity with the Europeans was the only motivation he had in helping them settle down in his "village." However, it is really sad that things deteriorated soon after that because more colonists came from England, people who did not know about Squanto, Samoset, Massasoit and their gentleness and kindness to the Pilgrims who blazed the trail for them.

I found an article in Wikipedia that says Squanto died of Indian Fever in November 1622, just one year after he befriended the Pilgrims. (7) So, it looks like this talented, friendly and adventurous young man was hand-picked by God to learn the English language, travel to Europe, come back to discover he lost "everything and everyone" of his, mourn for his totally obliterated family and community, accept the misfortune of his enormous loss caused by the coming of the "white men" (who brought the illness that wiped out his whole village) and choose to show hospitality and kindness to the Europeans who took over the habitation of his village and take them as his own people, close to a replacement of his own totally-gone people. And when he had successfully helped this fledgling bunch of settlers to make good in the land, God takes him away, as if his mission in life was done! Whoa, wasn't that an incredible working of the hand of God?

Eventually, things would turn ugly. They all must have had a foreboding it eventually will. As more colonists came, they needed more land to settle in and the Native Americans were soon pushed out of their own lands, brutally or otherwise. It sounds like an all-too-familiar story. The Maoris of New Zealand and the aborigines of Australia would have a similar story to tell as England was expanding its territories throughout the world at about that same time. I wonder how many Samosets, Squantos and Massasoits and their peoples must have suffered atrocities in return for their kindness and hospitality. But at this time of American Thanksgiving, I do remember the Native American peoples and appreciate them for all they are worth. If not for Samoset, Squanto and Massasoit and their gentle peoples, this American nation would not have taken root and flourished here on American soil. In turn, my family and I wouldn't have been able to come here and share God's blessings for this fair land, blessings of relative peace, safety, community, provision, opportunity and hope for our children.

It is indeed with much thought that this year I celebrate Thanksgiving with family and loved ones. My family and I are new here in America and we thank God that we have come to a country that are welcoming to immigrants. We also thank God that we can still celebrate Thanksgiving peacefully, albeit the worldwide travel alert for Americans issued by Pres. Obama just days prior.

Recently, in the light of the Paris bombings, people are torn between welcoming Syrian refugees into their countries, or not. Some people cite the picture of Thanksgiving above, using guilt to pressure people to be once again welcoming to migrants, just as the Native Americans had been welcoming to the English Puritan settlers.

This is the main reason why I once again surveyed the history books and this time, I also looked at the differing opinions on these historical accounts on Samoset, Squanto, Massasoit and the Pilgrims. I then realized it is naive for anyone to make such a comparison, or even use the above image for emotional blackmail. In fact, we probably should use this picture as a warning to ourselves that history may repeat itself. The Puritans were said to be escaping from persecution in England by the then King James I, and subsequent sovereigns, who didn’t take kindly to the “extreme” Christian practice of the Puritans. Some even called them dissenters. In a similar way, we now have Syrian refugees who are escaping the atrocities of war and “religious persecution” in their native home country. Some of you may think it is atrocious of me to make this suggestion. I am a Christian and a follower of Christ and the word of God, the Bible. It is true that Christianity teaches charity and mercy towards people in need, especially those whose lives are in danger. However, the Bible also teaches that Christians should see to the needs of their own brethren, their own people, first, even as they help others. I do think that it is with much wisdom and discernment that we should approach this delicate matter.

Some Scripture that come to mind that may shed light on this issue are the following:

1 Timothy 5:8

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Galatians 6:10

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Furthermore, the Golden Rule simply put says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31; Matthew 19:19; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14, etc.)

That statement actually implies that we love ourselves first before we are able to love our neighbor. Even in instances of emergency or crisis, a person has to take care of himself first before he can take care of another. For instance, whenever you travel on the plane, one of the pre-take-off instructions is for you to learn how to put on the oxygen mask at any time a sudden drop in cabin pressure occurs. The instruction explicitly says that if you are a parent, you need to put on your own mask first before you help your child to put on his/her mask. It is the same with running a nation. First, you put the safety measures in place for your citizens before you think of helping those who are refugees, visitors, aliens or noncitizens. In a crisis, if helping the non-citizens would jeopardize the safety of your citizens, it only makes sense that you act to safeguard your citizens first. It is sad when we are forced to make tough choices like that but sometimes circumstances warrant us to make them. Such is the job of our public servants. Thus, I do not blame those US state governors who opt to keep their constituents’ safety top priority, over and above the needs of the refugees in crisis. On the other hand, I also thank God and pray for countries, like Germany for instance, who have taken the bold decision of receiving as many refugees as they can, in the hopes that they do not encounter security problems in the future, stemming from such a bold move. I would say, they are the ones taking the "extra mile" for their neighbor in need. They are practicing one of the "hard teachings" of Christ.

Matthew 5

38 "You shave heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'

39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.'

41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

I also pray that the war in Syria will be over soon and that there will be true peace in the Middle East. Wherever we are, we all know, there is always no place like home, if home had not become a treacherous place.

I also take this time to reflect and pray for the healing of the Native Americans who are still hurting; not only for them but for the colored population here in America, in general. Something has to be done, I believe, by the government, or at least, a collective group of people from the general public, to recognize these crimes of the past so healing can begin somewhere. If such is not made possible in our generation, at least we can pray that there will be more consciousness and sensitivity by our generation, in recognizing these issues and problems stemming from mistakes made by our forebears / elders. In fact, it could be that faced with the same difficult circumstances, we too may not do any better than they did. Who knows? As for now, with God, nothing is impossible. I believe healing begins with consciousness, desiring for change, reaching out, and it all starts in prayer. Mountains don't move until there is a move of the Spirit of God, so, everything has to start in our hearts and in our prayer closets.

Clockwise from left: Some Thanksgiving fare - Banana cake muffins, apple pie, cornmeal and cranberry loaf, sweet potato casserole with pecan and cornflakes topping, roasted turkey.

Now, my family and I have eaten our turkey, had our jovial gatherings, had our rich desserts, had our mashed potatoes and casseroles. We are not rich, nor are we poor. We are content and happy. We thank God for His goodness in all things, for His abundant provision always, for the relative peace we are enjoying, for our good health that comes from Above, for friends and for family. We remember those who may not have some of these things, especially those who have been driven from their homes in war-torn places. I believe God is more than able to provide, to make way, to make changes, to bring comfort, cheer and hope to everyone in need. The world is far from perfect, in fact, there has been more suffering these recent days, but we have the God of Hope and the God of Love, Joy and Peace to whom we can call on for help. He is always near and His love never fails. I am thankful for God and His infinitely good heart. It’s been a thoughtful Thanksgiving for me and my family. I would say we have been blessed in a profound way. Hence, I would like to wish a happy and thankful Thanksgiving weekend to all who celebrate, and a restful and happy weekend to all!

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Reference cited:

(1) Santella, Andrew. The Plymouth Colony. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2001.

(2) History.com Staff. (2009). The Pilgrims [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/pilgrims Access Date Nov 28, 2015.

(3) Ozborne, Irwin. (2015, Nov 26). Celebrating Genocide - The Real Story of Thanksgiving [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.wakingtimes.com/2015/11/26/celebrating-genocide-the-real-story-of-thanksgiving/ Access date Nov 28, 2015

(4) Schiffman, Richard. (2011, Nov 21). The Truth About Thanksgiving: What They Never Taught You in School [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-schiffman/the-thanksgiving-truth_b_1105181.html Access Date Nov 28, 2015.

(5) Tracy, Kathleen. Plymouth Colony: The Pilgrims Settle in New England. Hockessin, DE: Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2007.

(6) Larsen, Chuck. The Plymouth Thanksgiving Story [Article]. Retrieved from http://www.manataka.org/page269.html Access Date Nov 28, 2015.

(7) Wikipedia. (2015, Nov 19). Patuxet Tribe [Article]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patuxet_tribe Access Date Nov 27, 2015.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Nov 28). [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/11/thankful-at-thanksgiving/

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Lifetime Happiness

2015-11-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

Today we’re going to talk about lifetime happiness. What comes to your mind?

When we are young we make two major decisions - choosing a career and choosing a spouse. I just found out lately that here in America there’s another crucial decision before those two - to stay or to go, i.e. move to a big city or stay in my small town; or, move to another big city or stay in my own. The moving does affect the other two decisions very much - career and spouse. Often, a high school sweetheart is left behind or leaves. Rarely, both lovers leave together. Somebody might move to New York to be a runway model, another to Silicon Valley to be a start-up nerd, and yet another to Nashville to be a country musician. Along the way they meet a fellow model, nerd or musician, or a manager / agent who turns out to be their soulmate. Others go back to their hometown to marry their high school sweetheart and make the new place their home. Eventually, they all live happily forever after. However, for many of us, it’s much more complicated and long-winded than that. Will your story fill a whole book, chapter or paragraph? I guess it all depends on how elusive that dream of lifetime happiness turns out to be for us. Most of the time we don’t really have happiness in all three areas - marriage, career and place of choice. Some people stay single or marry but get divorced; some go back to school and change careers or just totally dump a well-carved out career for a passion or dream that had always been eating them on the inside; and still others move to the countryside to raise a family far from the bustle and decadence of the city. Sometimes we get all three in our basket. We get a happy marriage, a successful and gratifying career and our dream home in the best place in the world, if such a place exists. For many of us though, we only get two out of three, or one out of three, or zero out of three. Still happy? Some people may be divorced or never married but they have meaningful careers that give them so much happiness and fulfillment and they are able to contribute much to society and are thus, honored and much at home where they live. Some people never marry, or marry but get divorced, fail in all the business endeavours they pursued but somehow found something to scrape a living from but they love their city, their community and they are happy and contented with life. Some people failed in marriage, failed in school and career, are living on dole, maybe living in the streets of a city they don’t even like or care about. Still happy?

How about the other sources of happiness that we don’t really think about when we are young? As youngsters we never think of these things; we just believe they will fall into place from the sky, simply because we are young and inexperienced. I am talking about things we take for granted - our health, having kids and length of life. We just believe we will have those things, why wouldn’t we? So, when later on in life we start having failing health, problematic or handicapped kids, or can’t even have kids, or we have the sudden departure of a loved one, or have “early retirement” ourselves because of unforeseen circumstances, would we still be happy?

If you would rank your first three sources of lifetime happiness what would they be? We always mention family, finances, career, health, friends and community, recreation, travel, etc. Did I miss anything? Let us say we consider family, finances / career and health are our first three sources of lifetime happiness. So, if we lose our spouse through death or divorce would that be the end of the world for us? If our business folded up leaving us bankrupt or our company terminates us with just enough cash for three months and nothing beyond, would that do us in? If we hate our job so much but family demands cannot allow us to pursue an interest or passion that makes life meaningful for us, would that slowly kill us? If we or our spouse or kid falls debilitatingly or psychologically ill, or we move out of our loving and supportive community, would that send us into depression ( that’s another debilitating illness)? These are things we usually don't think about when we just graduated from high school, right? Or maybe we saw it in our family a lot while growing up such that by the time we finished school and have a job, we tarry here and there, mope around and just refuse to move on and make crucial decisions that incur taking responsibility, because we already had too much pain growing up and are just too pessimistic and cowed about life ahead? What if we grew up in a dysfunctional home where there was drug and alcohol abuse, there was divorce or death in the family, there was poverty, there was a long-term serious illness of a loved one, there was rejection from family, friends and community? What if that was the only world we knew and we thought that was normal? What if we took drugs or alcohol for breakfast, were sexually or physically abused by a parent’s lover as a kid, were in the streets at fourteen, never knew real friends or family who cared, dropped out of school and can’t hold on to a job? What would our concept of happiness be like? Would we still be able to dream? I know many who do and have succeeded in reaching their dreams but I know there are many more who can’t, or did, but hardly got out of their nightmare.

So, what is lifetime happiness? Is that even real? If it eludes us do we have hope? I believe, no matter what background we come from, or in what stage of life we may be, we are still able to find happiness, at least in the small and momentary things in life, even if the lifetime happiness seems to keep evading us. Again, I believe God gives us refreshing moments of happiness just as He makes the sun shine and the rain fall on both the sinner and the righteous, don’t you think? I’m sure even for the homeless man sleeping in the streets, a simple kindness like a warm meal, a smile, a little cash, or even dope, would make him happy - momentarily happy, eh? (Now don't get me wrong, I am not encouraging you to give weed to the homeless person you pass by everyday.) Or, we may have lost all hope, have become cynical and unbelieving, such that even an offer of a hot drink on a cold, dark night would send shivers down our spine because we have been let down too many times in life or duped by a tad too many people!

So, what can we do to prevent ourselves from failing at all the avenues of lifetime happiness? How do we make sure we don't make the wrong choices on the major decisions? How do we make sure we choose the right career path so we get both financial success and personal fulfillment? How do we choose the right partner who would end up as our “love-of-my-life”? How do we make sure we end up living in the place we love, or at least a place we don’t hate? How do we make sure we end up having children or not having any (as our preference may be) and raise them up the right way so we don’t end up with problems? How do we reduce the risk of having serious illnesses, accidents, or mental breakdowns, for ourselves and for our family members? So many things to think about. Just thinking about them already brings stress and takes away the happy feeling of reading this blog? *Smile!*

If you are still young, you must have heard it all; if you are old like me you must have already made all the right or wrong moves. For career, some of us may choose (or have chosen) the line we are interested in doing, no matter what the financial returns, and despite the wisdom and concerns of our elders. Most of us would pick the “easy” path by going along with the tide and listening to our parents, especially if they are the ones paying for the education. We take what the market demands and that which is not too far from our personal interests either. Hopefully, that would give us the edge when we look for a job after school and give the remuneration we expect so we can settle down with the one we love and start a family. Ooops, along the way we keep our eyes wide open for the right partner for life. They say the best place to find them is in school. Once you start working your social circle gets reduced to the few workmates you will have, the few friends who are still in town and are still single. Your opportunity to meet the right one shrinks tremendously! So, what do you do? Panic as soon as senior year rolls in and you still have no boyfriend / girlfriend or even just a date? Phew! Becoming an adult becomes really stressful, doesn’t it?

Let’s presume we find the right person and settle down soon after we find the job and raise the money for the wedding. How about finding the right place to live in? How do we pull off a winner on that? Most of the time we just live wherever the job is, right? Not many of us really have choices. Usually, the real choice is whether to live near the job or to commute a distance everyday. Usually, we prefer to live in a neighborhood where we like the environment, the community, the amenities, etc. Again, our choices can be limited by the rent or mortgage we can afford or if we need to be near elderly parents we need to look after. If we want to have children and involve extended family in raising them up, we would probably consider staying near those extended family, too. If we plan not to have children, that would be simpler. But if they come anyway, as children always have a way of coming, what do we do? Do we “terminate” them or give them away for adoption? I’m talking about babies here, er, humans, not pets, ok? These are things young people don’t think about too much when they are dating, just having fun, or even settling down. But they are part of the realities of life that affect the outcome of lifetime happiness! So many things to consider, hu? Ah, life!

Now we presume you married the love of your life, settled down with a good-paying job in a home you are able to pay for and in a place you love. Now you are raising a family, there are more mouths to feed, the maintenance costs go higher, life gets stressful. How do you manage the stress, pay the mortgage, keep your spouse happy and move ahead of everyone else in your career? You try to cut down the commute by moving closer to work or finding a similar job near home, you move to a cheaper house, get a smaller car, go to less social functions, date your spouse once a week and get a second degree online? Or you don’t do anything to cut down expenses because that’s “demeaning” and lowers your self-esteem but instead you get a second job, still work on the second degree, neglect the spouse and kids and keep driving on the fast lane? Or maybe you don't get the second job but run up a debt instead. Before we know it, things, people and relationships start breaking down and, "Boom!" we know how the story ends. “Lifetime happiness” soon evaporates into thin air and then we improvise from there. It sounds too familiar too soon but that is really what it is!

So, where do we go wrong? Stress. We call it stress. We know it’s stress. And yet we let it happen. Why can we not live without stress? Why do we allow stress to steal away our lifetime happiness? Do we know how to deal with stress? I just Googled “how to counter stress” and I got 182 million results! Click here for the top on the list. Just check it out and see whether those ideas are really fool-proof. Are they even practical? Walk the dog as stress reliever? That sounds cute but having a dog in itself takes up a lot of time and effort. That’s like adding another baby to your already burgeoning brood. You don’t just walk it to relax, you’ve got to pick up its poop, bathe it, groom it, take it to the vet, not to mention having to stretch your budget as well. Manage stress with an exercise routine and more socialization? Those sound really fantastic. But how do you grow the time to do those and how long would it take before you drop out of those routines? The frustration of not being able to keep to your resolve may even add to your stress! Are we getting the picture, yet?

Maybe we need to address the real issue. Do you have enough money for the whole month ahead, the whole year ahead, your whole lifetime ahead, three lifetimes or more ahead? How much money in cash and / or assets do you need to make you feel like you are in control of things? Or, maybe the right question is, how badly do you need to be in control of things and circumstances around you? If you only have enough money for the next day’s expenses can you sleep soundly tonight? Or you need at least a year’s or month’s expenses to be in your bank account right now? Is money your security in life? Why or why not? If you are single it doesn’t matter too much. If you have a family to feed, clothe, shelter, and keep happy, it’s a totally different story.

So, how do we deal with the nemesis of lifetime happiness? That would be a good next topic, eh? Keep tuned-in to this space! Thanks again for dropping by and reading this far. I would love to hear feedback from you on this important topic of lifetime happiness. For the young ones, I pray you make the wisest decision at every milestone. For the rest of us who may still be struggling to find lifetime happiness may we find Hope (and Joy!) as we face the staggering outcomes of our decisions and circumstances (some people call it Fate). For those of us who have more years we know that lifetime happiness doesn't just depend on our choices alone. It also depends on the cards we are dealt with and the choices of people around us. That's why some people say, "Life is a gamble. You win some, you lose some." Or, "I may lose the battle but I will still win the war." Hopefully, we will look for Happiness, Hope and Joy in the right places. I do pray you find "Pure Joy Land" is one of those places. May we all have a happy and restful weekend and God bless you, everyone! Cheers!

Can you guess the famous personality who said the above quote, "Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war."?

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Oct. 30). Lifetime Happiness [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/10/lifetime-happiness/

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Hardcore Joy

2015-10-15T22:25:00.000-04:00

You must be wondering why so many blogs on just two words - “happiness” and “joy.” They must be a couple of such wonderful things we just can’t get enough of them. Happiness is exciting, brings us to a high that is, alas, short-lived, and joy is supposed to be nothing but an intense version of that. Well, that is what our secular dictionaries say as we covered in my previous blog, “Joy and Gladness.”

But today I will go deeper on joy, the kind of “joy” Bible-believers have been made to believe - “the inner peace that comes from knowing you are doing the will of God, despite the basic requirements of happiness not being met.” So far, we (if you agree with me) have come to the conclusion that, “Happiness happens when the level of pleasure we are experiencing is high enough to relegate to the subconscious whatever pain we are having, plus, having excitement or a sense of wonder.” Based on that statement we can say that, “Pure happiness is the absence of pain, plus excitement or a sense of wonder.” So, why am I so keen on finding this “joy” that Bible-believers have been made to believe? I actually believe I have that joy, I have found it, but I am just curious where that “concept of joy” came from, because it is very different from the secular definition of joy that we know - “intense happiness.”

Thus, I made a survey and found that “joy” in the Bible is something that is quite beyond our comprehension, just like “love” and “peace” in the Bible. I wrote about that in my previous blog, " 'Joy' in the Bible." However, just as Paul had exhorted us to pray to have a revelation of the greatness of God’s love, I believe it would bless or do us good, too, to pray for a revelation of the greatness of God’s joy (and peace). Since three of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit are “love, joy, peace,” this is part of our pursuit as believers of the God of the Bible - to obtain and grow in these fruits of the Spirit. I read my Bible a lot and I observe that the more I pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me, as He is really our Teacher, the more I get out of my Bible reading. I believe that prayerfully reading and studying the Bible, even relating the passages we read to our everyday experiences, would help us in understanding the Bible concept of “joy.” Besides, remaining in a teachable attitude towards the Holy Spirit is really how we grow in depth in our relationship with God.

Hence, I went into the original words in Hebrew and Greek, words that get translated into “joy,” “happy” or “joyful,” “rejoice,” etc., in our English Bibles, in the hopes that we will unravel more on the mystery of how Bible-believing Christians came up with their definition of joy as, “having an inner peace knowing that you are doing, or living in, the will of God.”

First, I looked in the Old Testament which was originally written in Hebrew. The most common word for the noun “joy” in the Old Testament is the noun “simchah” (Strong’s 8057). It means “joy,” “gladness,” “mirth.” Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing.” It occurs 93 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It gets translated into English as “exceedingly, gladness, joyfulness, delight, mirth, pleasure, rejoicing;” also, “festival.” This is the word used in verses that talk of the joy and rejoicing that come with the set times of festivals and celebrations the Israelites had in the Old Testament, their times of sacrifices and offerings before the Lord, and their times of thanksgiving to God due to successes and blessings from Him. “Simchah” comes from the primitive root word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), a verb which means “to rejoice, be glad.” There are 150 occurrences of “samach.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance also defines “samach” as “to cheer up, be make glad, have, make joyful, be make merry, cause to, make to rejoice, very.” It’s a primary root word which means “to brighten up, be blithe or gleesome.”

Here are some examples on the usage of “simchah.”

After the epic victory of the lad David when he killed the giant Goliath:

1 Samuel 18:6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King saul with singing and dancing, with joyful (literally, “with joy” - “simchah”) songs and with tambourines and lutes.

To describe the joy the Israelites had when they all rallied together to turn Saul’s kingdom over to David:

1 Chronicles 12:38 All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David King over all Israel. All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king.

39 The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking, for their families had supplied provisions for them.

40 Also their neighbors from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun and Naphtali came bringing food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen. There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle and sheep, for there was joy (“simchah”) in Israel.

At the celebration of bringing the ark of the covenant to the tabernacle of David:

2 Samuel 6:12 Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing (literally, “gladness” - “simchah”).

1 Chronicles 15:1 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it...

v16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs (literally, “to raise the voice of joy” - “simchah”), accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing (literally, “with joy” - “simchah”).

Temple worship at the time when Hezekiah purified the temple and spearheaded a revival of turning his and the whole nation of Israel’s hearts back to the Lord (after a long period of apostasy), at the offering of sacrifices and the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was characterized by joy (“simchah”):

2 Chron 29:30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness (“simchah”) and bowed their heads and worshiped.

2 Chron 30:21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing (literally, “with great gladness / joy” - “gadol simchah”; “gadol” is an adjective which means “great”), while the Levites and priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD’s instruments of praise.

v.23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully (literally, “with gladness” - “simchah”).

At the rebuilding of the temple after the exiles came back to repair the walls of the city of Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple in the time of Ezra, the joy of the people to see the foundations of the rebuilt temple being laid down was described as “simchah”:

Ezra 3:11-13

11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:

“He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy (“simchah”) .

13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy (“simchah”) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

The “joy” found in the presence of the Lord is “simchah”:

Psalm 16:11 In His presence is fullness of joy (“simchah”).

For the word “joyful” I found “sameach” (Strong’s 8056), a verbal adjective which translates into English as “glad, joyful, merry.”It occurs 27 times. Both “simchah” and “sameach” come from the same root word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), a verb which means “to rejoice, be glad.” (There are 150 occurrences of “samach.” ) “Sameach” is also used mostly in verses pertaining to celebrations and and occasions of triumph or victory, usually, together with “simchah”:

Deut 16:15 For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy (“sameach”) will be complete (literally, “you shall surely rejoice”).

On the occasion of Solomon being anointed as king of Israel:

1 Kings 1:40 And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly (literally, “rejoice with great joy” - “sameach gadol simcha”; where “gadol” means “great”), so that the ground shook with the sound.

Right after the occasion of the dedication of the temple of Solomon:

1 Kings 8:66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful (“sameach”) and glad (literally, “cheerful, beautiful, good” -“towb,” (Strong’s 2896) adjective, verb noun) in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

(“Towb” is not very often used for this meaning of being “cheerful” or “glad,” as it means many other things like “beautiful, best, better, bountiful, at ease, fair word, be in favor, fine, good, graciously, kindly, etc.” It occurs 562 times and is the word for “good” in Genesis 1:4,10,18, passages that say ”...and God saw that it was good.”)

When Joash was proclaimed as king in the temple:

2 Kings 11:14 She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing (“sameach”) and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”

Here “sameach” is translated as “gloat”:

Psalm 35:26 May all who gloat (“sameach”) over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.

It is interesting that the word “happy” in the following verses are actually “sameach” (“joyful”) in the original Hebrew:

1 Kings 4:20

[ Solomon’s Daily Provisions ] The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy (“sameach”).

Esther 5:14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy (“sameach”).” This suggestion delighted (literally, “pleased” - “panim” or “paneh” Strong’s 6440) Haman and he had the gallows built.

Psalm 113:9 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy (“sameach”) mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Proverbs 15:13 A happy (“sameach”) heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Jonah 4:6

Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy (“sameach”) about the plant.

It seems that so much impact was lost from those verses above just because the shallow word “happy” was used instead of “joyful” or “merry,” which are the more accurate translations of “sameach.”

Finally, “sameach” is the “joyful” (heart) that is good for your health!

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful (‘sameach”) heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 (One New Man Bible) A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

According to the Glossary in the One New Man Bible the word for “broken spirit” here is “na-ke-ah” (Strong’s 5218) and it means “depressed.” Depression is bad for our health. “Sameach” (“joyful”) is the opposite of a depressed heart. The Glossary notes also say that “Depression is caused by a number of things, one of which is drawing away from the Lord.” I totally agree! If we want to be “joyful” we must draw near to the one who is “joy”! Remember, in my last blog, “‘Joy’ in the Bible,” we found out that ”God is love,” “God is peace,” and “God is joy”!

As for the verb “to rejoice,” there are so many Hebrew words used, I think it is a shame that the English language does not have a direct equivalent for each one of them! Foremost would be the word “samach” (Strong’s 8055), which gets translated into our English Bibles as, “rejoice,” “be glad.” It is a primitive root which means “to brighten up,” “be blithe” or “be gleesome,” “be glad,” “be joyful,” “be merry,” “rejoice.” It occurs 150 times and is the verb used when God commanded the Hebrews to rejoice (“thou shalt rejoice...” in the King James Version) before Him in the festivals and celebrations He instituted for them; the rejoicing in His presence, in His city of choice - Jerusalem. (Lev 23:40, Deut 12:7, 12, 18; Deut 14:26, 16:11,14; Deut 26:11, Deut 27:7) As I stated earlier above, the noun “simchah” and adjective “sameach” both come from the root word “samach,” “to rejoice.” That means that for the Hebrew language and culture, it is quite apt to say that “joy” and “to be joyful” always have connotations of “to rejoice” or “rejoicing”! For the Hebrew mind, the word “joy” always pertains to an outward manifestation of great delight and pleasure. It is not just a feeling that can be contained without physical manifestation; “joy” is always associated with an act of rejoicing.

Leviticus 23:40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice (“samach”) before the LORD your God for seven days.

Deuteronomy 12:7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice (“samach”) in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Samach is similarly used in those verses mentioned above: Deuteronomy 12:12,18; Deut 14:26, 16:11,14; Deut 26:11, Deut 27:7. Now let’s look at other passage where “samach” is found.

In the following verse it says the instructions and commands of our LORD are a source of “joy”!

Psalm 19:8 - The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy (literally, “giving rejoicing” - “samach”) to the heart...

It is also the “joy”of a father / parent over a righteous son:

Proverbs 29:3 A man of wisdom brings joy to his father (literally, “makes his father rejoice” - “samach”) but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

It has the same usage in Proverbs 15:20, Prov 23:15.

Man rejoicing over the fruits of his labors:

Eccle 5:19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy (literally, “rejoice” - “samach”) them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God.

After the repairs on the breaches in the wall of Jerusalem was finished in the time of Nehemiah, the Israelites offered great sacrifices with rejoicing and the words used are “samach” and “simchah.”

Nehemiah 12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing (“samach”) because God had given them great joy (literally, rejoicing with great joy - “samach gadol simchah”). The women and children also rejoiced (“samach”). The sound of rejoicing (“simchah”) in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

The corporate joy was so great over everyone’s willingness to contribute their wealth when King David announced to the people his intention to build the temple of the Lord, and his own generous contributions to this great cause, that the words “samach” and “simchah” were used together:

1 Chronicles 29:9 The people rejoiced (“samach”) at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly (lit. “rejoiced with great joy” - “gadol samach simchah”, where “gadol” is an adjective which means “great,” “samach”, a verb meaning “rejoice” and “simchah,” a noun meaning “joy”).

Another verse where “samach” and “simchah” are used together:

Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad (“samach”) . Then joy (“simchah”) will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

Also, on the occasion of Solomon being anointed as king of Israel, “sameach” and “simcha” are used together.:

1 Kings 1:40 And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly (literally, “rejoice with great joy” - “sameach gadol simcha”), so that the ground shook with the sound.

So, we have looked at the noun “simchah,” the verb “samach” and the verbal adjective “sameach” which are all related, since “simchah” and “sameach” both come from the same root word, “samach.” Are you confused yet? Well, there’s more. I have discovered 3 other Hebrew words for the noun “joy” and they are “sason,” “masos” and “chedva.” Indeed, the Hebrew language has so many words for “joy” and alas, the English language has only one!

As for the verb “rejoice” I found five more! They are “gil” and its feminine form “gilah,” “alats” and “alaz” which have essentially the same meaning, “sus or sis” and “chadah.” Then there is the adjective “alliz,” the root word of which is the verb “alaz.”

The noun “sason” (Strong’s 8342) occurs 22 times and its root word is the verb “sus or sis” (Strong’s 7797) which means “to rejoice, exult.” “Sason” means “exultation,” “rejoicing.” It gets translated into our English Bible as “gaiety, gladness, joy, joyously, rejoicing.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “gladness, joy, mirth, rejoicing.” “Sason” is the kind of joy used in the passages that talk of the “oil of joy”:

Psalm 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy (“sason”).

8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

Psalm 45 is a royal wedding song, so this refers to the king, who in the Old Testament would have to be anointed. For instance, Saul, the first king, was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel. So, this anointing of “oil of joy” was not figurative but literal. In the Old Testament, the Priests, i.e., Aaron and his sons, had to go through a process of consecration which included washing of the body, changing into priestly garments and being anointed by scented oil, to install them into the office of Priest. This particular anointing oil was holy and was used to anoint not only the priests but also the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the other furniture and utensils used in the worship before the LORD. It was made with olive oil mixed with myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus and cassia. The LORD’s instruction was that this holy anointing oil could not be poured on human flesh, except on the priests. (Exodus 30:22-33) So, when God instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as king (and subsequently David, too), he must have used the same sacred anointing oil, although it was only previously intended for priests, for that was how they officially installed people into service in those days. Hence, being anointed priest or king was a sacred ceremony and it carried authority and legitimacy.

1 Samuel 16:13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power....

Psalm 89:20 I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

The other verse in the Old Testament that has “oil of joy” is in Isaiah 61, a Messianic chapter.

Psalm 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness (“sason”) instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

The above passage refers to Jesus, the Messiah. In fact, it is the passage he read publicly in the synagogue and He proclaimed that it was being fulfilled by Him right there and then (Luke 4:18-21). The oil of joy” referred to here was the sacred anointing oil of the priests. Indeed, God had separated Israel (and all believers) for Himself, to be a kingdom of priests. (Exodus 19:6, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelations 5:10)

“Sason” is also the joy of God’s salvation that David implored the LORD to restore to him after he repented from his sin of adultery with Bathsheba:

Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy (“sason”) of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

“Sason” is also the joy that describes the word of God as the joy of a believer’s heart:

Psalm 119:111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy (“sason”) of my heart.

Jeremiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy (“sason”) and my heart’s delight (“simchah”) , for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

“Masos” (Strong’s 4885) is another Hebrew noun equivalent to joy in our English Bibles and it means “exultation, rejoicing.” It also comes from the verb “sus or sis” (Strong’s 7797) which means “to exult, rejoice.” “Masos” gets translated into English as, “delight, exceedingly, gaiety, gladness, joy, joyful, rejoice.” It occurs 17 times. Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “joy, mirth, rejoice.”

It is the word that describes Mount Zion as the joy of the whole earth:

Psalm 48:2 It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy (“masos”) of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.

Lamentations 2:15 All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy (“masos”) of the whole earth?”

“Masos” is the word often used for gaiety or merriment in general::

Isaiah 24:8 The gaiety (“masos”) of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful (“masos”) harp is silent.

Isaiah 62:5... as a bridegroom rejoices (“masos”) over his bride,...

Lamentations 5:15 Joy (“masos”) is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Hosea 2:11 I will stop all her celebrations (“masos”) : her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days - all her appointed feasts.

These verses show that “masos” is indicative of very active and showy expressions of exultation and rejoicing which were often found in the Hebrew festivals and appointed feasts. It includes music, dancing, merrymaking, sharing of food, etc.

The Hebrew noun “chedvah” (Strong’s 2305) for “joy” is an Aramaic word and it occurs only once:

Ezra 6:16 Then the people of Israel - the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (“chedvah”).

Apparently, there is another noun “chedvah” (Strong’s 2304), and it occurs twice. It also means “joy, gladness” and its root word is “chadah, Strong’s 2302” a verb which means “to rejoice - make glad, be joined, rejoice”:

Exodus 18:9 King James Version (KJV) And Jethro rejoiced (“chadah”) for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Job 3:6 King James Version (KJV) As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined (“chadah”) unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

Psalm 21:6 (KJV) For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (“chadah simchah”) with thy countenance.

The “countenance” here refers to the countenance of God - being in the presence of God. "Chedvah” is the kind of joy that is related to or comes from being “enjoined” with others or someone. It has the connotation of being “in fellowship” with the rest of the people of God and / or with God Himself.

1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy (“chedvah”, Strong’s 2304) in his dwelling place.

“Strength” here is the noun “oz” (Strong’s 5797) which comes from the word “azaz.” “Oz” means “strength, might.” It is used in other places in the Bible but translated as “stronghold, defense, safety, protection, rock, helmet, fortress.” The Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means “force, fortress, rock, strengthen, most strong hold.”

“Chedvah” is the kind of joy in the phrase we believers often mouth (and I suspect, without much understanding) - “the joy of the LORD is your strength” :

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. do not grieve, for the joy (“chedvah”, Strong’s 2304) of the LORD is your strength.”

“Strength” in this verse is “maoz” or “mauz” (Strong’s 4581) which means “a place or means of safety, protection.” Its short definition is “stronghold”, and it’s used in other places in the Bible but translated as “stronghold, defense, safety, protection, rock, helmet, fortress;” its exhaustive definition is “force, fortress, rock, strengthen, most strong hold.”

Apparently, “chedvah, Strong’s 2304” is the kind of joy that you get when you are being joined with the LORD and it is also a place of safety and protection, a fortress. Hence, it is quite safe to say from these last two verses above that, “the joy of being in the presence of the LORD” is our “stronghold, defense, protection.” So, let’s stay just right there!

Now let’s look at the verbs - “gil, gilah, sus or sis, alaz, alats,” and the adjective “alliz.”

“Gil” (Strong’s 1523) is a verb which means “to rejoice” and it occurs 45 times. “Gilah,” (Strong’s 1525) is its female version which has the same meaning and it occurs two times, both in the book of Isaiah. It gets translated in our English Bibles as “cry, exult, glad, rejoice.” It is a primitive root and it means, properly, “to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion) usually rejoicing or as cringing fear; it means “to be glad, joyful, rejoice, joy.” I do not think the English language can properly express this kind of rejoicing. I guess it will sound like, “rejoicing in frenzy.” You can just imagine how intense and violent that kind of rejoicing is - so much joy, intense happiness, rather, if expressed in our secular English language!

I come from an Asian country which has many languages because we are made up of many islands and various ethnic origins. According to Wikipedia, ”there are some 120 to 175 languages in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. My language, Hiligaynon, has probably a close translation to “gil”. We say, “tirik” - to run around in a frenzy due to panic or sheer rejoicing. It’s the kind of rejoicing (or panic) that does not allow you to think, your body just reacts instantly to it. For other cultures, the North Americans probably have their "victory dance" and the New Zealanders have their "hakka" that would come close to this. When my children were small I used to decorate our house to celebrate their birthday parties. Usually, I would do it in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep, because that was the only time when I could do it. I did it every year and yet my children were still overjoyed whenever I put up those decorations. One time, I remember when my oldest child woke up early in the morning on his birthday, he saw the decorations and he didn’t say anything but he smiled and started running around all over the house! He kept running for a few minutes without saying anything or even laughing, but just having a big grin on his face. I could have asked him, “Why are you running around?” but I realized that would have spoiled the moment as that was the only way he could express his excitement and joy over the decorations, and probably, the prospect of what the day held for him when the party actually rolled in! (Just imagine the kind of satisfaction I had after having worked all night on those decorations.)

This will be the kind of joy the Hebrews will have when God restores Zion / Jerusalem:

Isaiah 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad (“sus” or “sis”); the wilderness will rejoice (“gil”) and blossom.

Isaiah 35:2 Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice (“gil”) greatly and shout for joy (“gilah”). The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Psalm 14:7 and Psalm 53:6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice (“gil”) and Israel be glad (“samach”)!

It is only rightly so because God Himself is restoring Israel for He rejoices over them with singing:

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you (literally, “he will rejoice over you with joy” - “sus” or “sis,” “simchah”), he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice (“gil”) over you with singing.”

These expressions of delight and rejoicing over each other, between God and His people, are so intense, showy and candid!

The kings of Israel were exhorted to serve the LORD in the dichotomy of fear (and trembling) and violent rejoicing! It sounds insane, but both attitudes of the heart were demanded of them in their worship to God. That also applies to all believers! We are to fear the LORD with reverent fear and yet, also rejoice “violently” when we worship Him:

Psalm 2:10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth

11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice (“gil”)with trembling.

“Gil” should characterize our rejoicing when we appreciate His help and deliverance in our time of predicament and extreme need:

Psalm 31:7 I will be glad(“gil”) and rejoice (“samach”) in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice (“samach”) in the LORD and be glad (“gil”), you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 35:9 Then my soul will rejoice (“gil”) in the LORD and delight (“sus” or “sis”) in his salvation.

10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

This is also the kind of rejoicing our Messiah, the Lord Jesus had, knowing that God would raise Him from the dead and He could rest secure, even though He had to go through physical death. This should be our joy, too, since we are looking forward to our resurrection from the dead, even though we die!

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices (“gil”); my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

“Gil” is also the kind of rejoicing of those who have learned to walk in the presence of the LORD:

Psalm 89:15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

16 They rejoice (“gil”) in your name all day long; they exult (literally, shall be exalted - “rum” Strong’s 7311) in your righteousness.

Psalm 89 is a “covenant chapter;” it describes the covenant relationship that God cut with David, promising him a throne that would endure forever and this is fulfilled in the “Son of David,” Jesus Christ. All believers too, are in a covenant relationship with God. Hence, this is also related to Psalm 16:9,10, because part of God’s covenant promises to all believers is the promise of resurrection and life eternal in His Kingdom.

“Gil” is also the rejoicing believers are supposed to have knowing that the LORd reigns even though we see injustice and unrighteousness seemingly reigning over us; the LORD will one day come to make things right. (See the context of the following verse in Psalm 96:10-13):

Psalm 96: 11 Let the heavens rejoice (“samach”), let the earth be glad (“gil”); let the sea resound, and all that is in it;

It is also the word for “rejoice” in these two famous passages:

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice (“gil”) and be glad (“samach”) in it.

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice (“alaz”) in the LORD, I will be joyful (“gil”) in God my Savior.

Whether it’s just another boring day or even a day of great poverty and need, we are supposed to “spin in rejoicing”!!!

The verb “sus or sis” (Strong’s 7797) means “to exult, rejoice.” It gets translated into English as “delight, exult, glad, rejoice.” Strong's exhaustive concordance says it means, “be glad, greatly, joy, make mirth, rejoice.” It is a primitive root word which means “to be bright, cheerful.” It occurs 27 times.

The Lord’s delight over His people is expressed as “sus or sis” :

Deuteronomy 30:9 ...The LORD will again delight (“sus or sis”) in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted (“sus or sis”) in your fathers.

The King James and One New Man Bible versions are more accurate, as they use the word “rejoice” rather than “delight.”

God’s joy over Jerusalem when she is restored by Him:

Isaiah 62:5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will our sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices (“masos”) over his bride, so will your God rejoice (“sus or sis”) over you.

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad (“sus or sis”) and rejoice (“gil”) forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight (“gilah”) and its people a joy (“masos”).

Isaiah 65:19 I will rejoice (“gil”)over Jerusalem and take delight (“sus or sis”) in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Isaiah 66:10 “Rejoice (“samach”) with Jerusalem and be glad (“gil”) for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly (literally, “rejoice for joy” - ”sus/sis,” “masos”) with her, all you who mourn over her.

The One New Man Bible says, “Rejoice Jerusalem! Rejoice excitedly with her, all you who love her! Display joy with her, all you who mourn for her!”

Isaiah 66:14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice (“sus” or “sis”) and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.

“Sus or sis” is also a verb used in expressing the believer’s “joy” in the salvation of the LORD:

Psalm 40:16 But may all who seek you rejoice (“sus or sis”) and be glad (“samach”) in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!”

Isaiah 61:10 I delight (“sus or sis”) greatly (“sus or sis”) in the LORD; my soul rejoices (“gil”) in my God For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

The One New Man Bible says,” I shall greatly (“sus or sis”) rejoice (“sus or sis”) in the LORD! My soul will be enthusiastically joyful (“gil”) in my God, for He has clothed me with garments of deliverance, He has covered me with the robe of acts of loving kindness, like a bridegroom covers himself with ornaments and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Literally, I say this can be translated as, ”I will exultantly rejoice in the LORD! My soul will spin around in joy in my God,...”

Whoa! These are incredibly intense emotions over salvation! Who among us truly rejoices in his/her salvation that way? Too often we wake up in the morning thinking, “My, I have a long day ahead. Lord, help me to survive another day.” Or, “I wonder what’s for breakfast. Hope it’s not oatmeal or fried eggs again....” Or, “Will something exciting happen to me today? Nothing wonderful ever happens to me...” Instead, we should be jumping out of bed, singing praises, doing jumping jacks and rejoicing, for our salvation “draweth nigh” (draws near) every time a new day dawns!!!

The verb “Alaz” (Strong’s 5937) means “to exult”; it occurs 16 times. It gets translated into English as, “become jubilant, jubilant, exult, rejoice.” Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it is a primary root word that means “to jump for joy,” i.e. “exult - be joyful, rejoice, triumph.” “Alaz” is used in the following verses:

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy (“alaz”) and I will give thanks to him in song.

Psalm 60:6 and Psalm 108:7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph (literally, “I will rejoice” - “alaz”) I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

(Psalm 60:5-12 is exactly repeated in Psalm 108:6-13.)

Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds -

his name is the LORD - and rejoice (“alaz”) before him.

Significantly, “alaz” is the word used in this universally favorite passage:

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice (“alaz”) in the LORD, I will be joyful (“gil”) in God my Savior.

Literally, verse 18 can be translated as, “yet I will jump for joy in the LORD, I will spin around for joy in God my Savior.” Despite the lack of provision and blessings, despite the barrenness and seeming absence of God, Habakkuk’s hope and faith in God as His Savior was so he great he could rejoice with such violence, knowing that God will still come and deliver them!

Related to “alaz” is another verb, “alats” (Strong’s 5970), which means “to rejoice, exult” and it occurs 8 times. It is a primitive root word which also means “to jump for joy,” i.e. exult - be joyful, rejoice, triumph. It gets translated into our English Bibles as “exult, rejoice, triumph.”

It is found in the following verses:

1 Samuel 2 :1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices (“alats”) in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight (“samach”) in your deliverance.

1 Chronicles 16:32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant (“alats”) , and everything in them!

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad (“samach”); let them ever sing for joy (“ranan”). Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice (“alats”) in you.

Psalm 9:2 I will be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”) in you; I will sing praise (“zamar”) to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 25:2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph (“alats”) over me.

Psalm 68:3 But may the righteous be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”) before God; may they be happy and joyful (literally, “exult with joy” - “sus” or “sis,“simchah”).

Proverbs 11:10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices (“alats”); when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy (“rinnah”).

Proverbs 28:12 When the righteous triumph (“alats”), there is great elation (“tiphara” (Strong’s 8597)); but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

“Alliz” (Strong’s 5947) is an adjective which means “exultant, jubilant.” It comes from the primary root verb, “alaz.” It gets translated into English as, “exultant, exulting ones, jubilant, revelers.” It occurs 7 times.

Example of usage:

Isaiah 24:8 The gaiety (“masos”) of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers (“alliz”) has stopped, the joyful (“masos”) harp is silent.

So there, we have pretty much covered the most-used words for “joy,” “joyful,” and “rejoice” in the Bible. Then you wonder, what about those passages, especially in the Psalms and Prophets, that say, “shout for joy,” “sing for joy,” “shouts of joy,” “rejoice with singing,” etc.? I found the words “rua, teruah, ranan, rinnah, renanah” for those phrases.

“Ranan” (Strong’s 7442) is a verb that means “to give a ringing cry.” It is a primitive root word which means “to creak,” i.e. to shout aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful, rejoice, sing, triumph. It occurs 54 times.

“Rua” (Strong’s 7321) is another verb that means “to raise a shout, give a blast.” It is a primitive root word which means “to mar” (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e. Shout (for alarm or joy) -- blow an alarm, cry, destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph. It occurs 45 times.

“Teruah” (Strong’s 8643) is a noun which means “a shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy.” It occurs 36 times. Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “alarm, blowing of, the trumpets, joy, jubilee, loud noise, rejoicing, shouting.”

“Rinnah” (Strong’s 7440) is a noun which means “a ringing cry.” Its root word is “ranan” (Strong’s 7442). Strong’s exhaustive concordance says it means, “cry, gladness, joy, proclamation, rejoicing, shouting, singing, triumph.” It occurs 33 times.

“Renanah” (Strong’s 7445) is a noun which mean “a ringing cry.” It is also from the root word “ranan.” Its other meanings are,”joyful voice, singing, triumphing.” It occurs 4 times.

I’m sure there are other words that express joy and rejoicing in the Hebrew language but we have covered the most popular ones and we can see from this profusion of terms that the Hebrews were exuberant and lavish in their expressions for these emotions of elation. We know that in the Old Testament the Israelites did singing, dancing and played musical instruments in their festivals as they rejoiced before the Lord. In fact, as we have seen above, it was decreed by God that they were to hold His appointed festivals not in half-heartedness nor lack of enthusiasm, but in rejoicing. They were commanded to rejoice and the anointing of the priests and kings was an anointing called the “oil of joy”!

Psalm 149:2 Let Israel rejoice (“samach”) in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad (“gil”) in their King.

3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice (“alaz”) in this honor and sing for joy (“ranan”) on their beds.

Now let’s look at passages where these words are used in liberality. The following passages are passages of joy over the restoration of Israel and the joy of the redeemed:

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing (“ranan”), O Daughter of Zion; shout (“rua”) aloud, O Israel! Be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alaz”) with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

Isaiah 35:10 and Isaiah 51:11 and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing (“rinnah”); everlasting joy (“olam simchah”- where “olam” means “everlasting”) will crown their heads. Gladness (“sason”) and joy (“simchah”)will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Zechariah 8:19 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful (“sason”) and glad (“simchah”) occasions and happy (“towb”) festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad (“sus” or “sis”) and rejoice (“gil”) forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

19 I will rejoice (“gilah”) over Jerusalem and take delight (“masos”) in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

Psalm 68:3 But may the righteous be glad (“samach”) and rejoice (“alats”) before God; may they be happy (“sus” or “sis”) and joyful (“simchah”).

Just to give us an idea what the “rejoicing” is like in the presence of the LORD, watch this Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall in Israel. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, just drag the toggle to 16:00 and you will see and hear singing of Scripture, dancing, clapping, noisy merry-making, while the ceremony is going on. When it slows down a bit pull it again to 21:00 and you will see more of the “joyful” part. There is so much praying and reading of scripture but the atmosphere is so joyful and fun, so different from many “solemn” Christian rituals / ceremonies we know. The song at the end is beautiful, too!

So, where did the idea of joy as “having an inner peace that comes from doing the will of God” come from? Beats me! However, you must have noticed I said in paragraph 5 of this blog that “first” I went into the Hebrew words for “joy.” Your high school composition teacher must have told you that if you mention “first” in a piece of writing, there has to be a “second” (and third or more), or your writing would be deemed “epic fail.” Well, are you ready for “second” now? Huh, neither am I; this blog turned out to be so long, now I’m having a headache checking for typos. Thank you for reading this far and do watch out for the “second” installment. We just did kosher, we’ll do souvlaki next. Cheerio!!

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For those not familiar with the Strong’s Concordance Numbering System, here’s a brief explanation: For the concordance, Strong numbered every Hebrew or Greek root word which was found, for ease of reference. This numbering system (8674 Hebrew roots and 5523 Greek roots) is now widely used in the English speaking world and also widely available on the web, where it can be used with many translations, often in conjunction with other hermeneutic tools. Quoted verbatim from: Wikipedia. (2015, May 05). James Strong (Theologian) [Article]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strong_(theologian)

The online Interlinear English-Hebrew Bible I used is at biblehub.com.

All Scripture quoted are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified. Emphases in bold letters are mine.

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If you wish to cite this blog, citation is as follows: PureJoyLand. (2015, Oct. 15). Hardcore Joy [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://purejoyland.com/2015/10/hardcore-joy/ ‎

(This is a re-blog. The original blog is found in the above site.)

Joy

2015-10-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

Whoa! I really took my time to think through and reflect before I wrote this one. I am just overwhelmed by "joy"! What does the Bible say about “joy”? Actually, the Bible says so much about it, I don't know where to start. Even so, I am not sure whether I am really getting it yet.

Arguably, the most prominent “joy” verse in the Bible would be:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace....” Galatians 5:22

There are nine of those fruits of the Spirit but let’s just focus on these first three - love, joy, peace. Now let’s look at the scope of these three:

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:19

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Although I can’t find a similar passage explicitly stating that joy in the Bible - just like peace and love - is beyond our understanding, it does make sense to say that being a “trio,” these three will synonymously have very similar characteristics, at least that of being beyond our comprehension and wildest imaginations. Come Christmas time, we’ll be wishing one another, “love, joy, peace,” again. These triplets always come together!

Furthermore, if one keeps studying the Bible, one would come to the conclusion that the believer’s joy in God stems very much from God’s peace and love. My gut feel is that these three are really closely intertwined. So, let’s look further and examine these “joy” passages:

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

2 Corinthians 8:2

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

1 Peter 1

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Habakkuk 3

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

I think this "joy" thing is not quite logical. How can someone be joyful or have glorious joy under such dire circumstances? If we cannot quite imagine what this “joy” being talked about above, it could be that it is also beyond our comprehension, just like “love” and “peace” in the Bible. But don’t despair, when the Bible says something is quite beyond our knowledge and understanding, it is actually an invitation for us to draw “nearer” or “higher” so we can increase in our knowing. For example, if we look at the context of the “love” verse above, we will find that the Apostle Paul prayed for the believers of his time to start comprehending the greatness of God’s love towards us. In the same way, we must desire and pray for that understanding, too!

Here’s what Paul wrote:

Ephesians 3

17”... And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

In the same way, we must pray for that supernatural revelation of God’s peace and joy, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God! If we have revelations and manifestations of God’s love, peace and joy, beyond measure, just think how much better persons we would become (oozing with love, joy and peace!) and how much more blessings we would become to the people around us! God blessed us so that we would bless others.

Now here’s another clue as to what “joy” is in the Bible.

In 1 John 4:16 it says, “...God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

So there, God is love. Love is the innate character of God. It doesn’t say “God is loving.” it says, “God is love.” It’s just like saying, “God is holiness.” Or, “God is goodness.” If we do not have a concept of “holiness,” we should get to know God and we would know what “holiness” is. If we have a warped understanding of what “good” and “goodness” are, we need to get close to God to know “goodness.” Hence, if we are not sure what “love” is, as there are now so many definitions and concepts of “love” proliferating, we need to get to know the God who is love!

Now here’s more. Ephesians 2:14 says,

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,...”

“He himself” in this passage refers to Jesus Christ.

A most recent translation,” The One New Man Bible,” a translation by William J. Morford that reveals the Jewish roots and power of the Bible, states it this way:

Ephesians 2

14 For He is our peace, the One Who has made both things one and Who has loosed the dividing wall of the fence, cause of the enmity to His flesh, 15 by His nullifying the tradition of the commandments by decrees, so that He could create the two, Jewish and non-Jewish, into One New Man establishing peace 16 so He could reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, as God killed their enmity by means of Him, Y’shua.

(“Y’shua” is the original Jewish name that got translated into the English “Jesus.” This translation uses the original Jewish “Y’shua” for the name of Jesus.)

This is an interesting point here, for we know that the peace in the whole wide world, like it or not, depends on the peace or un-peace in Jerusalem. If the Jewish and non-Jewish people in the Middle East could be reconciled and co-exist in peace, the rest of the world will have peace, too. This passage shows that the solution to the Middle East crisis is for the Jewish and non-Jewish to be reconciled through Christ - the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael reconciling in peace - for truly they come from one father - Abraham. Now I know I just made a controversial statement but I am just saying what the passage above is saying, highlighting a point that matters to us most at this time in history. I myself am non-Jewish, I do not live in Israel or Palestine, or the Middle East, but I know that if we can settle this enmity between the Jewish and non-Jewish in the Middle East, we all would be better off. The solution offered by the Bible is staring us in the face - it is through Christ. Picture a Jewish and non-Jewish worshiping Jesus Christ together. Is there enmity there? That’s exactly the point! In fact, in Christ, so many things in life become non-issue. It’s very much like all our questions won’t matter anymore when we get to see God in Heaven, face-to-face. That is just what it is.

Now we know other passages in the Bible talk about Jesus being “the Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6) and that His priesthood is the priesthood of Melchizedek, King of Salem (“King of Peace”) (Hebrew 7:1,2) and that Jesus’ message of salvation to us is known as the “Gospel of Peace” (Ephesians 6:15), and that God reconciled the believers to Himself through Jesus Christ and has committed to them the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18,19); which means we are reconciled with God through Jesus and are able to reconcile with one another, wherever there is enmity, through Jesus Christ. Jesus is our peace! God is our peace! God is peace to the believer!

So, if for the believer, “God is love,” and “God is peace,” will the statement “God is joy,” also be true? Unfortunately, again, the Bible does not directly say so. However, there are indications that it is safe to say so.

Psalm 43:4 says,

“Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.”

We know from our former definition (in my blog "Joy and Gladness") that “joy” can be a person or thing which is a source of great happiness to another person. So, yes, the Bible does say God is the joy and delight of the believer! In fact, if this is not true for any believer, he or she is exhorted to make God his/her joy, in this following verse:

Psalm 37:4

...make Yahweh your only joy and he will give you what your heart desires. (The Jerusalem Bible; this translation uses “Yahweh” instead of “Lord” in reference to God.)

Also,

1 Chronicles 16:27

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (King James Version)

The believer is exhorted to have God as his joy. Fullness of joy is found whenever God is around! So yes, it’s safe to say, “God is love,” “God is peace,” “God is joy,” at least for the believer! I say, God is love, joy and peace, and more! But as we say that, we have to remember that the love, joy and peace that is God is the God-kind of love, joy and peace. “Love” in God’s definition is “agape” - unconditional love, something we talk a lot about but hardly ever practice or experience, right? And the “peace” that is God’s kind of peace is “shalom” and “ere’ne’,” a kind of peace we can’t quite fathom. Well, that’s why the Apostle Paul said, “the peace that passes understanding.” And “joy”? I did a word study on joy and I will write what I have to say on that in other blogs. You see, when you came through the gate of “Pure Joy Land” you probably weren’t sure what to expect. Well, neither was I. Now I am getting a bit overwhelmed. Are you intrigued with God, yet? If He is the God who could possibly be my “joy and delight,” I want to know that God!

Ok, so did that get us to a better understanding of “joy,” yet? Hmmm, now it seems we’re just wading deeper into something that is really beyond our comprehension - the Person of God Himself. It looks like if we can only understand some of the God-kind “joy,” then we also get to understand some of the God-kind peace, God-kind love and God Himself. Are you still with me in this? Are we going to go swim deeper to find out? Or better still, find HIM!

Just to whet our appetite to keep pressing in, I would like to mention just a few more things. Jesus asked His disciples to purposely ask for something in His name so that His Father in Heaven would answer their prayer and it would result to them having complete joy!

John 16:24

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Lately, I watched a video teaching by Bill Johnson and he mentioned that getting answers to prayer is designed by God to be our ongoing source of joy. He also said that “joy” in Heaven is such a priceless commodity that God the Father reserved that as the reward for Jesus in enduring the cross.

Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Joy was the reward of His suffering. It was what God the Father gave Him to honor Him for His obedience - joy is that valuable. You can watch Bill Johnson’s teaching through this link. Don’t be afraid to click on it. The vid is an hour long but he mentioned this within the very first 5 minutes of his teaching. So, don’t hesitate to click on it and take time to listen.

Now here’s a quick jab on “pure joy.” I recently just watched this vid on youtube. I have read books and seen videos of testimonies of people going to Heaven but this guy has such a complete and detailed description of what it’s like in Heaven that I just got so blessed watching it. At the 1:14:00 onwards (just pull the arrow if you don’t want to wait one hour to get there) he mentioned seeing some members of his family who had gone to be with the Lord earlier and he met them there and he said his family only had “pure joy” in Heaven! Well, this is Heaven itself, guys. Of course, it would be “pure joy!” I’m sure everything in Heaven is going well, and there is wonder and awesomeness everywhere there! I think “pure joy” is when we have “pure happiness” plus “joy”. “Pure happiness” is the absence of pain (every form of it - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) plus, everything going well for you and having a sense of excitement or wonder. Whereas, “joy” is “having that inner peace knowing that you are in the will of God because you are living in obedience to Him.” Of course, in Heaven there is no pain, everything is going well, awesome even, and there is no disobedience of God’s instructions. Thus, "pure joy" is the joy found in Heaven!

So you ask me, how about us here on earth, can we ever have “pure joy”? Do we have to wait till we get to Heaven to have it? Good question. Well, as we saw earlier, joy is found in the presence of God. So where on earth can we find the presence of God? Some Bible teachers / evangelists talk about “portals” where believers can more easily go through to get to the presence of God in Heaven. For example, in his book, "Aligning with Heaven," David Herzog wrote about Jerusalem and Bethel in Israel being “portals.” I am not going to dwell too much on that as this blog has gone too lengthy now, but the Bible also says the dwelling place of God is in man. We know every believer is the dwelling place of God, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

The fellowship of believers also brings in the special presence of God.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

I believe we do experience this Heavenly joy on earth once in a while, but it may not be truly pure “joy” because of the presence of our “flesh”, the sinful nature. Also, when His special Presence falls on us in our congregational fellowship, Heavenly joy does fall on us but we do not know how to remain in His Presence when the meeting is over and hence, we are not able to keep that Heavenly joy. Sometimes we do get the Heavenly joy during private worship at home, when we are in deep fellowship with God, but we have problems keeping in His Presence when we go off to do our daily earthly duties. Most often though, the joy is missing and we may not even be aware that it is missing, because we hardly know what it is. We have a lot to learn about joy, having it, and keeping or abiding in God’s Presence and joy in our daily life. But there is hope, so, let us not give up!

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All Scripture references are from the 1984 New International Version, unless otherwise specified. Emphases in bold letters are mine.

Note: I have started blogging in another website and the above blog is a re-blog of " 'Joy' in the Bible" from my new website. If you liked my blogs so far please feel free to visit my new site. Thank you for dropping by and a blessed day to you! :-)

Peace

2015-02-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

Dated Dec 21, 2014 317am Eastern Time

God is love and His covenant with His people He calls His Covenant of Peace.

When we see a rainbow across the horizon it reminds us of Noah and his ark.

“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:9,10

In fact, it reminds us of the very presence of God because there is a rainbow in His throne in Heaven. (Revelation 4:3)

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is “shalom” but it doesn’t only mean peace as we understand it from the English language. According to Strong’s concordance 7965 it means “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” It also comes from the root verb “shalom” meaning “to be complete, perfect and full.” In the New Testament, the Greek word for “peace” is “erenaeus” which means “harmony, tranquility, safety, welfare, health.”

In the New Testament, God extends His Covenant of Peace to us through His Gospel of Peace, literally, His “good news of Peace” in Jesus Christ.

When Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden because of sin, they were driven out from the presence of God, out from fellowship and relationship with Him. They were estranged from God. They lost that “shalom” which is found only in God. And so they and their descendants became wanderers and vagabonds in the earth, searching for that “shalom” - that peace, completeness, fullness, perfectness, health, safety, tranquility, welfare and harmony which they could never find in the world but only in God. We all are just like Adam and Eve. We are ever seeking and yet not finding, until we come to know the “good news of Peace” in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our Peace, our “shalom”, our “erenaeus”.

Hundreds of years before His birth, the prophet Isaiah called Him The Prince of Peace:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

The priest Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, described the way of Jesus as the path of peace. He prophesied that his son John would be the prophet that would prepare the way for Jesus, who would guide us into the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)

At Jesus’ birth the angels announced tidings of great joy, announcing peace to men on earth:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14

Teaching his disciples, Jesus Himself said He gives them peace that the world cannot give and it’s the peace that will enable them to face troubles here on earth:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Right after His resurrection, Jesus’ greeting to His disciples was peace:

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Luke 24:36,37

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the door locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19,20

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” John 20:26

Jesus also told His disciples to teach this good news of peace to other people:

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

One of the titles of God our Father is “God of peace,” ( Romans 15:33, 16:20, Hebrews 13:20) and also “God of love and peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11).

Indeed, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1

We are not only reconciled with God when Jesus put away the enmity between God and men through the atoning sacrifice of His own precious blood, but He also reconciled both Jew and Gentile into one body:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. Ephesians 2:13,14

Yes, the answer even to racism and discrimination, is Christ - our peace!

Also, when God sent His Son that we may have His peace, not as the world gives, but the peace of God - “shalom” - we must remember it means “completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.”

That is why Jesus is also called “Wonderful,” because His peace includes everything we can ever long for!

Two thousand years ago, in the city of David, a savior was born to us - God’s gift - a baby who grew up and preached the good news of peace and fulfilled it, that we may have peace. Indeed, good tidings of great joy to all people! Jew, Gentile, Greek, black, brown, yellow, red or white, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Scientologist, agnostic, atheist, Satanist, gay, straight, pro-life, pro-choice, etc. - that Savior was born unto all men and women! A gift is a gift, whether we take and appreciate it or not, it remains a gift. Such is God, the God who is love!

Most Shared Bible Verses

2015-02-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

Dated July 12, 2013

The "YouVersion" Bible App just reached 100 Million downloads and they said that the three most-shared verses on Twitter, Facebook, email and text are:

Isaiah 53:5, Hebrews 4:15 and Matthew 7:7. (from Breaking Christian News)

Interestingly these verses talk about the source of our healing, the personality of that source and the way to access that source.

Isaiah 53:5 (The Source of our healing who is Jesus.)

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

This verse is from one of the prophetic passages in the Old Testament talking about Jesus, hundreds of years before He came.

Hebrews 4:15 (The Personality of that Source, who is Jesus.)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Matthew 7:7 (The way to access God for all our needs and blessing, including healing, the most-sought-after blessing mentioned in the most popular verse above.)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

These are very good verses that say God is near and accessible, and that "God is love." But that's only one facet of His personality. The other facet, "God is holy," seems to be totally missing. Maybe because we are so overwhelmed by our troubles here on earth that most of the time we focus only on God's love and mercy because those are what we need in urgency? However, if we only care about the fact that God is holy and if we live according to His guidelines for justice and holiness, we wouldn't be in the hot soup (of a wounded / sick / needy state) we are in, would we?

Maybe we need to quote more on that facet of God's character, too - like those found in Proverbs 3, for instance:

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

(That's the secret of long life.)

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

(Guideline for good health and well-being.)

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

(Guideline for prosperity.)

These are only a few, there are many more in the Bible. Ultimately, the whole Bible gives us understanding of the situation we are in. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) That means we shouldn't be wondering why being in this world is so troublesome. And Jesus, having overcome the world, has gone to another world where there's no trouble. He is our example so we can follow Him there, and if we let Him, He also gives us the power to overcome this world. He encourages us to persevere - take heart - until we get there.

Maybe God uses our troubles to draw us to Himself and His decrees, so we would learn His ways and understand our situation - that our little troubles here on earth are only harbingers of the bigger trouble coming our way, if we do not take heed?

Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

We need to learn the decrees of God if we are to follow Jesus to the world where He is now, a world without trouble or tears.

2 Timothy 3:14, 15

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Could it be that this world of troubles and tears, this place where we learn to call on God to answer our earthly needs, is actually a pre-departure area for eternity? An eternity of a better world called Heaven, or eternity of a worse world called Hell? If we were in our mother's womb for 9 months in preparation for an earthly life of 90 years, what could the 90 years (or so) of our earthly life be preparing us for? Could it be eternity?

The above verse says the Holy Scriptures is able to make us wise for salvation - meaning, it teaches us salvation. It also says our salvation from this troublesome world and our worse trouble ahead is through faith in Christ Jesus. While we are still in this pre-departure area, wouldn't it be wise for us to know who is this Jesus Christ and what is His way of salvation, so we would indeed be delivered from the bigger trouble coming our way - Hell itself??

An Alarming Discovery

2015-02-02T19:03:00.001-05:00

Dated July 31, 2013

I was going to quote a verse from the Bible and usually I would just cut and paste it from the online Bible site Biblegateway.com. However, I noticed that since a few months ago, Biblegateway.com had phased out my favorite translation: NIV 1984. Last time they had both "NIV 1984" and "NIV", the latter presumably being the NIV 2011. Now they have only NIV 2011 available and they label it only as "NIV" (no year), which means that for people who are not aware that they have made a new 2011 translation, they will presume this is one and the same NIV of 1984 (and they hope to pass it off as such for all time?).

What's alarming about this is that the verse I was looking up was Malachi 4:6

"He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (NIV 1984)

Biblegateway NIV has this:

6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (NIV 2011)

Now I know this verse by heart, so, I know this is an inaccurate and misleading translation of that verse because the intent of Malachi is really for the fathers, as mothers' hearts are always devoted to their children.

So, I looked up other online Bibles that offer various translations, hoping I can still find the NIV 1984 online. I couldn't find any!? Is it just my search engine? It seems we now have only Biblegateway.com and they have monopolized the online Bible??? I seem to have found one or two more but they seem to be related to Biblegateway.com as well and they don't have the NIV 1984 either.

When I searched further, I found this:

http://zusings.com/2013/01/22/the-death-of-the-niv-1984-bible-1984-2012/

Main point of above article:

"The King James Version’s OT (Old Testament) was written with certain available Masorectic Texts. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found they became factors in subsequent translations such as the Revised Standard Version and New Living Translations. In short I understand why we can justify new translations when new manuscripts are found and the English language changes. But we haven’t experienced a significant linguistic shift since 1984 and I haven’t heard any news about concrete critical archaeological manuscript findings. And I’d like Bible scholars out there to comment on revelatory and meaningful recent discoveries in hermeneutics and exegetical approaches that merited application to the NIV1984...

The resulting NIV 2011, among other things, has obvious questionable gender pronoun changes. The Unlocking Femininity Blog eloquently addresses this in the old but rich post from 2011: Words Matter: Why We Can’t Recommend the NIV 2011."

I also found this: https://getsatisfaction.com/memverse/topics/niv_1984_missing_from_bible_gateway
posted March 4, 2013

And this: http://bltnotjustasandwich.com/2013/04/05/biblica-kills-online-tniv-and-niv-1984/
posted April 5, 2013

There is no doubt that the King James Version will remain our only reliable version because some Bible scholars had a lower opinion of the NIV 1973, 1978, 1984 anyway, but we all know that the KJV is more difficult to relate with, not to mention understand, especially for new believers or people who are just starting to read the Bible.

Meanwhile, I think we should avail of the NIV1984 Close Out Sale here:http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=2676035&sp=114187

They are phasing it out!!!

With Obama pushing the gay agenda and this underhanded and seemingly un-publicized move by Zondervan, the once-thought-of-reliable Bible publisher, I believe something big is going on behind our backs.

This note is mainly for Christians.

God bless to all.

My Daughter Just Left

2014-06-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

Dated June 17, 2013 Monday, 10:29am NY time

My daughter just left for her Summer Project.

The printer won't print her boarding pass and other items she wanted to print. The weighing scale was spoiled or had ran out of battery, so we couldn't weigh her check-in bag. However, by feel I knew it was way over 20kg. She couldn't figure out why her bag would weigh so much when it's just clothes and a few toiletries. I thought her toiletries must have had a lot of liquid which made it weigh so much.

Thank God, the drive was ok, no problems there and there was only a little traffic jam part of the way to the airport. We left the house at past 6am when we were supposed to have left at 5am.

I was so nervous when we left I was wondering why the people I met going in (I just dropped her first then I went to the carpark to park) to the check-in area were looking at me with a funny look. When I found her she told me the bag weighed 30kg. She said she had to re-pack so I went back to the car to get the plastic bags I had carried for those items she may have to leave behind. Thank God there were not many people, I was expecting more crowd, and having to park really far away. It was a short walk to the car park. On the way there I noticed my blouse was inside-out!!! I went inside the car, took it off and put in on the right way. Phew, Thank God, no one in sight. :(( Then when I got out of the car I left behind my glasses in the car seat. I didn't realize it until I was back at the check-in area to join her again.

We tried re-arranging her things between the check-in bag and carry-on bag. It was still heavy. We finally figured it's the metal in her bag (the built-in trolley in it) which was making it too heavy. After much deliberation, she realized the best option was to leave that bag behind with me and just carry whatever she could into her carry-on bag, check that in and use a smaller cloth bag (she brought one, thank God!) as a carry-on bag. That worked. Only 16kg. Her limit was 20kg. She only had an hour left so I pushed her to check in, go into security check and go on to board her plane. I was so nervous she would be late for her flight that I dropped my camera when I was about to take a photo of her checking in!! Now the camera is spoiled. It will need to be repaired or thrown away. :(((

We hugged and she went in. I noticed there was a queue at security so I went to her and we prayed at the queue before she left. I was so nervous we even forgot to pray. It was a good thing we were still able to when she was at the queue for security check.

She will be gone for 6 weeks, that's why we already celebrated her b-day and my younger son's graduation 4 days before this, on the night my older son was leaving for his Asian vacation. It was a rare moment having all my children together.

June 22, 2013 Saturday 11:16am NY time

I'm glad that's over. But phew, now I have to get a new camera, just two days before my younger son's graduation.

Now i realize that was probably my older daughter's defining moment, that's why I was so nervous? I remember how I was so stressed when I helped my older son beat the deadline for mailing his college applications in 2006. Their dad was also away, as usual, and my son was at the end of his tether. He said he didn't want to do the Teacher's Recommendation part because he wasn't close to any of his teachers, especially his classroom teacher and he doubted she would do it for him. He had been doing all the preparations all along - filling up the forms, writing his essay, putting all the other docs needed together. This was the hump he couldn't seem to get through. So, I stepped in. I went to see his teacher who turned out to be really helpful. We somehow lost his last report card so she had his records photocopied and notarized by the school. She made me write the recommendation and she only signed it! Finally, I had to put everything in envelopes and I would have to meet up with her in front of the school on a Saturday morning (no school) so she could sign all those application envelopes from the outside, as per requirement. Then I posted them. After I posted them I was driving out of the car park when I hit the column right behind me! I had parked in that place hundreds of times and I had reversed around that column all the time. But I was so stressed I hit it. :( Thank God at least it wasn't a car, I didn't have to answer to anyone.

Then this thing happens - I drop my camera. I may have dropped cameras before, on grass, or on pavement with its cover on. But this time, I had just taken it out of its case when I dropped it right flat on the concrete airport floor. Of course, it wasn't working anymore when I turned it on. I was that nervous, and stressed. Well, my daughter will probably find the vocation of her life on this trip. Just as my older son's future was sealed when those college applications were mailed? Defining moments, I believe.