FT Chronicle

Carve out time to spend

with you people-

whoever and wherever

they may be.

As teenagers, many of us couldn’t wait to get out of the house, get out on our own-forge a life in newfound autonomy. Our society- and in part, instinct-tells us this is the way it should be. This can be a great time of growth. Yet the longer we are away, the more we may realize that home isn’t such a bad place to be. If we are willing to admit it, we may actually long enter the familiar door, see the comforting sight, and take in the unforgettable scents that comprise our past.

There’s nothing like the sense of ease and fulfillment we experience when we are in the presence of those who know and accept us. Some people may not have that kind of association with family; but there are friends whose very presence is like going home.

As we grow older, we often find it difficult to make time for the places and people we cherish. Like the little five-year-old who found school an alien place devoid of “his people”, we look forward to being in the presence of “our people”. Family, friends, and the familiar places they inhabit can be a shelter, a refreshing relief for mind, body, and spirit.

It is right for me to feel this way

about all of you, since I have you in my heart.

PHILIPPIANS 1:7

From- Coffee Break Devotions: Cappucino

When fear keeps you

from living to the fullest,

look to the One Who

gives fullness to life.

Agoraphobia is the fear of public places. If this condition isn’t treated, people who suffer can become paralyze by fear. Usually agoraphobic can articulate what they fear and where they fear it. Some only know a sense of serious apprehension. Aside from traditional therapy, treatment for this condition may include having a trusted companion accompany the patient on small outings.

Agoraphobia is an extreme manifestation of fear. Yet many people suffer from social anxiety and other fears to a lesser 9but no less real) degree. If fear is causing you anxiety or holding you back, know that each of us a Companion, one who goes with us wherever we go. This Companion fully understands our fears and tells us to cast all our anxieties on Him. He offers peace, rest, and grace beyond measure. All we must d is trust and lean on Him, and He will help us progress and gain courage to face the future.

The LORD is the stronghold of my life-

of whom shall I be afraid?

PSALM 27:1

Resource reading: Coffee Break Devotions: Cappuccino

Nothing stimulates the senses like coffee or tea with friends

The English have an enviable tradition of enjoying afternoon tea with friends and family. Silver teapots filled with Earl Grey, silver trays displaying raspberry scones and lemon curd- these make up the familiar sights and sound of a traditional English tea.

What a lovely way to get off of life’s carousel for a time to re-focus on one of the most important things in life-our relationships. There’s something incredibly inviting about a coffee and teashop, where the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and hundreds of varieties of loose teas mingle in the air. Soothing jazz or classical music often provides a delectable environment for good conversation and a great opportunity to unwind. Coffee bars and tearooms are springing up all over the country. Why not invite a friend to linger with you over a warm, soothing cup of premium coffee or tea in a relaxed atmosphere? Enjoy the rich rewards of uninterrupted, relaxed conversation and a growing relationship.

Growing relationship take time and planning-coffee grounds and tealeaves may just be the best fertilizer of all!

Let your conversation be always full of grace.

from CoffeeBreak Devotions: Cappuccino

COLOSSIANS 4:6

Christmas is most special with its nights. People always find themselves wandering in the cold ambience with lights that glitter in their eyes. You will see colorful stalls of anything good and children running and laughing along. There’s a variety of food out there! It is a feast everywhere!

My classmates and I went one glorious night. One has said that he wants to know what a puto bumbong, a purple colored rice pastry, will taste like. It is his first time; we laughed for his mediocre request but later, granted his wish.

Puto bumbong became a part of Filipinos’ Christmas tradition. Folks who attend the dawn mass will find themselves eating the purple colored delicacy seasoned with melted butter, grated coconut and sugar. Who could ever resist the aroma of the steamed glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes? Who could ever refuse the sight of melting cheese and butter that will make anyone drool?

Writing this piece, I almost start to attach puto bumbong to Christmas giving its way to the pantheon of Christmas symbols. But then I know that making a thing to be a symbol of anything is not necessary. I can say that the stickiness of the rice can remind us of a family perhaps, the Holy Family. I can say that the purple color symbolizes royalty, and royalty is for our Savior the King, Jesus. I can say that the sweetness of the dish explains the flavor of life to be enjoyed. But, it will only overstate the true purpose of the puto bumbong.

It is just made for reasons. Friends will share laughter and stories with every bite. Families will enjoy the cold night after the mass. Puto bumbong will just complete a Filipino Christmas. Christmas will always be the same. Serene, peaceful, and calm, they are just synonymous.

Fathers around the world play a big part in their family. Having a father (and of course, a mother) is a treasure a child should have. A father also brings light to lead his children to the right path. The Bible always attributes Father to God.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” – Matthew 6:9

But, what kind of father God is?

We can say a thing or two about a father by the way he treats or talks to his sons. Let us consider the moment when Jesus went to Jordan river to be baptized.

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16, 17

Through these words, we can see what kind of father God is. Notice such three points.

First, the words “this is my Son” shows God is proud of His Son. One of a child’s needs is to feel important and to be given attention by their parents. Even though Jesus is old enough that time, it is sure that He felt glad hearing His Father esteems Him.

God also showed His Fatherly Love when He referred Jesus as His “beloved” Son. It’s just like saying, “I love you, Son”. Fathers should express their love and support tp their children in order to help them in their development.

Lastly, the words “in whom I am well pleased” expressed God’s approval and support in everything Jesus will do. Jesus surely felt elated hearing such words from our Heavenly Father.

Yes, God is an incomparable Father indeed! Would you like to have such father? If so, you will be glad to know that you can also be close to God! The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). It is great to know that we can establish a close connection with God, the greatest Father of all.

Studies show that these past 50 years, there is an increasing demand for food, water, raw materials and energy supply. Such huge demand causes great change in the Earth’s ecosystem and also diminishes the Earth’s capacity to afford the next generations. Earth loses its ability to renew or regenerate. More and more fauna and flora species are endangered. And of course, there are dangers that climate change may bring.

People have contributed great in Earth’s gradual erosion. Pollution is rampant everywhere. Avaricious exploitations still continue in every land. But, people can reverse such things through one great step to help our dying planet.

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.” – Psalms 115:16

But can Earth face salvation? We can surely say yes! As God’s appointed protectors of all species, we must do all our best to save the environment.

Bear in mind that only God possesses the ability to restore Earth’s glory.

“You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.” – Psalms 65:9-13

“The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.”

- Psalms 95:5

“O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.

These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice in His works.”

- Psalms 104:24-31

Nice thing it is to know that Earth can support the generations to come. Let us see a Paradise to come.

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

The most popular these days is the 2012 doomsday scenario which has infected the wide stream. Fear has overcome many people while others find themselves skeptical about the thought of it. Now, the talk of the town is the final days! Should we be afraid of the Last Days? Or should we be glad waiting for it?

“I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” – Luke 4:43

Jesus Christ once said of the Kingdom of God that will eliminate all evil and change the World to be a Paradise. But what are the signs of the Last Days? You may ask.

Unlike the obscurities of the Mayans and Nostradamus, God clearly stated in the Bible the signs of the last days.

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” – Matthew 24:7

“And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.” – Luke 21:11

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” – Matthew 24:12

Millions of lives were claimed by ruthless wars that came in history. A huge number experiences hunger and food became scarce because of lack of space to plant. Major earthquakes happened recently, like the Samoa quake. Pestilence rises even though medical technology progresses, just recently Influenza A H1N1 strain shook the whole globe. Also, crime is rampant everywhere!

Apostle Paul also described what people will be those days. He said “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Jesus said that in the last of days “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”(Matthew 24:14). Observe your surroundings. Isn’t God’s Word everywhere? What great scenery!

Yes, the Last Days will be full of burden to mankind but there’s a lot of things we should be excited about. Why, you may ask. The Last Days does not mean the last days of Earth but instead the last days of Satan and his disciples (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9).

There’s a great tomorrow waiting for us!

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelations 21:4

“But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.” – Proverbs 2:22

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.” – Isaiah 35:5,6

“And the inhabitant will not say, “I am sick”;
The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.” – Isaiah 33:24

“There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.” – Psalms 72:16

“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat” – Revelations 7:16

The Last Days will come rushing like a man who left his shoes. We never know when it will come, maybe tomorrow, maybe this day. Why worry about 2012?

In times where life become hectic due to a lot of duties and responsibilities in school, work or in your peers and family, it seems like we forget the One who we should prioritize – God.

“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“… Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…” – Romans 12:12

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6

We know that prayers are the most wonderful means of communication for we talk to God through it. But when it seems like the busy bee stung you and the going gets rough, we may feel it hard to find time to pray.

Praying is like a door that we can open anytime for we have the key to open it.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15, 16

With tons of loaded work, we forget to pay a while and ample time to pray. A good suggestion is to make a schedule or to allot time for praying but we must not take it just as a routine.

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” – Matthew 12:34

If we cannot think clear of what we should pray, try to pray things you really want to ask. Prayer is a way to unleash all emotions and let loose everything to God.

“I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.”- Psalms 77:12

One may say, why bother praying if God does not pay attention to it? A very wrong notion! 1 John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

“O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.” –  (Psalms 65:2)
One thing is clear: God really entertains our prayers. You may think that God does not get rid of your problems but come to think of it, He already provided you strength to face it and to overcome all of it.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

God did not appoint angels to hear our solemn wishes. God Himself listens to our prayers because He truly cares and loves us.

Hurricane Ida may have claimed hundreds of lives and homes just like the series of storms devastating storms that hit countries in Asia but there is still hope to believe in. People cry along with the rain as the flood inundates anything in sight. Imagine life without storm or flood that destroys lives. In the near future, God will erase all fears that brought by weather abnormalities.

The scrolls of the Holy Bible say the full capacity of God and his Son Jesus to control the weather under their hands. Let’s see some examples:

“For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” – Genesis 7:4

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.” – Exodus 14:21

“So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.” – 1 Samuel 12:18

“But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.” – Jonah 1:4

“Then Jesus arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” – Mark 4:39

See how great His power is? And in the near future when God’s Kingdom comes, people will no longer dread weather abnormalities that will ravage the land.

“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” – (2 Peter 3:13)

And like the blessings of the rain God promised for the early Israelites “I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:14), we can hope for a peaceful life in God’s new world- a World free from calamities.

Music can move our heart and stir someone’s emotions. It can soothe us, excites us and cheer us. It helps us express our gladness and even our sorrow. Every now and then, music plays a great vital role in one’s health and serves as a language that speaks in our hearts.

“He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute.” – Genesis 4:21

Truly it is, music is a God-given gift. And the Bible agrees with it.

“The LORD is my strength and song; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel”
Early Israelites celebrate festivity with songs of praise (Exodus 15:1-21; Judges 5:1-31). God’s prophet Moses also composed a song of Israel’s history and legacy (Deuteronomy 32:1-43)

Do you know that one-tenth of the Bible are books of songs? Examples are the book of Psalms, Songs of Solomon and Lamentations. It is not surprising that most of the songs are related to God’s worship. King David of Israel, a great musician and composer of songs, said “My heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him” (Psalms 28:7).

King David also put 4000 men of Levi’s clan to serve as musicians and singers in Jerusalem. Most of them, about 288, are “trained to ring for the Lord and all are great”(1 Chronicles 23:4,5; 25,7).

The night before Jesus died; He and His apostles sing songs of praise for the Lord. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

With the help of the great music, we can exhibit all our sentiments and calm our heart, mind, body and soul. Truly, music is one of the greatest gifts of God.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” – James 1:17