20-22 Covid-19 Daily Reflections

Some small towns and cities in Canada experienced the invasion of wildlife animals. They ventured into these areas to look for food. We have seen a significant increase in the number of hares in our neighborhood, and they are not that scared of human beings. They usually travel in a pack, and they can do significant damages to our gardens. We have to find new ways to protect our plants. Some of ours are dead because hares chewed on them so severely. One more thing, the city bylaw protects these hares, so we have to learn how to live with them. Beautiful things in life can be destroyed by a small group of people who somehow believe that they can romp around the earth without any accountability. These people can be corrupted politicians, social and political agitators, and religious leaders. They destroy trust, order, and hope.  Destruction is how they mark their presence. These folks have no regard for the rights and the hard work of others. They believe that they have the right to ...

Well, starting today, churches in Alberta can have 15% of the capacity in attendance. The limitation of church worship has been a thorny issue for some congregations in our province. We have had some undesirable interactions between some church members, the police and the health authority. I can understand the theological and constitutional perspectives of many faithful church folks. I can also understand the dilemma many governments have had in trying to maintain the balance between listening to their medical experts and managing a healthy economy. God created us to be in a community. It is not healthy for us to be alone all of the time. We do need time to be alone, but we are not meant to be on our own completely. Relationships are essential and critical to our mental well-being. We can say the same thing about our spiritual health. Many elderly folks have suffered much from the lack of interaction with their loved ones. Mental illness has been on the increase since the b...

  The first step in attaining wisdom is learning how to keep our mouths shut when someone asks us to comment on a topic we don't really know anything about. Prince Harry revealed his lack of wisdom when he decided to comment on the First Amendment. He called it "bonkers". It means silly and stupid in British English. Here is the definition of the First Amendment. The  First Amendment  protects several  basic  freedoms in the United States including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. It was part of the Bill of Rights that was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. So what part of this amendment is silly and stupid? a) Freedom of Religion: He would not be a prince if God doesn't exist. When we shut down religions, we deny took a way people's freedom to express their commitment to God. b) Freedom of speech: although his statement was unthoughtful, he was allowed to ...

  My son-in-law is a loyal fan of the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. He and my daughter moved to the Island of Vancouver about three years ago. The move didn't change his allegiance to the Oilers. He is managing a golf course on the Island. He decorated his golf cart to cheer for the Oilers in the play off. Well, they didn't do very well and were eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets. So here is a joke for you:  "What did the Oilers and the Titanic have in common? They both looked good before they hit the ice." Some people would spend a lot of money to support their teams. Some even go further by having their team names and logos on their cars, home, and office. My father-in-law, a general surgeon, would fly the flag of the University of Michigan in front of his house whenever their football team played at home. There are three words we can use to describe such devotion. Commitment: Their commitments are serious. We can see that by the time and money they spend. People would ...

  Forest Gump is one of my favorite movies. There is one funny line in it people in many parts of the world are still talking about when mention the movie. "My mamma always said, “ Life  was  like a box of chocolates . You never know what you're gonna get.”" Vietnamese folks like me might want to replace a box of chocolates will a bowl of Phở. Some of you might know what that is. Here is the Wikipedia's definition of Phở: Phở or pho is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat, sometimes chicken. Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls, and restaurants countrywide. Phở is considered Vietnam's national dish. We made the broth from beef bones, ginger, onions, and lots of aromatic spices. It has to be clear and nothing short of soup perfection. We then all the spices and flavors from star anise, cardamom, fennel seeds, and cinnamon. When they come together, the broth is tasty. We can customize i...

  I mentioned a few days ago that I used to work with a senior high co-ed summer camp. These camps have horses, and riding is a significant part of the camp. That is why it is a ranch camp. I came from Montreal and was clueless about horses, so I needed some training in dealing with them. I had to learn about horsemanship from some of our wranglers. The more we can communicate to our horses, the more we can handle them. I won't go into technical details of horsemanship (altering, leading, saddling, and more). It is about the relationship between a person and his (her) horse. We need the ability to understand and establish trust with the horse. It is not about coercive power. It is about discipline in training and consistency in following through. It is about how to create rapport between the handler and the horse. The horse has to trust our protection. We have to have the ability to discern the needs of our horses. Good cowboys have an incredible way to read their horses. Sometimes...

  Many years ago, I used to run camps for senior high school kids. I had a camper who came from Yellowknife, the capital city of the NWT. He came back to camp for four summers in a row. I decided to ask him at his last camp about his reasons for coming back to our camp. He told me that he came back because he knew very well what to expect, how to have fun, and how to get himself into trouble. He said: "You gave the same welcome talk every year. You gave the same set of rules and had the same expectations." He took comfort in that because his home life didn't provide him that sense of security. Why do we feel so unsettling these days? It is not because of Covid-19 alone. What happened in the Summer of 2020 tells us that our societies celebrate lawlessness. Our governments seem to be content with the dismantling of order and security. We are not sure what about our nations are really. What we used to cherish with our nations' constitutions is no longer there. Political ...

  I appreciate well-taken pictures of places and objects. Some of my friends and relatives can take them so well, and they are able to capture the beauty and the depth of colors of what they see at the very moment. Good photographs can tell the stories that words will fail us. As the proverb says: "A picture is worth a thousand words." If we have the opportunity to have a look at these types of snapshots of our lives, what would they be, and what would they say about who we are and our ways of life? Let us look at some pictures that were either mine or sent to me by people I know.       Sometimes I take a walk into different neighborhoods in my cities and take pictures. I took this picture in one of the older parts of the city. It is rustic and old. It was The city almost condemned it to build an expressway about twenty years ago. It is still there, and it tells me much about the history of our city. At this moment in time, many people don't have the desire, courage,...

It is indeed evil when politicians use illegal migrants as their pawns to advance their political agenda. It is irrelevant whether we build the wall or not. Our politicians should not play around with the safety of many people who want to seek their new lives in our nations. We saw that the PM of Canada a few years ago. Many came, and we were not ready for them. The same thing has been happening in the US since the declaration of the new president. That is not how we should welcome newcomers. Have we forgotten that we are nations with law and order? Have we become so indifferent towards the pain and suffering of others? Canada is indeed in need of immigrants, and we should honor the system we have in bringing them in with the proper process. The US has more troubling issues. We should first deal with the millions of illegal residents. Many of them are living without in the US without any legal status. It takes a serious effort to help immigrants and their families to settle well in...

  This picture was from Donna Kennedy-Glans. She is a good friend of mine. Somehow it triggers many thoughts I have about balance. As much as the bird can fly and does not have to worry about the height, it is still impressive to see how it keeps its balance at the edge of the birdbath. Trying to find the right balance in the art of living is a lifelong lesson. We constantly find ourselves juggling our commitments and responsibilities. Making the right decision can be a challenge. We are living at the edge of time in many ways. We might either fall into the water or fall to the ground. We know what it feels like to be overwhelmed or to fall flat on our faces. It is the balance between managing who we are and what we like to do. The bird seems to be comfortable in the position of where it stands. We have our choices of where we would like to position ourselves in life. When we put ourselves in a peculiar place, the options seem to be limited. When we wonder about where we should sta...

Another Day another big name fails! Please understand that I have no desire to comment on people's personal life. We have been witnessing the collapse of many icons in our time. Many of them are in the business, high tech, and religious worlds. Sometimes I wonder whether God is bringing to our attention the nature of icon worship. It is not that hard to commit such a form of idolatry because idolatry is part of human fallen nature. Idolatry is a root of indulgence (1 Corinthians 10: 7) -  "Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revel ry." We see that in music and other milieus of the entertainment industry. It is also amazing to see that there are people who are known for no reason. They have no significant talent. They have done nothing for humanity. Yet, they are celebrities. They become idols in the emptiness of the human mind. Idolatry springs from our earthy nature   (Col...

  Working remotely from home has become more and more acceptable as more businesses have kept their workers home. Some people have found it more helpful than others. Many have saved time and money by not having to travel to work. Others are struggling with it because there is no clear separation between home life and work. Some have worked long hours at home. Working longer hours at home affects our physical health. The research seems to indicate that heart disease and stroke are the two culprits. More and more young people have gotten a stroke in recent years. Long working hours are not helping either. Working for longer hours at home impacts our mental health. Regardless of what our technology has to offer, the feeling of isolation is a heavy one for many people. Some people find video meetings are exhausting. Mentally we can be so wasted after a day filled with Zoom meetings. Working for longer hours at home damages our home life. "He is on the phone all time" ...

This picture is of Bud and a daughter of a friend of my daughter. He is my daughter and son-in-law's new family member. It appears as if he is learning an important lesson that many of us have failed, the ability to listen. Listening requires more than just patience. It is about reclaiming an important part of who we are with God. Listening shows that we respect one another and the relationships we have with others. When we listen, we allow ourselves to be free from our bias and judgment towards others. We are willing to acknowledge that the other person might know something we don't. Listening fosters a growing relationship between two people. Listening is critical in the process of learning. We learn about ourselves, others, and God while listening. Listening is not a passive activity. It demands attentiveness and ongoing mental reflection. Listening helps us to move from where we were yesterday with God to where we need to be with Him today. Listening is an act of worship. S...

  I have not yet discovered the satisfaction of mowing my yard. I struggle every single time because of my hay fever. I know that a beautifully maintained lawn is a piece of artwork. If I have a choice, I let it grow and allow nature to take care of it. Here are some solemn thoughts of mine after doing some research in this area. Calgary will eliminate homelessness and its problems if we donate all of the funds we use for lawn care. It will be more than enough. I prefer watching children grow up in safety than grass grows in my backyard. WE plant fruit trees for fruit. We grow flowers so that we can get a chance to appreciate the vibrant colors and their beauty. We grow grass so that we need to spend money and time to trim and cut it. Some of us can get severely ill by being in touch with grass. When was the last time we spend money on something that makes us sick? It does not stop there. In some areas in my city, it is a contentious issue for neighbors' relationships w...

    Some people have not done the fight against racism a favor by claiming to be oppressed because they don't share much in common with real victims of discrimination. For example, I would rather listen to hard-working folks who can barely take care of their family because of unjust treatments due to their races than wealthy and privileged people talk about racism to promote their brands. That is shameful behaviour. Poverty exists in various racial groups in the US. If we want to fight racial injustice, we will have to go about it by addressing economic, educational, and other societal issues. Don't hide behind the term "systemic racism" in order to avoid our corporate and personal responsibilities toward others. Discrimination is more than just about skin colors or outward appearances. It is about cultural differences, educational opportunities, and economic backgrounds.  Teaching about racism can not start with another form of oppression: the oppression of freedom i...

Two of my kids and their spouses have for dogs this last year. I know that some people have got pets during Covid-19 for different reasons. I don't think that is the case with them. They had been thinking about getting one long before Covid-19. There are many reasons and benefits people have in having a dog: Most dog owners would say that it is hard to be lonely and alone with dogs. They are loyal to their owners and want to be with them. It doesn't matter what happens in the owner's life, his (her) dog won't leave. Dogs help their owners deal with their stress. Their owners can face the ups and downs of life because of their consistency in being present. They are able to feel what their owners are going through and not run away. Dogs are better than any exercise equipment or apps. They certainly will keep their owners on the move and in shape. It is also more fun going for a walk with a dog than biking on your own in a gym. Dogs help their owners to have mo...

  I went to visit a friend who lost her ability to move because of a stroke. It was not easy to see her in that condition because she was vibrant and full of life as a therapist. The lack of movement was challenging, but it is not as hard as the lack of cognitive awareness. We could not really communicate much. However, I know that she was aware that I was there. I thought about this visit and what our nations have been going through. There are so many parallels. Our countries are suffering from some form of stroke. Let us look at some of the consequences caused by suffering from a stroke (John Hopkins Medicine). Movement and sensation: Our countries don't seem to get any tractions. People are tired and numbed. We don't move much either. Our sense of well-being is limited to the surrounding of our home. We lose our sense of awareness of time and place. Speech and language: we don't seem to be able to communicate well with one another. We might talk to each other, and someho...