20-22 Covid-19 Daily Reflections

  Harsh words are damaging. When these words come from people supposed to support and care for us, it is more painful. They can destroy personal dignity, wellness, and hope. E ncouraging words have a completely different impact on our lives. They take us where we doubt that we can go on our own. They are the power behind many of the 2020 Olympics champions. As we listened carefully to athletes during their interviews after winning their medals, we could always hear about people who had helped them along the way. They talked about their parents, mothers, coaches, friends, and communities that have believed in them. Kelsey Michell insisted during her interview that it was a team victory won the Gold medal in the women's sprint's event in cycling. She then talked about her family, friends, and her sports community. Ms. Mitchell didn't even know anything about cycling until 2017. She is now an Olympics champion because of the encouragement and support from these folks. God alwa...

  One of the stories in the New Statement is about Jesus' encounter with Mary and Martha in  Luke 10: 38-42 . (As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.") It is a story about priorities and understanding. Martha lived in a world of doing. Many of us are guilty of that. We cannot sit still and we get mad at others for not helping out. Mary lived in a world of being. She preferred to sit and listen to what Jesus had ...

As the 2020 Olympics is about to come to its final day, it might be good to take a moment to ponder on what we have learned from it. It has been different in many ways because of the pandemic. It took some time to pay attention to it for the same reasons. Many of the athletes who came didn't have time to train as they usually would. It is also the first time we have a 12-year-old gold medalist (Skateboarding). The conversation about Mental Health became a focus during the gymnastics competition. The Australian swimmers served notice to stay on top of the world in swimming. The American Basketball team has to fight hard to play France for the Gold medal. André De Grasse won gold a the 200m race. (The first one for Canada since 1928). Dameon Warner won gold in the decathlon with a new world record of 9018 points. There are many more amazing accomplishments. I was touched by this comment from Sydney McLaughlin ( A runner of the American 4x400m) after her team won their Gold medal and ...

I went to have breakfast with a friend, and we got the chance to watch the Women Soccer Olympics Gold Medal game between Canada and Sweden. It was a tied game after regular time and extra time. Canada won the game with the penalty kick. One of the key players for Canada is Christine Sinclair. She has been a player with Team Canada since 2000. She has become such an example to many young soccer players in Canada. When people talk about her, they use nouns such as commitment, dedication, competitiveness, and endurance to describe her. She indeed deserves such accolades. I have also been thinking a lot about many of my friends and where they are today. Some of them are doing amazing things for God and His people. However, many have either left the faith or given up. They have decided to choose different paths of life because of life challenges and power temptation. I recently ran into one of them who is working for a financial services business. He shared with me a lot of thi...

  I had a conversation with a professor from Vietnam recently about her decision concerning her future. She did her Ph.D. overseas and returned to Vietnam to serve her country. However, some of her university leaders have taken intentional steps to quench her vision for her work. That is a pity because the university has failed to appreciate the talents of this young professor. Corruption can take place in our hearts. A corrupted heart is a deceitful one.  Jeremiah 17:9 : “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick, who can understand it?” Our lack of understanding of who God is and our deception of ourselves define the corruption of our hearts. Its selfish ambition surpasses our ability to fathom it. It has no limit and boundary. It is sick because it brings no life to others. Corruption can take place in our minds. It is deprived and causes friction among people. It has no desire for the truth, and it prefers darkness as its milieu of opera...

  I am happy that the Canadian Women Soccer Team defeated the American one. I still cannot forget the way the American team celebrated every goal during a World Cup match against Thailand in 2019. The score was 13-0 for the Americans. It did not stop the outrageous celebration when everyone knew they were a better team. I admire their hard work, the zeal to win, and their skills. Their lack of class while winning was another story. Enthusiasm is one thing. Outright disrespect for the other team is something else. To be strong doesn't mean that we have the freedom to destroy others. Our true strength comes from the realization of our weaknesses and shortcomings. There is always an element of grace in being strong. Paul said this to Timothy: "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" - (2 Timothy 2: 1). What does that mean? It is about being willing to die for others. It is about having the freedom to lift others up. It is about having the willingness to h...

"What everyone in the astronaut corps shares in common is not gender or ethnic background, but motivation, perseverance, and desire - the desire to participate in a voyage of discovery." -- Ellen Echoa (First American Hispanic Astronaut) The three words that stand out from this quote are motivation, perseverance, and desire. We can find these aspects of human existence expressed throughout the Scriptures. Motivation is "the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way." Joshua 1:9 tells us that our motivation to be strong and courageous should be our trust in God wherever we go. Our true motivation in life is learning to follow the guidance of God.  "Be strong and courageous; do not be  frightened  or dismayed, for the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go."  Perseverance is "persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." James 1:12 reveals to us that success is receiving...