The Long Way Up

Family relationships are tricky: you are bound to them by blood and are expected to love them even when they are unlovable and when you would much rather shed their blood (kidding, of course). So it would come as a pleasant bonus when you have relatives that you not only love because they are kin, but also actually like because of the bonds of friendship formed among you. I could tell you stories of family drama (from both my paternal and maternal sides of the equation) collected through the years that have left me wishing I wasn't related to  some of 'these people': stories of conflict over money matters, broken trust over inheritance issues, severed communication because of unresolved misunderstandings. The list could go on. On the other hand, there have also been many encouraging memories of relatives going above and beyond the call of familial duty that reinforced the maxim, "blood is thicker than water": cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers, sister...

I have no idea how other preachers do it,  but I most of the time find composing my 'sermons' very challenging. Perhaps my assumption that a more didactic method might not be as captivating as an impassioned discourse is the main hurdle when I draft my pulpit 'lessons': people do seem to gravitate towards spontaneous, charismatic and fiery preachers. Another reason for this difficulty in getting a message prepared is the desire to hear what God wants His people to hear for a particular service. I have always tried my best to speak on topics that I sense God is telling me to speak on, so using my spiritual ears becomes a necessary exercise. What slows me down, though, is second-guessing: is this really the topic God wants? Or is this just me wanting to teach on this issue? Still another challenge is the organization of the ideas and themes of the intended lesson. As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat; and with preaching (or in my case, t...

Twenty-first day of the month of September Twenty-one words to describe what was tendered Twenty-first try at compositing surrender Twenty-one ways to explain what's engendered Twenty-first verse was a curse I remembered Twenty-one omens of upcoming murders Twenty-first step was the last of my blunders Twenty-one footprints from me now asunder Twenty-first plea for some tea wasn't uttered Twenty-one times under my breath muttered Twenty-first date with the miss is unhindered Twenty-one ploys for the joy now encumbered Twenty-first flight to the sights and the splendor Twenty-one pilots to that sweet, sweet surrender Twenty-first journey away from the pretenders Twenty-one incursions to be a good spender Twenty-first amendment to life from the commander Twenty-one editions and additions from the lender Twenty-first confession was so totally slender Twenty-one conditions in cahoots with the sender Twenty-first day of the month of September Words to...

Leave some room for all to be quelled Let time in, immersing the pain Permit love and lenitive spells Punctured heart will breathe once again Find your space to ease into hurt Face the music, adage would state Meditate on what you are worth Much more soothing, healing than hate Grieve! It is good; let it all out Gather your soul into one cup Alleviate all of your doubts Answers will come; just don't give up Oil for joy, pour it on down Overwhelming offenses soaked Balm for the scar and for the frown Strength inside brokenness, cloaked

I wonder what causes grumpiness in people. Is it their genetic makeup? Is it their circumstances? A combination of both? As of this writing, I have been given the opportunity of performing night nurse duties to one of the young men in one of my Bible study groups who has been in the hospital now for five days. The guy in question (let's call him Sunny) is already in his 20s and on a regular basis -- when we're together -- I always see him carry a calm, mostly reserved demeanor... akin to my own. Although Sunny sometimes throws around typical teenage banter with some of the guys in my small group, he is nevertheless a person whose character leans more towards the docile side of things. So as I report for my hospital duty, I got greeted by a scenario that I would usually find awkward: a little family spat. Sunny was displaying signs of grumpiness: irritation with his mother who was just assisting him get around, and annoyance with his sister who came by to see him....

Labels are fables that do not define Swagger and daggers, not fancies of mine Bludgeoned in dungeons, mistook for a swine All just because I was born as a guy "Swinger!" A ringer for my gender's sake Players and haters rub off their mistakes "Single, go mingle!" "Your smile must be fake." "It's 'cause you're a man!" Please give me a break! Tempests, the tempted go out on the prowl Hunting the hunted -- the damsels -- like fowl Using, abusing their strength with a scowl And I, a guy... should I throw in the towel? Handsome and then some: he must be a cad Silent and private: intentions are bad Friendly: he's deadly in deception clad This man wasn't raised that way by his dad! Yet truly and duly brothers have erred Eons of peons, and casual words Painted and tainted the masculine herd I am just a guy enlightened and stirred Paltry,...

Songs have a way of eloquently and elegantly expressing thoughts, emotions, truths and experiences that no other medium of art possesses. Somehow when beautifully crafted words are set to carefully concocted melodies, certain sentiments -- from the most mundane to the highly controversial -- become tolerable, easier to accept and more believable. Such is the talent and skill of singer-songwriters . These gifted wordsmiths have such an impeccable knack for conveying their ideas through song that those of us who take time to listen and ponder on the lyrical content of their work would instantly or eventually find them relatable. It almost seems like these songwriters have taken a peek into our hearts and minds and proceeded to write songs based on our thoughts and experiences. I totally have great admiration (and partial envy) for musicians who write exceptionally well, encapsulate their thoughts into words proficiently, and combine it with music skillfully. I love how ...

You're never quite sure what to bring when traveling to a foreign country. Even though you've done your homework by surfing the Internet for specific details about the locale you're headed for, there's always some minutia you're bound to forget or be unprepared for. The year was 2015. The month November. I was on the verge of leaving for Europe on a three-month missions trip and preparing for it got me predictably frenzied. A year before this I had travelled to New Zealand to spend some time with my family for a couple of months, so I already had an idea what packing for long, international vacation looked like. However, I have never had the opportunity to experience winter abroad, and I've never experienced it at all living in a tropical island nation. "What does one pack into their suitcase when looking to spend three months of winter in another country?" Thermal Underwear One of the first few suggestions I received from friends and ...

The zeroes and ones, the fours and the threes The digits that have some meaning to me Significant numbers, ages and dates Still figuring out these figures, of late What's seventy-five? How does it compute? It made me alive; a baby so cute! Put nineteen before it; what do you get? Four digits that tell of my own onset Of course, don't forget! A zero and two Just turn that around; that's twenty for you It fell on a Monday, oh yes, it did! The day of my birth; I opened my lids There's also a ten, a relevant age When chidlikeness lingered on from this stage The curious, wide-eyed, quizzical boy Accompanied manhood; anchored the joy And then number two for girls who became The two who held titles others can't claim Two girlfriends in all for all of my life I think I'm all good... 'til I find a wife Thirteen for the day my father breathed last His heart bade farewell, his shadow was cast His legacy rich to me he besto...

At a rate of about 95 percent of the time that I see or meet random dogs at a random location on a random day, they would always manage to get my attention and -- depending on their demeanor and cleanliness -- elicit from me a friendly whistle, a gentle pat on the head, or a thorough petting all over. There's just something about these animals that I really love and connect with. Canis familiaris . The domestic dog. Man's best friend. The human race has had a rich and lengthy relationship with these playful and loyal creatures. So much so that they -- along with cats -- have become the animals most commonly inducted into a family of human beings. I know we did... over the years. I grew up having a dog around the house on a regular basis. We would either purchase one, adopt one or ask for one from friends. Once home with us, we welcomed the pup warmly into the family and made it feel as comfortable as possible. Initially, we would think we were doing the pooch a f...

When the weather is overcast people usually associate it with melancholy and infinite sadness. With the varying shades of grey splashed across the firmament, it's easy to see why. Grey is often seen as the color of boredom and is many times used as a synonym for despondency. Grey is often used in describing someone's dismal personality or tasteless character. On the other hand, grey seems to be the color of elegance and sophistication in upper class circles and a very flexible fashion pigment in the sense that it blends well with other members of the color spectrum. Back to the weather. People often bemoan the effect of a cloudy day as unpleasant, and inconvenient when accompanied by rain. Worse, when there's a downpour. I, however, have a different take on this meteorological phenomenon. When clouds have a massive congregation in the sky, they make the climate cooler. When the climate is cooler, the tendency to sweat is significantly decreased. When ...

(... continued ) As a full-fledged, life-long member of the XY -chromosome-carrying half of the Earth's population, I have come to understand why males exists and what we are on this planet for. Congruently, I have also seen man's place in the grand scheme of things -- in relation to the opposite sex and to society as a whole. Appreciation and love for being created a man has developed over the years, whereas in the past, resistance and avoidance were my prevailing attitude toward it.  There are a lot of aspects about being a male that I have grown quite fond of and found useful in life. Being laid back Generally speaking, men are not at all fussy about... everything! We're basically wash-and-wear, finger-comb-our-hair, give-very-little-care-about-the-outfits-we-wear kind of creatures. That's just inherent in our makeup. Us guys can use the same pair of jeans for days, even weeks on end and not really mind it. I love the fact that we can have just a few...

"It's a man's world!" If I said that aloud in a thickly crowded place, with people coming from different cultural, political, socio-economic and religious backgrounds, a very heated, wildly-animated, and strongly-worded debate would most probably break out amongst the men and women present. After all, the "battle of the sexes" has always been an age-old, hot-button topic that people from both genders (biological, not political ones) have vigorously fought and persistently tried to win. Or... Is there even a battle in the first place? Should there be a battle at all? Men and women have been created differently and imbued with gender-specific abilities, instincts and inclinations that, on their own, are unique and define their particular maleness or femaleness. However, when these unique traits and characteristics are combined with each other in the union and cooperation between the sexes, something entirely new is created, something tha...