The question revealed a sore spot in my heart. So the answer is no.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luk6:35-36

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:1; 10

If I measure my actions by the world’s standard, most likely I can get away with my conscience. If I use God’s standard, I fail miserably.  Having said that it’s a no brainer – I go by God’s standard. No question.

I have a sticky situation at work with my immediate supervisor. I do not want to step on her because she is my supervisor. That’s a given. The Lord has already established that.

I need to check my heart attitude with God through humility and prayers. What good are prayers if I will not submit to His will?

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

In a nano second, God the Father can easily and willfully turn an impossible situation to a miracle, no doubt. However, in Gethsemane, the word meaning ‘olive press where grapes are crushed’, so will the Son of Man be shamefully crushed as a substitute for our sin and wickedness (Enduring Word, n.d.). There is no other way. It’s one of those absolutes that Christ alone can fulfill and satisfy fully the wrath of God on behalf of man’s wickedness, pride, and sin. He is beyond sorrowful that you and I will never comprehend.

“Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Matthew 26:38

What’s more because He is fully man, He experienced the deepest agony no man can understand. We can only speculate but even that holds no merit. How can a clay understand the Potter? Jeremiah 18:6

As I ponder God’s redeeming, perfect love, the more I cannot understand why He loves us too much to lead Him to the cross? God the Father has spoken.  I can only yield completely to what the Lord says fittingly explained in…

“If it is possible: Of course, there is a sense in which all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26). Yet this is true only in a sense, because there are things that are morally impossible for God. It is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18) and impossible to please Him without faith (Hebrews 11:6). It was not morally possible for God to atone for sin and redeem lost humanity apart from the perfect, wrath-satisfying sacrifice that Jesus prepared Himself for in Gethsemane.

e. If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me: God the Father would never deny the Son any request, because Jesus prayed according to the heart and will of the Father. Since Jesus drank the cup of judgment at the cross, we know that it is not possible for salvation to come any other way. Salvation by the work of Jesus at the cross is the only possible way; if there is any other way to be made right before God, then Jesus died an unnecessary death.”(Enduring Word, n.d.)

Lord, how can I even compare myself with You and with what You do for humanity. There is no rhyme nor reason to love us…You are God and we are sinful. You can’t stand pride and sin and yet…

“When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?” Psalm 8:3-4

There is only way to respond to differences with people. Bring them all to God.  Empty the bag completely to Him because He can handle them all. It is summed up in “Yet, not as I will, but as You will. “ Matthew 26:39

We had a very interesting full two-and-a-half-hour Zoom practicum class meeting hours ago. We dove deeper into our first two weeks of practicum experience. Our program supervisor/professor wanted to hear from us all the nitty gritty details for information purposes where everyone can learn from our individual experiences.

Prior to logging off for the day, I was the last student to share my experience on one of our ‘bad boy’ clients. I won’t mention names due to privacy/liability issue. I told the whole class how the drama unfolded. In the end, I gave my recommendation on how to handle countertransference or bracketing our personal beliefs, values, and attitudes when interacting with clients. If we will be counselors, be it rehabilitation or mental health route, the key is to remain calm and professional. Do our best to stay objective and stick to the agenda at hand which is, pure and simple, providing service to clients. ‘That’s all she wrote.’ Hmmm…the phrase popularized by a very talented and witty Angela Lansbury playing Jessica Fletcher, a mystery writer who is a crime solver as well. In plain English, what the phrase means is an author’s mystery transforms into a real-life crime solving puzzle. I am a lot freer to share perhaps because I am coming from a well-relaxed, well-rested frame of reference. It’s summer and I am soaking it all in. I want this semester to be the lightest, the most fun, the most relaxing time of all before the grand finale in August. I want God to have full control of my life in all areas, no holds barred, taking the lid off that He may whisk me wherever He wants to.

“I sink in the miry depths,
    where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
    the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
    looking for my God.
⁴ Those who hate me without reason
    outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
    those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
    what I did not steal.” Psalm 69:2-4

The above verses are part of today’s devotional for me. King David is plummeting in a sea of disapproval from his enemies’ jealousy and spite of him because he was stubbornly zealous of the Lord. What a marvelous gift that is! Come to think of it…99.99% of the entire population is guilty of murder, mischief, greed, selfishness, pride, and deceit that’s why they are hated for a very legitimate reason. David, on the other hand, is the stark opposite – he was hated without reason just like Christ Himself.

However, despite all the major tragedies and sufferings that almost engulfed him, he composed himself to acknowledge God’s brilliant rescue plan. Not all was lost. Despite the High Priest and the rebellious crowd reviling him, the psalm took a dramatic turn from lament to emancipation.

“ But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.
¹⁵ Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up
    or the pit close its mouth over me.” Psalm 69: 13-15

There was a desperate plea for immediate release…

“ Do not hide your face from your servant;
    answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. “ Psalm 69:17

Also, a desperate plea for compassion…

“I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters, but I found none.” Psalm 69:20b

But in the end, he soared over and above his powerful adversaries. His seemingly repeated bouts of despair and defeats were but a fleeting shadow. He emerged victorious because God was on his side.

“Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,
³⁵ for God will save Zion
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.”  Psalm 69:34-35

Hope prevails.

I stumbled upon a very beautiful family-oriented movie starring Alyssa Milano. I grew up watch her in ‘Who’s the Boss?’ I cannot help staring at her and admiring her classic beauty. So feminine and every inch a classy lady. I always wanted to be just like her growing up until life happened. We immigrated to the United States. We came as permanent residents and a few decades Americanized. 

Fast forward, what I like the most about the movie ‘Tempting Fate’ is the power of forgiveness that stems from genuine love and a very healthy perspective in life. Lord, You taught me all that and much, much more!

Alyssa Milano is the epitome of femininity. She still has it – that charm, that ageless beauty which mesmerized me every time I see her on the silver screen. To me, she is that ‘it’ girl. I love the way she carries herself. She’s every inch a woman. 

The movie is unorthodox, unconventional, with a twist that is difficult to digest all throughout the movie and yet, I cannot help admiring Gabby played by Alyssa. She has this resilience masked behind her gorgeous face and a strong character which made her weather all the scandalous storm in her life with aplomb. Weird, strange, and all that! I agree, and yet, what it taught me was that forgiveness is powerful. It does not matter how tortuous life turned out to be; what matters is how I face it and how the Lord shapes my attitude to embrace all of life’s sharp turns and curved balls to work for me in the end.  So, Lord, I’m asking You to help me find forgiveness in my heart …

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

My immediate supervisor who will be on maternity leave in the next two months betrayed me and dropped me like a hot potato now while I am enrolled for the summer 2025 practicum class. My full tuition has been paid for – I paid my fair share at $433.50 while the rest was the agency’s sponsorship, plus books and supplies. I am in my last two full academic semesters so packed I cannot breathe when I think about it.

But something stirred within me – it’s positive. Somehow, the Lord was telling me I can do my practicum and internship somewhere, not where I currently work. The Lord has something 30 times better for me. And I will feel welcomed and accepted.  Sometimes, the best things that could happen are the wild, unexpected, bizarre, ones. The key is to trust Him completely.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. 

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:28; 31; 35-39

My God, thank You for Your peace that keeps me so connected to You.  You are the only One I can lean on without being judgmental. Lord, I don’t know how and when.  My female bosses are the ones stabbing me not behind my back but up close and personal. How much more can I take?

I am at the precipice just like what the Israelites experienced when they fled Egypt to God’s promise land. If you can picture in your mind there is no way to turn – they were sandwiched between the wicked and fully equipped Egyptian army behind and the boundless Red Sea ahead of them. How, Lord? There is just no way of escape until the unthinkable happened…

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, ²² and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.

The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians…” Exodus 14:21-23; 28, & 30.

In the same manner, my Lord will save me from my enemies.

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. ” 2 Timothy 1:9b

Our salvation is personal. Our testimony is very personal and unique according to His revelation of the Truth and how it impacted us the moment we saw the light. That’s one main reason I love to hear people’s personal testimony because it is designed by his experiences, values, beliefs, and goals. No one can refute it because it is the work of the Holy Spirit in saving a person from God’s wrath and be with Him in eternal bliss after his final exit from this planet Earth.

Bible scholars posit that Paul must have been released from prison when he wrote the book of Timothy. He was particularly fond of this young Hebrew man whose passion and love for the Lord is remarkably undeniable. His faith caught Paul’s attention that everything this young lad did could not help eliciting such genuine appreciation from our beloved Paul. I can pick up from the way he wrote the book that he knew Timothy and his family very well. He had only the highest compliments, admiration, fondness, and respect for his devout grandmother and mother. Such was apparent when he said…

“Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:4-6

I kept reciting these verses on my way to work this morning and there was more than a thousand reasons I need to arm myself with those words of encouragement. I can no longer postpone talking to my supervisor. We need to clarify my work schedule where my courses overlap with work hours for summer 2025 and fall 2025 semesters. Finally, which is today, we had a mutual agreement stemming from a clear understanding of our opposing viewpoints. Only God could reconcile our differences which I committed to prayers. God replied to me affirmatively. He simplified today’s meeting just like that.

Perhaps like Timothy, I wanted to remain subservient because I do not welcome confrontation. Timothy must be quiet to the point of being timid otherwise Paul would not press upon him to be bold and fearless…

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. ” 2 Timothy 1:7-9a

Like Gideon, Timothy wanted to remain on the sideline without calling undue attention to himself. It may be true to some extent, but his enormous responsibility to oversee Ephesus and other areas could and would not allow him to remain ‘anonymous’. Hence, he needed to be…

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

⁸ The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8

We are reminded to be God’s ambassadors who are strong, courageous, who retreat at nothing in defense of the Word. We need to choose to obey Him at all times; He did not say when everything is rosy and wonderful, and everyone is agreeable. Quite the opposite is the circumstance where our faith is put to test to grow.

“ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:5-7

Believing and trusting God come with a corresponding responsibility of proclaiming God’s truth to the unbelieving world. And that means persecution along the way; it’s not a walk in the park. Loving and serving God is costly.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ” John 15:18-19

We should in fact rejoice when the world hates us because we belong to Him. What an honor! What a privilege!

Speaking of awe and wonder, I finally grabbed the Summer 2025 edition of Westways, the official AAA magazine. Can you guess what the back-to-back featured articles are about? You guess it right if you claim WOW short for the World of Wonder. In fact, I read the first 38 pages of the magazine. Kiniry (2025), whose featured article is entitled ‘Iron Grip’, she has a side information on ‘5 Ways to WOW’ which are to “schedule an outing, venture deeper, connect with your senses, embrace others, and dwell on the unexpected.” (p. 38). WOW moments need not be outside the United States – it can be a few blocks away or better yet, a walk around the block but what gives it that WOW factor is the sense of delight and adventure for discovering a hidden pathway. The key is to engage all our senses – what do you smell, taste, see, touch, feel, and hear differently this time around? Did you see an old friend on your way back from a walk or jog or hike? Did you stop at a brand new café selling artisanal coffee blend, Japanese-inspired Zen floral arrangements, or a new teal and white summer floral dress displayed at Zara on sale? How about being in awe for someone’s unexpected gesture of genuine kindness, selflessness, or hospitality after long hours of reviewing for the CPA exam? It can also disguised in breathtaking view of how expansive the clear blue sky hundreds of thousands of miles away. It can also be tactile experience of touching the pansies’ petals so delicately when done in an unhurried pace.

Life is beautiful, beguiling, bewitchingly magnificent especially when perceived, seen, and felt through the Creator’s lens. Now that summer term already commenced a week ago, it is not an excuse for me not to have those precious moments of pure delight and ecstasy through the much needed respite from the chaotic business of academic and work life. That’s the reason the ever-majestic Creator of the universe gave His exquisite world of nature to enjoy, savor, relish, appreciate, and revel in, for as long as we need and want to take away the pressure we have gotten so used to as part of our daily routine. It need not be, right?

I believe I did just that yesterday when my niece picked me up. We spent majority of the morning soaking in the new plaza tucked away in San Gabriel, a 25-minute drive on surface streets. The long and winding zigzag of breath-taking tall cypress and willow tree-covered mansions and palaces gracing both sides of the San Marino suburb is the last of my awe-inspiring list of WOW factor permanently etched on my heart and mind. I feel invigorated, alive, and definitely rejuvenated with fresh supply of hope, optimism, and creativity in the coming weeks.

I took my time to savor each moment today. I even cleaned the CR-V interior and exterior in less than 30 minutes. I manually ‘vacuumed’ the carpet in an unconventional use of a wide masking tape to pick up the lint and almost invisible gravel from my sole of my shoes. I simply grabbed old towels splashed with apple cider vinegar to polish the laminated windshield and side mirrors.

I’m glad I remain unusually productive today without even trying. I enjoyed every bit of blog posts I wrote for the next months until December. WOW! That’s right, it’s one of my WOW moments this long weekend. Time was on my side and what’s more, I enjoyed every bit of activity which ignited my creativity and imagination.

That’s all folks! From the mouth of Porky Pig, a Looney Tunes character’s signature line magnifying his most idiosyncratic trait of serious stutter (Wikipedia, 2025).

“But I will sing of your strength,
    in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
    my refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁷ You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely.” Psalm 59:16-17

I have been finding my inspirations from spending quality time with the Lord. I like that. It gives me a sense of tranquility and balance that no other means do. That’s the way it should be anyway as I go through my day. I want to start the day right spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. The result is an astonishing pathway to vitality, strength, power, and clarity of mind embedded in God’s peace.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Punctuated with His powerful promise in…

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ 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 14:26-27

I got up at 7:00 a.m. this morning. What a great feeling of unhurried pace to start the day. I cannot even begin to thank the Lord for an extra day of rejuvenation in and through the power of His Word. Songs of exaltation and thanksgiving to God equate themselves with honest praises and exaltation of God’s majesty. Anything that conveys our adoration, worship, reverential awe of Him is singing a new song to Him Who alone knows us inside and out. That’s what I love about Him. We can express exaltation, praises, and adoration of Him in a million ways just as He designed us as uniquely as we can be that each one of us is one in a zillion occupying this wonderful Earth.

“Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.” Psalm 150:2; 4-5

Our beloved apostle Paul resoundingly reverberates the same message when he says…

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16

His poetry of love knows no limits when it comes to elevating His power and majesty. David at the height of his fame and glory has a lot to thank God for pointing us to make a joyful noise of His splendor…

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
² Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2

What’s more, divinely anointed Bible authors do not contradict one another when it comes to expressing their deep reverence for the Lord Almighty. A case in point is James, John’s beloved brother, affectionately referred to as the sons of Zebedee, have their own tributes to our Prince of Peace…

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ” James 5:13

The same apostle Paul transcends with his exuberant invitation to all believers to be steadfast in exalting Christ…

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16

I am already uplifted ready to face life’s challenges head on and not shudder in a corner because I know I’m not alone…I want to proclaim God’s mighty power to everyone unabashedly and fearlessly as I should…

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
² Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.” Psalm 105:1-2

There is no end to His boundless perfection, glory, and splendor that’s why let us continue…

“speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20

Good morning Lord! Today is Memorial Day! I have a few in the family who served in the military. For starters, our late father fondly called Pacy by his tennis mates through the years, our youngest brother Erwin recuperating currently from an open heart surgery (he is doing extremely well!), our late family friend Jim, and my goddaughter/niece’s husband’s sister who is a US Navy officer, we all applaud them for their selfless service for peace and protection as we go about our daily lives. Thank you to all of you!

I celebrated my birthday yesterday, the 25^th. I did not go to church in person but I did livestreaming service instead. It’s good to be reminded of honoring God the Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Rick said:

“You are not blessed by what you have and by what you do but by who you are.”

That’s powerful. Moreover, he further claims that

“… the best way to be in control is to surrender fully to God’s control.”

Wow! How do I apply that in my life? Simple but profound. Those nuggets of wisdom  are too deep to comprehend. Perfect balance is always hanging between two seemingly opposing viewpoints: control and yieldedness. Only God can masterfully craft such discipline. Just by reading the Word of God, I gain a lot of insight; peace flows freely I cannot help crying because He washes away all the impurities my heart carries heavily. He lightens my load as I yield to His power and authority.

“Jesus is not looking for what you can do for Him but for all that you are as you walk with Him. You are meek when you finally surrender all that you are  to all that God is . You are blessed and that’s when you will inherit all that God has for you both in this life and in the life to come as well.” (Mandl, 2025).

There is a lot to digest, let alone apply in my own life. I’ve been playing his three-minute video to quote verbatim every word he says that I may not miss God’s personal message to me today and in the days to come.

“Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

I am glad he further distinguishes between meekness and weakness as we all are guilty of interpreting meekness as being a doormat and a yes person. Quite the contrary because God’s principles are strikingly in contrast with the world’s view all the time.

A case in point Christ Jesus says…

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:16

“The greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12

“Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,  and do not claim a place among his great men; ⁷ it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.” Proverbs 25:6-7

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^[a]

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:5b-7

I believe I get it by now. True humility is the hallmark of meekness. It can be attained only by abiding in Christ and applying His truths in our own lives.

I want to dedicate today to keeping in close communion with my Creator, my Shepherd, my Rock, and my Abba Father. By the way, as I was still in bed I awoke with a message on the radio “just sit with Him”

That’s right, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet while the world spins endlessly around her. She is firmly unmoved in His presence. That’s power. That’s God’s quiet strength in action.

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

¹⁹ People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.” Isaiah 30: 18-19

And what’s more, the Lord is keenly tuned to our hearts’ prayers…He wants to know what keeps us sleepless on those nights that we worry about life’s cares. Say no more because…

“They will not labor in vain,
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
    they and their descendants with them.
²⁴ Before they call I will answer;
    while they are still speaking I will hear.” Isaiah 65:23-24

How can I not be hopeful when the King of kings Himself is sharply tuned in to my heart’s pleas and aches! He loves me purely and unconditionally. He wants to know how I am all the days of my life. He wants to uphold me at all times. He wants to assure me He is only a prayer away. He needs no reason – I just need to come to Him any time of the day I feel like because He longs for my fellowship, for my worship, for my oneness with Him.

“ Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:2; 5-6

My Lord is pleased when I bring all my worries and cares to Him. No need to hide nor to carry them by myself. He longs to hear from me, whether mundane, silly, or important. The bottom line is I come to Him to commune with Him and to enjoy His company. He wants me to seek Him. Did He not say…?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:5; 9-10

When He sees me actively looking for Him, when I search for Him intently and when I …

“Love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind” Matthew 22:37

“…when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:13b-14

He longs to see me when I hunger and thirst for His presence. He welcomes me with open arms at all times…that’s how much He wants me to be by His side.

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Ephesians 3:12

Who am I before Him? And yet, that is plain and simple true about Him. I need not overthink nor ruminate nor doubt His intent. I simply have to believe that…

“…God of hope fill me with all joy and peace as I trust in him, so that I may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I have the hope that only He provides – this ‘hope which is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…’ Hebrews 6:19

Today is God’s precious gift to me. I slept in until 7:00 a.m. and got caught in grabbing every moment to check Outlook email messages; watched on YouTube short clips of the Roland Garros 2025 tennis matches except that I watched the French’s farewell tribute to Rafael Nadal instead. No clay hard-hitting and fierce competitions among the world’s best. Rafa will never play professional tennis again due to Mueller-Weiss syndrome in his left foot. It is a ‘rare degenerative disease of the navicular bone with progressive collapse and fragmentation leading to hindfoot pain and deformity.’ (Wikipedia, 2025). Nadal has been battling with said disease in the early part of his tennis career, having postponed the much-needed surgery for as long as he could, at the age of 19, until the pain is too severe to endure. He claims he is not a person with disability. Instead, he has a left foot injury. Is that a self-denial? Who knows? However, by his own self-admission, the pain is too painful to bear at times, “and unfortunately, my day by day is difficult, honestly. It’s difficult for me to accept the situation sometimes.” (Wikipedia, 2025). Those are his statements and at the same time admission of not being able to embrace the ‘injury’ completely and wholeheartedly. That’s sad. I saw him cry like a kid who cannot stop crying perhaps due to conflicting emotions difficult to discern what reason tops the most. I am not judging him. I sympathize with him actually. He mourns for the loss of playing tennis he loves most; grieving over’ what now’ moments of uncertainty, grieving over the loss of his vigor, agility, and strength…

We all have our own fair share of life struggles. I finally got myself together to head out and do errands until I noticed a missed call from my sister who just got back from a grueling almost three months of short-term mission to India. She contracted COVID-19 from someone on the plane. She noticed a young lad coughing with difficulty throughout the flight with no mask to protect her; my brother-in-law wore one and that made a huge difference. We talked for almost two hours and ended with prayers for her health and for my work struggle with my supervisor giving me a hard time with my practicum. I was hoping she did not mean to sabotage same but that’s exactly what I was thinking. I literally chased her the past days to get her sign my weekly log due Canvas submission by questioning every detail on the form. I have been in the grad program warranting approval from her for the last two years if only to be questioned only recently under the guise of utter confusion on her part. I have requested to meet with her via MS Teams or a phone call to clarify the confusion, but to no avail. She leaves me in the dark while I try to reconcile her intent to sabotage me (for reasons only she knows!) and my passing the  course – two polar opposite and diametrically opposed objectives. I am almost certain she does ‘it’ on purpose. May God help me to trust Him completely on this one. Lord, You know me. This is a Goliath struggle that requires a death-defying faith in the only true God Who alone can save me from and overcome. Help me to cling to You no matter what. You already know the outcome. Lord, spiritual warfare is on. The good news is, I have You on my side and that’s the winning formula. I just have to keep trusting in You no matter what.

Also, the CR-V has oil leak I took a picture of it. This time, I felt something was off when I drove it to Friday night’s fellowship. Again, I need to bring all my cares to You. I have no answers, only questions and petitions for You to solve them for me.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Thank You for Your faithfulness.

What a fitting description and title! Soon, summer will roll out in no time. Without knowing it, it is here for the next three months or possibly extended to a few more weeks before the first sign of autumn begins. And what a fitting way to start with summer rolls, I’m now referring to the Vietnamese staple located in San Gabriel. They have other locations in Rosemead and Temple City.

My goddaughter niece Candice picked me up at 9:30ish this morning. As soon as we parked in front of Nem by Summer Rolls in less than 30 minutes on surface street, she handed me the thick well-stitched canvas tote bag in beige and purple. How cute the color combination! I have been eyeing said tote when I first caught glimpse of it in my Google phone app. Love it but then I sidelined it to give way to the remaining spring 2025 term projects and exams. It resurrected and landed on my lap a day prior to my birthday, the 25^th, tomorrow. How cool is that! What’s more? I pigged out on four summer rolls split with Candice, along with our individual plate orders. I had the rice on top of which is thick slices of pork sausages with finely sliced carrots and cucumbers with matching sweet and sour sauce. I feasted on my empty stomach, leaving a quarter of my plate to go. We then strolled around and saw how beautiful the Mountain View Plaza is – it’s brand new, super immaculate with lots of new and interesting vendors such as Half and Half boba with a homey vibe to it. Upon entering, we were graced with chess-shaped stools in lime green and peach with matching tiled table counters. How inviting that was! My peach-green apple-strawberry shaved ice cost $10+ mostly syrup without condensed milk and boba pearls. I still crave for the 5.2 shaved ice – nothing tops it in presentation, taste, and overall visual appeal. It is still number one on my list second to none. We further walked and stopped at Bonchon, a chain restaurant famous for their authentic South Korean fried chicken. They also boast of their famous chicken wings, drums, and well-seasoned fries. I am salivating as I describe them. Yummy! Wow! That little strip also houses equally salivating gastronomy in the form of soft, almost pillowy textured dough nuts with a twist in their innovative, tantalizing flavors of peanut butter, butter pistachio, coconut, tiramisu, cream cheese, cream brulee, raspberry glazed,  Boston cream, and raspberry ball. Upon closer look, Korea once again masterminded this well-crafted premium donut brand in Seoul in 2016. Donuts are traditionally known to be sweet but how come it’s not that kind of sweet that makes you feel nauseous? It is super yummy and buttery smooth once it hits your palate – you can taste the freshest and the softest dough in mouth-watering flavors.

I have never looked at donuts with such pizzazz this way again! Even my PIC wallpaper and screen saver attest to the proclivity this author has toward the world of donuts.

Like every good thing comes to an end, so is our trip to the Mission View Plaza which houses all the above mentioned gastronomy sensations with nostalgic feeling of wanting to go back soon. This time around, we’ll be bringing the two other female cousins Sara and Samantha. We are 210% they will immediately fall in love with the newfound culinary destination right in our own backyard. We’ll be coming back with a sweet vengeance! Promise!