Men propose, God disposes.  At the end of the day, we can only make plans and try to realize them; there is no guarantee! Hence, the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius, the second century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, that says, “What any man can do, you can do” is not always true.  Ther...

I have learned a lot from you who must weather the storms of life.  I marvel at you for being strong in the face of adversity and for not giving up.  I honor you for not only surviving but also thriving, for not letting life’s hardship bog you down. Week after week you still come [&helli...

The Bible tells us that it was in Antioch, now located in the southern part of Turkey bordering with Syria, that the disciples of Jesus were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26), followers of Christ. It was not a name chosen by the disciples but rather a name given by others. Jesus did not sta...

In his book, The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan tells the journey of a man, namely Christian, from a place called the City of Destruction, referring to the world, to the Celestial City, referring to the heavens.  Along the way Christian must face various obstacles that try to stop him from r...

We always go from Point A to Point B, either by walking, driving, or other ways.  Spiritually we always go, too, from Point A, where we are now, to Point B, where God wants us to be.  We do not always know where Point B is and how God will take us there.  His mode […]...

I’d like to thank you for praying for my mom.  When I left her three days ago, she was weak but already in a stable condition.  We hope and pray that with therapy she will be able to regain some of her bodily functions.  While I was there, I was able to visit with Herwi.  [&hel...

One chokes out wisdom, the other makes space for wisdom. There is always a wrestling match going on in our hearts and minds – that between pride and humility. That between us thinking we know what’s best, and us knowing we need help and guidance – with the truest guidance being from God. Prove...

What’s the wisest first step? In Lifeline we’ve been working through the book of Proverbs. It’s been an enlightening journey. One of the amazing word pictures in Proverbs is what wisdom really is. Wisdom in the Hebrew mind isn’t just knowledge, but it’s a tangible skill. The word translate...

If God’s willing by the time you are reading this Santy and I will have been in Jakarta, visiting my mother who suffered a stroke several days ago due to a blocked artery in her brain that caused her blood pressure elevated.  By the grace of God her blood pressure has now come down to [&helli...

Last week our brother Anyauw was admitted to the hospital. When we visited him, he was still in good spirits and able to chat freely; in fact, that evening he and I still talked over the phone. The following day he was admitted to the ICU where he remained till the day he moved to […]...