While talking to one of my new friends I found out that he doesnt believe in a Supreme Being Who created the vast universe...a Creator Who has no beginning and Who has no end!

Ironically he believes that what comes and goes, comes again in a cycle. This reminded me of what a wise king of the Israelite nation wrote, “That which has been is what will be,That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.”(Ecclesiastes 1:9).

My friend believes that we are here on earth just to live and go through what will happen today or tomorrow. A plain and simple purpose.

With all the modern technology surrounding us, we still witness how the rain falls from the sky, how the bird spreads its wings and glides, we still hear the thunder roar and the lightning strike, we still can savor the sprouting leaves from the stems of a tree branch... and despite all that... most people tend to live lives in quiet desperation... with the modern way of living, of highly sophisticated gadgets which never seem to stop being upgraded, still most men search for the meaning of life, the very purpose of life they have now!

When I was younger, my late father used to bring me to the zoo for some retreat and education. There I really enjoyed viewing different animals God made. It was pleasing to my young eyes but I also felt sorry for their plight, lingering inside a cage like criminals condemned to rot in jail.

Years passed, I have my own family now.  Once in a while we also visit the zoo for the same reason, but this time with the purpose of bonding as well.  The last time I went with my family was before I left the Philippines to work here in Canada.

So much of the fond memories... anyway why am I saying this? Well I was reminded of this after reading a recent news item about a man visiting the zoo beaten and almost gored by a lion. How did it happen? The lion is inside a cage or den, and outside the fence are large signs that bear the words “DO NOT FEED THE LION.”

Now one may ask, “Why do others continue to disobey, despite the warning sign?” Are we excused? Definitely the answer is a big no! The Bible says “The heart is deceitful above all...” (Jer.17:9, Rom.7:15). As in the case of the man, why was he still tempted to go over the fence and sneak into the lions cave? The reward is brutal, he barely escaped with his life...

Across one of the most prosperous countries in the world today is a dire need of laborers or employees. You could see in almost all the newspapers on every street corner and establishment the intention of business-minded people to hire more laborers to man their businesses.

The words “HELP WANTED:F/T and P/T”, or the words NOW HIRING are visible to everyone. FT means full time and PT simply means part time...and you could imagine that job vacancies are begging for laborers in this part of the world. No wonder most people living here if not all had dual jobs, as I also personally think that this contributes for the need of more part timers.

How about you? Given the chance to see those signs hanging around everywhere and knowing you are both qualified and willing to take the job..would you settle for F/T? Or would you want to enjoy the best of both worlds and balance which job is better and settle for the P/T? Well whatever you choose should be considered seriously. All matters...

Different places, different cultures, different colors, different customs, different languages, different ways....so many differences in the world we live in...

You can be annoyed by other practices and others may well, make you think and pause for a while. Walking around in the place where I am now, everybody, know them or not, ask, “HOW ARE YOU DOING?” or the way I hear them, “HOW YA DOIN?”

Everybody, as far as I've observed, will answer back, “Good, am doing good,” or reply, “Great, am doing great today.” Afterwards they will also ask “HOW ABOUT YOU?”

“What a good custom,” I always say to myself. I am actually getting used to it. Used to say that to everyone I met in the streets, in the store, even in the bus sometimes. So much of it. But one day, when I came across one of my new found friends, I asked him, “Hey buddy how ya doin?” And his honest reply to me was, “Oh no, not today, am not good today.”

So when the Sabbath day came, I was meditating about my status as a Christian. “How am I doing as a believer?” I ask myself. What would i say in reply? Would I say, “Good am doing good,” or shall I say, “Great am doing great.” Or as I can discern my real status without batting an eyelash I would say, “Oh no am not really doing good today”?