13 Hours of Rain

A Pandemic. Yes, it has hit our earth quicker than I ever imagined when I penned my last post. COVID-19 was in its infancy as 2019 came to a close. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the pneumonia-like illness, with zoonotic origins, a global threat to humanity. Shortly thereafter, schools suspended face-to-face instruction, non-essential businesses closed their doors and the aviation industry dramatically slowed down. Fourteen day quarantines were ordered for international travelers and anyone with flu-like symptoms (especially a dry cough, fever or difficulty breathing) were asked to isolate. Fast forward to now where all mainstream media feeds are saturated with updates on number of cases, number of recoveries and number of deaths. Some countries such as Italy, Spain and U.S.A. have been hit hard. Other countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore have escaped with low fatality rates. It is an uncertain time to be alive. Today is Good Friday, a day whe...

"Let us hold tightly to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25 In 2019, climate change overshadowed media and politics with doomsday activists claiming the world will end in about a decade or so unless people radically change their consumption behaviors. Thus, the burning of fossil fuels must be drastically reduced to hold the world temperature at its already warm rate. Greta Thunberg's "How dare you!" is still reverberating through the internet. On the other hand, anthropogenic climate change deniers adamantly assert that the earth is too big and the other climate factors too prolific to reduce global warming to one major cause. After all, the nineteen seventies heard alarms of global cooling...

Much has occurred since the last time I posted. I am one month away from completing my Business Certificate (two more major exams left - yay!). I received a full-time permanent teaching contract for the fall. We have prayed alongside several family and friends as they battled sickness or faced the death of a loved one. School, sports, swimming and piano are coming to an end as we yearn for the slower pace of summer. Through it all, time seems more and more allocated to pursuits other than quiet, intentional reflection. I guess this virtual space (practically void of readership) is my place to think, process, ponder and muse on the issues of life and faith. I have deconstructed many topics in the past as an attempt to arrive at a firm understanding. Some of those understandings remain robust and firm, such as salvation through the Grace of Jesus Christ alone. Others have become more gray-scale and ambiguous. For instance, I am a centrist politically. Now with the polarization of pol...

Four courses and three final exams later, with Christmas and New Year celebrations completed, I find myself in this moment, poised to begin a new term of learning. I feel slightly exhausted as I contemplate the work load ahead. The last four months have taught me a few things about myself. First, I can academically compete with the millennium generation. I am not sure if college became easier or these courses are a perfect fit for me or the instructors are better or my life experience has given me an edge over my competition. Nonetheless, my achievement is the highest it has ever been at this level of learning. Now, keep in mind, while the content is not rocket science, it has been a lot of work. I strove tremendously hard at keeping up and keeping ahead. God has overshadowed me with wisdom! Second, I do not envision myself sitting behind a computer entering numbers into a spreadsheet for a living. I possess a passion to teach, exhort, encourage, motivate, present, inspire, res...

Brokenness surrounds me. Brokenness is also in me. I call myself a double agent, living in two worlds at the local college. I am a student. I am an instructor. Most of my time is dedicated to learning. Accounting. Business Communications. Computers. Economics. My neurons are firing at maximum capacity. I sincerely hope my brain will adapt to the intensity of information being thrown my way. However, the element I failed to anticipate as I interact with classmates and students (who are all younger than me, I'd like to add) is the brokenness intertwined in people's stories. Several students are divorced, single moms, struggling to parent and keep up with their homework. Many of the international students are burdened with low finances. They are also trying to rapidly adapt to a different method of higher education. Others are trying their best to understand the concepts while competing with others. People either assert their dominance by touting their marks or suppress their ...

According to the University of Waterloo, Canadians value components such as fairness, inclusion, democracy, economic security, safety, sustainability, diversity, equity and health (Canadian Index of Well Being). The last week in the news was a tough stretch for our Liberal government with failed NAFTA talks and bungled paperwork on a billion dollar pipeline our nation collectively owns. In spite of the "diversity is strength" slogan emblazoned on web pages and t-shirts, our citizens comprising of different geographical regions, ethnicity, cultures, religions, genders and sexual orientations are struggling to get along. Political pundits of red, blue, orange and green are calling foul for various reasons. Forget about baby bear's "just right" porridge. It's too right for some. And too left for others. Thus, the populous is lighting up Twitter and YouTube with honest (and not so honest) questions about fairness, inclusion, democracy, economic security, safet...