Faith and Life Blog

  In today's world, with the information superhighway, any information that you need is now at your fingertips, and can be quickly found by checking Google or YouTube, or personal assistants such as Siri and Alexa. Better yet, as the popular saying goes, ' there is an (application) app for that.' Apple, in 2009, registered and immortalized the phrase’ there’s an app for that ’ in relation to the wide range of apps available for its iOS devices and was used in an advertisement for its iPhone. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. There is an App,  written thousands of years ago, that has stood the test of time and is as relevant today as it was then. Interestingly, this App will continue to be relevant for years and decades to come. The Bible, God's App for mankind is His letter to us, outlining His abundant love which he has lavished on us, making us His children as long as we are willing to accept the offer. It is His manual that s...

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these. Mark 12: 30-31. An incident at my office last week was a marvelous example of loving your neighbour in action. A bride had travelled to Jamaica from overseas for her big day - her wedding day.  I imagine that she had, like many brides to be, visions of the perfect wedding  day floating around in her mind. However, this was far from the reality on the actual day. As the saying goes, there is many a slip between the cup and the lip, and so, though she thought all the arrangement and preparation had been made, a major hiccup surfaced on the appointed day. Frantic, she sought help from the relevant department, but none was forthcoming. Some of my colleagues realized what was happening and immediately sprang into action, pulling out all the stops to help a stranger in ne...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)   I needed to buy a new purse, or so I thought. You see, my current purse, a Christmas present which I loved dearly, was bursting at the seams. No matter how hard I tried, the zipper would not cooperate with me. The purse would not close, it just would not budge. I thought the zipper had gone bad and that it was time for the purse to be thrown out, creating another expense that I had not budgeted for. But then I had a thought. I looked at the sides of the purse and could almost literally feel the strain it was under as the sides bulged from the weight of all that silver that had accumulated over time. Maybe if I took out the silver, I could get the purse to close! So I went to work throwing out all the silver I ...

  As I walked through my neighborhood early one morning this week, my heart overflowed with joy and gratitude. As I took in the sights and sounds, felt the cool breeze, and saw the sun slowly spread out its warm rays, I gave thanks to God for such wonderful blessings.  I looked towards the lush green mountains I was reminded of Psalm 121,' I will lift my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the maker of heaven and earth'. Casting my gaze to the intersection where the mountains kissed the sky, Psalm 19 came to mind, 'The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork'. God's green earth and magnificent heaven were certainly on display and I thank God that I was blessed with sight to be a witness of this spectacle. I then began to reflect on my own personal situation. The little C had found me but you would never know if I did not tell you. I was down but certainly not out. I was just experiencing a little bump i...

  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Recently I was reflecting on the fact that many of us are guilty of being casual and nonchalant in our efforts to achieve the things that we desire. We put out minimum efforts, expecting maximum results and then give up when things don’t turn out the way we had expected. Then instead of accepting that we are at fault, we seek a scapegoat, someone to blame. Until we accept responsibility and make it our duty to do what we are supposed to do, our dreams and visions will never materialize.   As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual.  We may desire to develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the Father but are unwilling to make the sacrifice that is required.  The things we desire will not come by simply thinking about them or wishing for them. As the old saying goes they will not come by osmosis. They require deliberate,...

Watch the Finish: Keep Pressing Boxing Day started off on a rainy note. It seemed that the planned family gathering would not materialize. It rained and rained. It stopped and then it started again. The skies were gray and all seemed lost. But eventually, the rain stopped. The sun came out. The sky was blue. Lazy clouds drifted by. There was a gentle breeze. The early rains were now a forgotten bump in the road. My siblings arrived one by one. We talked, we laughed, we ate. We had a good day together. Who would have thought that it would have ended like this? The rain came, but it did not have the last say. It came to pass. So it is with life, my friends. Your beginning may be tumultuous. Things may seem impossible, but great things lie ahead. Do not allow a temporary situation to cause you to lose sight of your permanent vision. Go through the storm. Go through the pain. Go through the challenges, the hurts, and disappointments. Keep going. Don’t stop. Use your obstacles as st...

  When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Psalm 27:10 Daddy. Dad. Papa.Pops. Pa. These are but some of the names we use to describe our earthly father, the person who gave us life, cared for us, and protected us as children.  This was the person to whom we looked for guidance and protection as we navigated our way in a big scary world filled with challenges and obstacles. We were comforted by the fact that there was someone to whom we could turn. We had no worries because our daddy was present and provided the security that we needed. The love of a father is a life-changing experience for a child. A child develops a sense of safety and security when a father plays an active and supportive role in their life.  When a father teaches, loves, guides and provides, he gives his child the right environment which moulds him into a well-rounded individual, equipped with the right tools to make a meaningful contribution to society and the world at large...