August 2021: Optimal Health

I always wonder why John the Baptists eat locusts and wild honey. Mark 1:6 describes to us how John lived in the wilderness wearing camel's hair for his clothing with a leather belt around his waist. We can picture a hermit with a diet that is purely organic. Well, he must have lived a healthy lifestyle... a lifestyle towards Optimal Health. 

People lived an unhealthy lifestyle. As a primary care physician we advocate for people to choose to live healthy to avoid getting ill and get the complications of diabetes or hypertension. I try to enroll my patients in an Optimal Health program. I myself have started this month this 42 day program of living towards Optimal Health with changes in the way we eat, our activity, including sleep, stress reduction, reflections and mental health.

Today is also special. I have prepared some food for my mother's birthday. She have lived an Optimal Life and advocates for Optimal Health. Well it is pasta symbolic for long life and some white meat to go with it...

July 2021: The Mountain Experience

 The mountaintop experience is always associated with an encounter with God. The Bible tells us stories of encounter with the divine like how Moses met God in the mountain, the sermon in the mount and even the transfiguration of Jesus on top of the mountain. The mountain experience is always a special story we read in the Bible.

I have always loved the mountain experience. I enjoy the climb to the top as much as the feeling of reaching the top. But this short climb was a refreshing experience to appreciate the gift of life. After I got Covid-19, this was my first true test if my lungs and my body is able to withstand the challenge of the "run" to the top. It was also a reminiscing of the trail run and mountain hikes I used to enjoy when I was younger. 

The Bible stories come to life as we experience the presence of God in divine places like the mountain. 

"Tara... climb up."

June 2021: The Children

 The Bible is full of stories about children. We always remember how Jesus commanded us to let the little children come to him for the kingdom of God belongs to those like them.

Children reminds us what innocence and purity means. But it also shows us the frailty and the vulnerability of humanity. Our work as Christians is to be able to provide for them and make the lives of those who cannot help themselves a little better for them. 

Celebrating small victories like graduation from Grade School with a food treat. First time to go out of the house and order food take outs. 

May 2021: God's Wonderful Creation

 Lunar Eclipse.

There are many amazing things in the heavens and in the sky. This reminds me of the Bible Story in Psalms about awe one gets when one looks at the wonderful creation of God in the heavens, the moon and the stars. How God can make great things yet give more concern to a less than amazing being. But when you look at little children, your own kids, you understand. A parent will do anything to make their children happy. No wonder, parents can give up everything important just to make it on the special day of their child. 

My youngest daughter celebrated her 4th birthday. I tried to travel despite restrictions of this pandemic and hurdle challenges just to make it to her birthday. When we remember how God made amazing things, including us humans, then we can focus more on the good things that life may offer. 

April 2021: No One Sinned

 Covid reinfection is real. 

The story of the blind man Jesus healed in the Pool of Siloam is a too often narrative of victim blaming. The disciples asked who sinned, the blind man or his parents. Even Jesus was accused of being unlawful when what he did was to heal the sick. The constant narrative in the interventions about Covid infection is lack of discipline (in observing safety protocols of wearing mask, shield and social distancing). With this narrative, the solution is discipline - strict implementation of the law, by law enforcers. To be sure, discipline is necessary. But public health emergencies need public health interventions too. Otherwise, those infected are stigmatized as undisciplined unlawful people. What a pity to the many health workers who sacrificed their own health, safety and their lives yet still gets the blame when they get infected. 

No one has to be blamed for their own illness. Just as getting sick should not mean committing sin. The stigma and discrimination that comes with illness has been too long a narrative even in the Bible. The HIV epidemic has stigmatized and discriminated people living with HIV. Also those with Covid-19 has been labeled as disobeying safety protocols. Yet, Covid infection and reinfection can still happen without fault by anyone. 

March 2021: God's Unexpected Plan

Hope comes from God. Hope means the impossible can happen if it's God's plan. The story of Saul shows us that we might have plans that is different from God. Saul has other plans different from God but it is God's plan that happens. Everything happens according to God's plan. The news of the vaccine coming to the country through the generous donations of other countries wasn't even possible last week. Now, in just a matter of days we were told to implement the national Vaccination Plan. Well, it is always better to have an implementation than a plan remain a plan. The hope of eliminating Covid-19.

God has a plan that we do not expect. The first dose of Covid-19 vaccines were given today and I was one of the first batch to be given the dose. Despite the hesitancy of many people because of the uncertainty on the vaccine, leaders must lead by example. We got the Sinovac and almost all of us did not have any untoward reactions. By God's grace, the vaccination will help us achieve herd immunity to help end the pandemic. 

February 2021: The Wedding

 It is not difficult to find stories in the Bible experienced in real life. The wedding in Cana was a memorable story about God's bounty and Joy. But people forget that Cana could just be but a symbolic place. There was nothing special about the place in Cana but it was witness to the first miracle that Jesus performed written in the Bible. 

We would have celebrated our anniversary abroad renewing our vows in symbolic and historic churches. But the quarantine only allowed us to stay within the city. We planned of celebrating in the chapel in Callao Cave but it was close to the public. We ended up renewing our vows in a very symbolic location - under the heavens and with God as our witness.

Callao Cave is a beautiful setting of many weddings. It is witness to the vows of love of couples. Most importantly it is witness to the blessing of God as the center of the relationship.