Author: Simeon Rosete

In his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey tells the story of the woodcutter. A very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber company and he got it. The pay was really good and so was the work condition. For those reasons, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees.

“Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!”

Very motivated by the boss words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he could only bring 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.

“I must be losing strength,” the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.

“Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…”

Our lives are just like that. In today’s word everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. We need to take time to sharpen the “axe”. If we don’t we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. Nothing wrong with activity and hard work but we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like our personal life, taking time to get close to our Creator, giving more time for our family, taking time to read etc.

We can sharpen the “axe” of our physical and mental lives by making sure we have god nutrition, proper rest, regular exercise and the right amount of air, water and sunshine.

And for the spiritual life, Paul says in his letter to the Romans that we should be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2) through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

This act of the Holy Spirit in renewing and sharpening us needs to happen on a regular basis. In fact EG White talks about it when she says we need to “Consecrate yourselves to God every morning” and to make this our very first work every day.

Thus we may be able to sharpen the “axe” so that we would be effective woodcutters for God in the advancement of the kingdom.

Jane McGonigal, Ph.D., Director of Games Research and Development at the Institute for the Future and a New York Times best selling author talks about the close relationship between the mind and the body and how they both influence each other. We know much about how the mind influences the body but not so much how the body influences the mind.

She talks about certain bodily movements that can bring instant relaxation to the mind, boost the mood, strengthen the willpower, promote positivity and even establish closer friendships.

What’s interesting is a suggestion she makes about developing an open mind. She talks about having the hands open, turning the palms to face the ceiling and counting to 15. Before one finishes, he should start to notice a more open mind-set.

Researchers call this phenomenon embodied cognition in which the brain takes mental cues from physical gestures. It’s like when we offer someone a helping hand, ask for help or prepare to receive something, our palms are upturned; and when we reject something or push someone away, our palms are face out. And this study shows that thousands of ears of these human interactions may leave us biologically primed to draw openness from upturned palms.

Further examples of this are the positions we take in prayer. Kneeling down or reverently bowing the head sends a message of humiliation and worship to the brain. Putting the hands up cues the mind for praise and extending the hands out with open palms readies the mind to receive the blessings that are being asked for.

In the case of feeding of the 5,000 with the five loaves and two fishes, Jesus told the disciples to make the multitudes sit down. The people sat down in obedience to the instructions from the Lord. It showed their faith in Jesus’ ability to feed them and fill them up despite the meager provisions. The people sitting down gave a message to their brains that there was food that was going to be served and Jesus rewarded their faith in His power to provide.

One day, a man decided to quit. He was going to quit his job, his relationship, his spirituality…he wanted to quit his life. He went to the woods to have one last talk with God. The conversation goes this way.

Man: “God, can you give me one good reason not to quit?”

God’ answer surprises the man.

“Looks around,” God said. “Do you see the Fern and the Bamboo?”

Man: “Yes.”

God: “When I planted the Fern and the Bamboo seeds. I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The Fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the Bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the Bamboo.

“In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the Bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the Bamboo.

“In year three there was still nothing from the Bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the Bamboo seed. I would not quit.

“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the Fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the Bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.”

God then asked the man, “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the Bamboo. I will never quit on you.”

“Don’t compare yourself to others,” He said. “The Bamboo had a different purpose from the Fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.”

“Your time will come,” God said to the man. “You will rise high.”

“How high should I rise?” the man asked.

“How high will the Bamboo rise?” God asked in return.

“As high as it can?” the man questioned.

“Yes,” God said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can.”

The man left the forest and brought back this story. His conversation with God helps us see that God will never give up on us. So never, never, never give up.

This parable also tells us that something may be small and insignificant at first but given time will rise as high as it can to the glory of God. And nothing is really wasted because while you may look so seemingly insignificant and inconsequential and may even be hidden from view, God can be helping you grow your roots for a long and purposeful life in the difficult and trying days ahead.

In an Australian study, it was discovered that men with high-fat diets were more likely to suffer from daytime fatigue and poor nighttime slumber than men with low-ft diets. Scientists doing this study speculated that fat intake affects hormones, metabolism and the central nervous system, all of which interact with the circadian clock that regulates shut-eye. In addition, the lead author noted that sleeping poorly makes people crave rich, fatty foods thus creating a vicious cycle. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get no more than 20 to 35 percent of their total calories from fat.

For those who complain of daytime fatigue and difficulty sleeping, do not think it is simply because you are getting old. Cutting down on the fat intake in your diet may take care of these problems. And of course, trusting in God and resting in His care are what we need to renew our strength and sleep good at night.

The Scriptures declare: “[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows [for] so he gives his beloved sleep.” Psalms 127:2. In Isaiah 40:31, the prophet writes: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary [and] they shall walk and not faint.”

To renew our strength and not be weary or fatigued and to be able to sleep in peace and rest, we need to trust in the Lord, wait patiently on Him and stay away from a high fat diet.

In an Australian study of 186 older women, it was shown that spending the right amount of time caring for grandchildren can keep the mind sharp. Grandmothers who watched their grandchildren one day a week did better on cognitive tests than those who cared for grandchildren more often or not at all.

This study is continuing and researchers are trying to find out the exact reason why this is so and learning how social engagement affects elder acuity.

I believe that one of the reasons the results are so is because children are by nature very inquisitive. They look at life with a sense of wonder and delight. They ask all kinds of questions. They want to understand. They like to know why things happen a certain way and not differently. And when they ask grandma and grandpa for answers to their questions, the grandparent’s minds get renewed, revitalized and sharpened.

Why those who do not care for their children did not do as well in their cognitive tests is understandable. Those who cared for their grandchildren more often than one day a week may not have done as well because too many questions from little kids can be a source of mental fatigue and plain nuisance even. After all, nature has not planned grandparents rearing little children on a full time basis unless it is thrust upon them by unavoidable circumstances such as death or incapacity on the part of the parents.

My take here would be that we should find time to expose ourselves to youthful minds that look at life with the sense of wonder and welcome the opportunity to help them understand its mysteries and complexities. And most important of all, let us teach them faith in the Creator God who showed us His love by sending His Son to die for us so that we can have life forevermore. This was the case of Timothy whose faith was instilled and developed in him through his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice for which the apostle Paul rejoiced much about. (2 Timothy 1:5).

A study was done by Harvard University on health and longevity. It involved two groups of 100 Harvard graduates between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five. The first group of university alumni retired at 65 while the other group continued to be employed for another ten years.

The results are warning to those whose purpose in retirement is a life of ease and pleasure. In the first group, those who retired at age sixty-five, seven out of eight were dead at the age of seventy-five. In the second group of 100 men who continued to work, only one out of eight was deceased by age seventy-five.

This study shows that we die sooner when we are not doing anything than when we are busy working or engaged in some kind of employment. And we are given a choice. Should we rather rust out or wear out.

We live longer when we are active, busy and working to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. The Scriptures say: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread until you return to dust; for dust you are and unto dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:20. His outline for our lives is that we ought to be working or busily engaged until we are able to or till we go to the grave!

We all go there if time continues and the Lord doesn’t come yet. But there are ways to extend out lives and postpone our appointment with death so we can accomplish more for the Lord and continue to be a blessing to others.

I want to thank the Lord for His protection and guidance during the three weeks that we were gone on vacation to the Philippines. And thanks to all of you who lifted us in your prayers we got home safely.

We were able to accomplish our mission and achieve the goals we have set for the trip. We did a circle tour of Panay (Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo) and we were able to visit the islands of Guimaras and Negros – places we have heard much about but have not actually seen or visited. Particularly in Negros, we were able to stop by our institutions there like the Bacolod Adventist Medical center (BAMC), the Negros Mission headquarters and the Central Philippine Adventist College (CPAC) including some of the tourist sites of the island.

We were also special guests and participants at the organization into a church of a church plant we helped establish five years ago at La Rioja, Patnogan, Antique. It was nice to see the rapid and steady growth of the congregation where there was no group or structure a few years ago. Now we have a number of plant facilities and 45 charter members of the church with a lot of younger folk making up the membership.

As a new organization, the church is active and busily engaged in a lot of ministries, particularly in outreach and community work.

We want to thank those who have supported the program there with their prayers, means, and moral support. The Lord knows your hearts and He will reward you everything you do to advance the cause of God and extend His Kingdom.

Man was created to be a being in relation. In the book of Genesis, following the creation of Adam, God declared: “it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable help for him.” Genesis 2:18. This shows that God intended for man to find a mate, raise a family and live out His plan for him.

But the referenced words do not just point to man’s need of a marriage partner; they also indicate that man is social being and is at his best and fullest when in a relationship rather than trying to find meaning in life as a lone ranger or a hermit, away from the society of fellow human beings.

John Donne penned the following words which have become a classic:

“No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man’s joy is joy to me;
Each man’s grief, is my own.

We need one another,
So I will defend,
Each man as my brother;
Each mas as a friend.”

We can thrive only in relationships. We need each other. Emperor Frederick, who ruled the Roman Empire in the thirteenth century, carried out a rather cruel and cruel experiment. He wanted to know what man’s original language was: Hebrew, Greek, or Latin. He decided to isolate a few infants from the sound of the human voice. He reasoned that they would eventually speak the nature tongue of man. Wet nurses who were sworn to absolute silence were obtained, and though it was difficult for them, they abided by the rule. The infants never heard a word — not a sound from a human voice. Within several months they were all dead.

Research also shows that single men are jailed more often, earn less, have more illnesses and die at a younger age than married men. It has also been shown that married men with cancer live 20% longer than single men with the same cancer. Further, women, who often have more close friendships than men, survive longer with the same cancers. Married or not, relationships keep us alive.

We note then that social relationships are not just there for our comfort or convenience. They are for our very survival and for better health and greater success in the business of living. In fact the Carnegie Technological Institute has stated that 90% of all people who fail in their life’s vocation fail because they cannot get along with people. So it is good to know how to related with them so that we can have more success and greater happiness.

And to assist us in polishing our human relations skills, here are a few reminders which have been adapted from the Bible Tract Bulletin:

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HUMAN RELATIONS

1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourtenn to smile.
3. Call people by name. One’s name is music to his ears.
4. Be friendly and helpful.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is genuinely a pleasure, and if it isn’t, learn to make it so.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like almost everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise, cautious with criticism.
8. Be considerate with the feelings of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other fellow’s, and the right one.
9. Be alert to serve. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
10. Add to this is a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience, and a dash of humility, and you will be rewarded manifold through life.

May we find greater meaning and joy in life as we live our lives according to God’s plan.

Three ministers were arguing about what each considered as the best version of the Bible. One said that the King James Version was the best because it is closest among all the Bible translations to the original languages in which the Bible was written. The second minister expressed preference for the New International Version because it is in the language of the modern day common man. What good is truth if it is not understood by the reader? he asked. The third however said he preferred his mother’s version the best. When his two colleagues expressed surprise that his mother had her own version of the Scriptures, he explained that his mom reads the Bible and then lives the truth out in her life.

And that is what Bible truth is all about. It is supposed to be read, understood and lived out in the life so that it not only transforms the life of the reader but also serves as a powerful testimony to people within the sphere of one’s influence. This was what Paul meant when he wrote to the Thessalonian believers: “[Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:3.

This is of vital importance because in a busy and materialistic world that we live in, our lives may be the only Bible that would be read by others. And so the question for us is: What kind of message do people read from the Bible of our lives?

The following poem by Arthur McPhee nails this point:

The Gospel According to You

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Are read by more than a few,
But the one that is most read and commented on
Is the gospel according to you.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day
By the things that you do and the words that you say,
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the gospel according to you?

Do men read His truth and His love in your life,
Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?
Say, what is the gospel according to you?

May the love of Jesus and the good news of His salvation be seen and read in our lives as we live our lives each day.

As we celebrate Father’s Day weekend, we pay tribute to the fathers in our congregation for what they are and what they do to keep our families going.

We live in an age when the family is under siege and the role of the father is diminished and downplayed.

We however affirm and validate that the father is the most important cog in this wheel of the home because it is the father who is its spiritual leader. It is the father’s responsibility to lead, guide, protect and provide for the members of the family. When the father fails in the tasks, the home crumbles and falls.

The enemy knows this and so he has focused his fury on the home because the home is the basic unit of the church and society and as the family and the home go, 90 go the nation and the church. And he has concentrated his attacks on the fathers of the home because he also knows that as the father goes, so goes the home.

So, to the fathers, we say thank you for all you do. We respect, appreciate, value and love you for who you are and what you do. And we pray that the Lord blesses you as you continue to faithfully carry on your God-given tasks. Following is a poem for fathers.

A DAD IS
A Dad is respected,
because he gives his children leadership.
A Dad is appreciated,
because he gives his children care.
A Dad is valued,
because he gives his children time.
A Dad is loved.
because he gives his children the one thing
they treasure most – himself.

Happy Father’s Day.