In the coming days, God willing, we shall be talking about yummy and healthy FOODS and fitness exercises, but today let me talk about another type of food – FOOD FOR THE SOUL
SELF REFLECTION
Lately I have not been feeling well due to chronic anemia and hypertension. While lying on my bed last night, trying very hard to attract some sleep, my mind wandered back to many thoughts that had been filling my head since start of CoViD19 LOCKDOWN and QUARANTINE and CURFEW here in Saudi Arabia. One story after another, of the sad and sudden deaths of well-loved front-line care workers from all sectors of society due to CoViD19 have flooded the social media and other news portals. And just recently I witnessed the grief of a friend whose father died of a sudden heart attack back home in the Philippines. She so desired to go home but international flights were still suspended, and if flights were available and she was able to get emergency leave which, by the way, is not easy to get approved, she would spend 14 days in a quarantine facility before she could finally reach her family, and when she reached them, she would not be able to even hug her mother or siblings in observance of social distancing. All these new-normal practices could only shatter one’s already sorrowful heart.
I hear friends and relatives who mourn the loss of their loved ones without even paying them their last respect due to strict community quarantine policies. All these things have happened so suddenly. Nobody was prepared for this pandemic and its impact to man and environment. I feel bewildered about people panic-buying toilet papers, alcohols, food supplies and many non-essentials for ‘fear of a lot of things’.
So you see how active my mind was while getting ready to bed. I was like King Solomon in the last moments of his life, when he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. He started saying in chapter-1 that ‘Everything is Meaningless’, followed by: ‘wisdom is meaningless’, ‘pleasures are meaningless’, ‘wisdom and folly are meaningless’, ‘toil is meaningless’, ‘riches are meaningless’. Then in chapter-3 his wisdom teaches us that THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and a time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace.
– from the Holy Bible, – ECCLESIASTES, 22nd book of the Old Testament
A food for my weary soul!
As I reflected and pondered upon this Scripture passages, not only did I gain many insights but I gravely realized that if this pandemic prevails beyond six months or more as predicted by some, many things can happen, and with my current health condition, I could be one of those who will not be able to survive.
It made me sad thinking about my family back home. The last time I was with them was almost two years ago. If it happens that I leave this life to be with my Saviour in my current situation, my only wish is for all of my loved ones to come to where I am going when their time on earth is over. I got to at least talk to them about LIFE beyond the here-and-now. But how? When we video-chat we talk about other things and we laugh a lot. So there have been no chance for me to share with them this food-for-their-soul.
SEE YOU WHEN I SEE YOU
On our Messenger Group Chat with my siblings, I started typing these words: See you when I see you…
Then I continued on…. But on my laptop, to be sent soon.
Here goes my letter:
My dearly beloved siblings,
Hey, what’s up? Been thinkin’ of you a lot lately. I have not been well these past few weeks. I feel like I’ll be gone any moment soon. It would be my joyous glorious day when that happens. I shall go to heaven where my soul is saved for and be with my Lord forever.
You have been aware of my faith since I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in 1985. I was just 18 then. I regret that we do not seriously talk about God and Heaven when we get together. We talk endlessly about all the sad and happy things and we enjoy singing and laughing and just have fun. All these things will I cherish forever. I would not exchange you for anything in this world. Our bond and love as siblings are matchless.
We cannot escape reality, though. We need to decide NOW where our souls must go. We have only two choices – Heaven or Hell. And it has to be decided now, while we are alive, not when our body loses its ability to breathe and the mind is naught.
I have chosen Heaven in 1985 when some young people boldly shared and preached the Word of God. I realized then that being a good person or joining a religious sect would not make us worthy of Heaven, as is being taught in many churches and homes.
I will never forget the turning point in my life when I heard the story of Nicodemus in the New Testament, Gospel of John, Chapter 3, where he asked the Lord Jesus Christ how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And the Lord answered him, “you must be born again”. Human as Nicodemus was, like us, he asked the Lord, “how can that be, will I go inside my mother’s womb to be born again?… oh, how like us! We are like Nicodemus, so philosophical…hehehe
The wonderful experience of Nicodemus after the Lord explained that He was talking about Spiritual birth had me believe. It was impossible for me to believe then, considering our up-bringing and culture. We were introduced to paganism while we were young, as part of our culture, and our father was an atheist. We were introduced to Christian religion only after our parents died. So, for me back then, it was a surprise to be able to believe in God after hearing a story in the Bible.
I came to understand later on, when I continued to study the Bible, that what happened to me was a powerful work of God. It is He who gives us faith. I never intended to listen to preaching of the Word, but there I was, skeptical at first but was convinced and humbled afterwards. It was a wonderful and new experience for me.
My spiritual hunger to learn more about the Word of God led me to better understand what it means to be born again. It is clearly explained in the Letters of the apostles, Paul, Peter, John, James, and the other disciples, Dr. Luke and Jude – all in the New Testament. To be born again, we need to understand that we are not worthy of Heaven because we have sinned. But we were washed by the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on the cross at Calvary, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish to Hell where sinners go, but will have eternal life in Heaven.
Believing in Christ means having faith that He is the Son of God; that He came and dwelt among men. He died for you and me, and His death is a sacrifice so that instead of us paying for our sins, it was He who was the ransom. He saved us! He died on our behalf. He was buried, but He did not remain in the grave. He resurrected on the third day, and is now at the right hand of God in Heaven. If we believe, we need to invite Jesus Christ to take over our lives. When we do this, He will reside in us and will direct us to do His will.
As I am writing this, I am praying God will give you faith today as He did to me. I am writing and praying in tears, because I fervently hope that we shall see each other again and live longer together, and be together forever in Heaven after our pilgrimage here on earth. To invite Christ into your lives, you need to pray, like talking to a suitor who has been wooing you and you finally accepted his love… You may pray similar to my prayer back when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1985. It goes something like this:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I have sinned against my parents, and other people. I did not believe in You because of many reasons. But here I am now. I thank you for Your love that You sent Your only Son Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice, dying in my place. I now acknowledge and accept Your Son as my Savior and Lord. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, please come into my life and be my Lord. May I be where You are. Thank you very much. Amen.”
I remember this was how I prayed. There were a lot of other things I told God that moment when I surrendered to Him. I was overwhelmed with inner peace afterwards.
When you invite Christ sincerely into your life, your spirit will be reborn. You will become a new creation as the apostle Paul says in his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17.
I hope and really pray that you will choose Heaven as I did.
It is not about religion. It is about life beyond. Please let us be together forever in Heaven. I hope we could chat online and talk more about these things.
See you when I see you….
FACTS OF LIFE
What is happening now in the entire world is a fulfillment of prophecies proclaimed and written by God’s prophets in times bygone, chronicled in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. I call them the facts of life. Let us mention some of those:
1. There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be:
a. lovers of themselves, b. lovers of money, c. boastful, d. proud, e. abusive, f. disobedient to their parents, g. ungrateful, h. unholy, i. without love, j. unforgiving, k. slanderous, l. without self-control, m. brutal, n. not lovers of the good, o. treacherous, p. rash, q. conceited, r. lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.
[from the 2nd Letter of Paul to Timothy, Chapter 3, verses 1-5, New International Version, New Testament, Holy Bible]
2. There will be pestilences, wars and rumors of war. There will be earthquakes, famine, and perilous times in the last days.
3. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of many will wax cold.
[from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, New Testament, Holy Bible, New International Version]
4. The earth will come to its destruction.
We can go on and on and talk more about prophecies and facts. But the bottomline is that: We cannot save our own selves from the destruction of the earth. We need a Savior. That Savior is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
God has provided a way out. That Way is Jesus Christ. [from the Gospel of John, Chapter 14, verse 6, New Testament]
LOOK FOR ME…
Here is a song I love to sing. It was written and sung by Rusty Goodman. You might like to hear it sung by his daughter Tanya Goodman Sykes. You can watch it from the Gaither Homecoming concerts. This song is for those who are assured of their salvation, who faithfully awaits the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Below is the lyrics of the song – LOOK FOR ME – another food for the soul.
When you finally make your entrance to that city Of jasper walls, and bright gold avenues As you behold all its beauty and splendor Remember there’s just one request I make of you Look for me, for I will be there, too I realize when you arrive, there’ll be so much to view After you’ve been there ten thousand years, a million, maybe two Look for me for I will be there, too As you go down your list of Firsts, there’s no question You’ll want to see your loved ones, waiting there for you And when you feel, you’ve shared your story with the last one That wants to hear you tell just how you made it through Look for me, I’d like to hear it, too I realize when you arrive, there’ll be so much to view After you’ve been there ten thousand years, a million, maybe two Look for me, for I will be there, too.
MY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for guiding me in writing this first blog for my website. Please bless all those who are reading this with a wisdom that comes from You only, that they may come to know You and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So that when the appointed time comes, we shall look for each other in Heaven.
May you feed their souls with your Word and give each one of them faith to believe in You.
May You also bless the Letter to my siblings that I am about to send them. May they submit and surrender to Your call as You knock on the doors of their hearts, and invite You into their lives.
Further, I pray for this website to be Your channel of blessings, that many who are seeking peace, relief, help, assistance, support, and other needs, may find them here in this website.
May Your Holy Name be magnified, glorified, honored, and praised now and forevermore.
This is my prayer in the Name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Chuna
Reggie
says:I think this post is very informative, I think that the ting with the pandemic was very sad. I don’t have the best health when the pandemic started and I was in panic about it. I was terrified to leave my house and lost my job.
I never lost faith that God would keep me and my family safe and offer me financial security. I kept believing that God would help me through tough times. I still believe in him throughout all the tough times and that all will be good.
admin
says:Hi Reggie,
Many people lost many precious things and loved ones during this pandemic, but praise be to God, that things are a little bit better these days.
Let us not lose faith in God no matter what.
Thank you for your comment, and I am glad you find this post informative.
God bless you,
Chuna
Paolo
says:King Salomon sure had words of wisdom. It all has its time under the sun. I imagine that queen that came from afar listening to him. We should listen more to what, not only Salomon says, but God in the whole Bible. We feed our bodies with our diet. And we feed our souls with the scriptures.
admin
says:Hi Paolo,
Thank you for sharing your insights. Yes, listening to Scriptures makes us wiser and stronger and a lot more.
I hope to post more food for the soul in the coming days.
God bless you,
Chuna
Shahid Mohammed
says:Your site is good but images link and links in the test as please check it out. I have found that you need to add your affiliate links in 3 to 4 places in your posts, thank you. I have clicked an image and could not get to the affiliate link as check that one too.
admin
says:Thank you, Shahid
I really appreciate your honest observations. And yes, I have checked all my posts, and found some links are no longer active, which I am now fixing.
I look forward to your frequent visits to my website.
God bless you,
Chuna
Joseph
says:What a wonderful post Chuna! And a sentiment that I feel very intimately each and every day and the feeling grows more intense as time fades and the words of Solomon seem for a brief moment to be the wisest I’ve every reckoned. But alas, understanding this is exactly where the sinner can see clearly: there is not hope apart from Jesus Christ! Thank you for such a touching post.
admin
says:Thank you for the kind words, Joseph
Indeed, Solomon shares tons of wise teachings as his wisdom comes from God.
God bless you always,
Chuna
Edith Cofin
says:See you when I see you
We miss you mie
We miss the time we had fellowships there in Saudi, and sharing the words of God.
See you the soonest😊
Chuna Cofin
says:Yes, see you when I see you
I miss you all, and thanks for visiting. This means a lot anak…
God bless you always,
Mommy
Juliet
says:Thank you Chuna, for this post. I love the food for the soul the best out of all foods. True we are in perilous times. King Solomon must have seen into the future when he penned down those words in Ecc chapter 3. All the different times and seasons seem to have come upon us all at the same time. It is so good that we can have comfort and hope in the word of God.
admin
says:Hello Juliet,
Thank you very much for dropping by, and for the kind and encouraging words.
I’m happy to know we agree about the best food of all – the Word of God.
More blessings to you and your family.
Stay safe,
Chuna
Imelda
says:Very reflecting,
I found your article very interesting especially as I am a catholic but not a true practice individual as such. I try to be a good person and in the recent years I spend time to care for myself and help others to do the same.
I must admit this article did come as a surprise as I expected it to be about food but you are right in the fact that our soul is important.
It has been very scary times of late and has made people think about life a lot more and their family and friends. I especially enjoyed reading There Is A Time For Everything.
Thank you
Imelda
admin
says:Hello Imelda,
So nice of you to drop by, and share you thoughts about food for the soul.
Yes, it is enjoyable to read King Solomon’s Book of Ecclesiastes. It has 12 chapters. You will love it.
Looking forward to more of your visits.
Stay safe always.
God bless you more,
Chuna
Eugene Rivera
says:We are what we eat and having the right diet is very important for our health combined with the right exercise routine. I learned that each human being has their unique body chemistry and food reacts in a different way for each one of us. I had problems all my life with my weight, and all these diets do not help at all. We just have to be disciplined on what we put into our mouths and be conscious of our health. God gave us this body for us to take care of it.
admin
says:Hello Eugene,
Thanks for dropping by and for reading my other articles.
I look forward to more visits.
Thank you so much and God bless you,
Chuna
Sariyah
says:Hey chuna, firstly so sorry to hear of the losses, hope you are well. And secondly thanks for this article, I learnt quite a few interesting things about the religion one of them being the similarities.
Thank you for sharing your story! The pandemic has surely caused a lot of trouble to people near and far! Hope everyone stays safe! Take care
admin
says:Hi Sariyan,
Thanks for the kind words and for dropping by.
I’m glad you find this article worth reading.
I wish you blessings, and may you stay safe,
Chuna
Michelle Lake
says:Dear Chuna,
Thanks for this reflective article. I see your heart and soul in it. Yes, Corona has changed the way of life…and death for many people globally, it is amazing.
It does however leave us time to reflect on the importance of life ‘as we know it’ and even more, after its arrival.
Yes, in a nutshell, we need to be the best that we can be and to ensure that we are communicating with those we care about, because, after all…life is indeed a gift.
I wish you health, peace of mind and clarity, Chuna.
Namaste,
Michelle
Chuna Cofin
says:Dear Michelle,
Thanks a lot for visiting. We share the same thoughts and feelings.
I wish you more blessings, too.
Namaste,
Chuna
Perfect-Peace
says:Thank you so much ma’am for this outpouring of your mind. Indeed, getting to love Jesus is the best thing that can happen to any human. Being that we will be able to recognize people in heaven, it is very important for us to carry our friends and family as we relentlessly make it our aim to please God. The reason is, our joy will never be complete in heaven if we can’t find our family members and friends there.
My heart goes out to your friend and her family. However, she must encourage herself in the lord. We have a reliable friend in Jesus, I’m sure he will never let her down because he cares more than she knows and is ever present to provide her succour.
Regarding your health, our Christ did not promise us a trouble-free life but he promised to be with us through it all. You must build your faith daily and confess the promises of God as found in the scriptures. He says’ with long life he will satisfy you and show you his salvation’. He says ‘ fear not, for I am with you’. He says ‘ because I the lord God is alive, you house of Jacob( China) can never be consumed’. He says ‘ there shall be no loss in the land’.
I will conclude with God’s word in Num 31:49… And the servant after the war said to the king’ sir, we have counted our soldiers and NO ONE OF US IS MISSING’. This will be our thanksgiving words after this whole pandemic has died down. May God keep us rapture-ready always.
admin
says:Hello Peace,
It’s so nice of you to drop by and share your heart’s message as well.
Thank you also for reminding to proclaim the promises of God moment by moment, and for the powerful message of Numbers 31:49
God bless you always,
Chuna
Geri
says:Very well thought and written. I feel you about worries for family who are not yet on board with us in the faith. We’ve done our part to share and pray for our loved ones. It’s now in God’s hand. The sheep will answer to the Shepherd’s call.
Keep up manang, I love reading your penned thoughts. Praying all is well with you.
All the best,
Geri
admin
says:Hello Geri,
Thank you so much for dropping by.
And oh, praying continually for our loved ones, one day soon they shall join us. In Christ Jesus. Amen
Have a great day.
Chuna
Jackie Andong
says:Wow i miss our great time together in Lias and Barlig upon reading this ate. Indeed could look forward for an eternal life because of Iur Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has redeemed us from the penalty of sin.
I really love the that song “ Look for Me” which we often sing in Lias.
admin
says:Hello Jackie,
Yes, I miss those years. Such fond memories we had.
My hugs to your little one. Say my regards to your loviedove..
Thank you so much for dropping by. God bless you always.
ChubbyMomshie,
Chuna
David Koh
says:Hi Chuna,
That is a touching and meaningful message of life. With many important points to ponder on. About what are the crucial things in life besides foods which is well taken care of. It brought back my childhood memories of reading biblical stories abour Jesus Christ.
After reading through it, the initial thought that came to my mind, is about real foods. Then, i realised that you are referring to food for the soul. The ” Daily Bread” , the GOD’s Words.
Whick go way beyond the daily necessities. And it take a different set of thinking to understand what is written in the Bible. From the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ, The Son of Man, came to this world to set an example, how to live life in the eye of GOD. Well written with a powerful message from GOD. Love it. And really learn a lot from it.
Best wishes,
David Koh
admin
says:Hello David,
Thank you very much, first for dropping by, and second, for the the nice message. One day soon, I shall visit your website and learn about mountain biking.
God bless you,
Chuna
admin
says:Hello Greg,
Thank you so much for dropping by and for the kind words. Indeed, it is never late to say our love to our family, both biological and spiritual.
God bless you,
Chuna
VIKA MJOKA
says:Hi Chuna, So sad to hear about your friend’s loss and every other loss during these difficult times. I pray that there be a relief in the horizon, God is always at hand giving guidance all we have to do is give all to His divine plan. thanks for the prayer as well.
admin
says:Hi Vika,
Thanks for dropping by.
I will relay your prayer to my friend. She is feeling better this time and she smiles and talks often now. I’m sure she will appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
God bless you,
Chuna
Diane
says:Very thought-provoking, Chuna. I agree that our lives right now are a bit strange, but am so thankful we have God’s Word to guide us. While my WA site is about houseplants, I also have other sites: an author site (with links to my other sites) and even a food site! If you would like to visit my author site, it’s http://dianekann.com
I wish you all the best with your website. I look forward to seeing updates!
admin
says:Hello Diane,
Thanks for visiting, and for the kind words.
It’s good that you mentioned about your websites. Surely I will visit them the soonest.
I wish you all the best, too.
God bless you,
Chuna
Karen de Necker
says:Beautiful post. I would only add photos. More than enough reading but images attract attention. I share your beliefs and prayer. “Look for me” is a lovely heart warming song. You can return the favor and have a look at my website . All the best for you and your website. regards Karen
admin
says:Hello Karen,
Thank you so much for dropping by, and for for the recommendations. I shall look into some relevant photos to add.
And yes, let us look for each other in heaven, but I’d love to meet in person all my friends at Wealthy Affiliate if God is willing.
I already lined-up in my Task List, to visit your website the soonest.
God bless you,
Chuna
Greg
says:Man does not live by bread alone. In our lives, we need the contact of family and friends, and in these days, that is especially important. But more important, we need to reaffirm our contact with our spiritual family. Good post Chuna, thanks for sharing.
Thomas
says:Chuna, very well written! Words from your heart and so meaningful. Thank you for sharing! God has blessed you.
admin
says:Hi Thomas,
Thank you very much for dropping by and for the kind words.
God bless you,
Chuna