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A Pastoral-Theological Reflection on Digital Self-Doubt
I clicked on a Facebook ad without thinking much of it.
It named something familiar: distraction, procrastination, the slow, wandering path of creative work. The ad promised clarity in three minutes — a quick test to “understand my mind.” And because I’m a writer, and because I’m human, I tapped “Learn more.”
The quiz was simple enough. A few questions about focus, motivation, and forgetfulness. But as I moved through it, I felt something shift. The questions weren’t neutral. They nudged me toward interpreting ordinary human experiences as symptoms. And at the end, the quiz delivered its predetermined conclusion: You have ADHD.
Conveniently followed by a counselor ready to help.It wasn’t a diagnosis.
It was a funnel.And that realization became the real point of discernment.
The Digital Moment That Makes You Doubt Yourself
There’s a particular kind of vulnerability that digital platforms know how to exploit. It’s the moment when you’re tired, reflective, or simply curious enough to wonder:
Is this normal?
Is something wrong with me?The quiz didn’t just ask questions. It invited me to reinterpret my own humanity through the lens of pathology. It suggested that my creative rhythms — the circling, the pausing, the slow burn of writing — were signs of disorder rather than signs of craft.
That’s when I realized:
The quiz wasn’t diagnosing me.
It was shaping me.The Oldest Temptation in a New Digital Form
Theologically, this moment echoes one of the oldest human vulnerabilities. In Genesis 3, the serpent doesn’t begin with rebellion. It begins with a question:
“Did God really say…?”
The goal is not information.
The goal is destabilization.Digital self‑diagnosis tools often function the same way:
- “Do you really know yourself?”
- “Are you sure this isn’t a disorder?”
- “What if your normal struggles are actually pathology?”
The quiz becomes a mirror that distorts rather than reflects.
It whispers:
Maybe you’re not who you think you are.When Marketing Masquerades as Care
Pastoral theology insists on a crucial distinction:
Care is relational.
Marketing is transactional.A pastor, clinician, or spiritual director begins with you — your story, your history, your context, your dignity.
A digital funnel begins with your vulnerability — and moves you toward a product.
This is not to demonize technology.
It’s to name the difference between:- discernment and diagnosis
- relationship and retention
- care and conversion metrics
When a quiz tells you who you are and then immediately offers a paid solution, it’s not practicing care. It’s practicing strategy.
The Human Reality: Not All Distraction Is Disorder
One of the quiet gifts of pastoral theology is its refusal to reduce the human person to symptoms.
Writers procrastinate.
Artists wander.
Pastors pause, reflect, and return.
Humans get tired, overwhelmed, or bored.None of this is inherently pathological.
In fact, much of what we call “distraction” is actually:
- incubation
- creative gestation
- subconscious processing
- the mind circling a truth it isn’t ready to articulate
My writing practice — slow, deliberate, recursive — is not evidence of ADHD.
It’s evidence of craft.The quiz didn’t reveal a diagnosis.
It revealed a marketing strategy.The Theological Core: You Are Not a Problem to Be Solved
Christian anthropology begins with a declaration:
“It is good.”
Before sin, before struggle, before distraction, before diagnosis —
the human person is named as good.Digital diagnostic culture reverses this order.
It begins with:“You are probably broken. Let us tell you how.”
Pastoral theology insists on the opposite:
“You are beloved. Let us discern what is happening within that belovedness.”
This doesn’t dismiss real mental‑health conditions.
It simply refuses to let algorithms define the soul.Discernment Over Diagnosis
A real ADHD assessment is relational, contextual, and careful.
It involves:- a clinician
- a history
- a conversation
- a story
- a community
A three‑minute quiz cannot hold a human life.
But pastoral discernment can.
The question is not, Do I have ADHD?
The deeper question is:What is this moment revealing about how I understand myself?
And even deeper:
Who gets to name me?
A quiz?
An ad?
A marketing funnel?
Or the God who calls you beloved?A Pastoral Word for the Digital Age
We live in a time when algorithms try to tell us who we are before we’ve had a chance to remember whose we are.
Digital tools can help us.
But they can also shrink us.They can illuminate.
But they can also distort.And so the pastoral invitation is simple:
Be slow to let a screen define you.
Be slower still to let it diagnose you.
And be anchored in the truth that your identity is not a product of yourdata, your habits, or your attention span — but of your belovedness.
Because at the end of the day, an algorithm can measure patterns, but it cannot hold a story.
It can track your clicks, but it cannot trace your calling.
It can predict your behavior, but it cannot perceive your soul.
Only relationship can do that.
Only community can do that.
Only God can do that.
So the next time a quiz tries to tell you who you are, pause.
Take a breath.
Remember that you are more than your browser history, more than your distractions, more than your productivity, more than your wandering mind.
You are a person in process.
A life unfolding.
A soul being shaped in ways no algorithm can quantify.
And perhaps the most pastoral thing we can say in this digital age is simply this:
You are not a problem to be solved.
You are a mystery to be tended.
And you are held — not by metrics, but by mercy.
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Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with conservative evangelical friends—some here in the United States, some back home in the Philippines—who sincerely believe that voting for Donald Trump and the Republican Party is the most faithful way to advance the pro‑life cause. Their conviction is real. Their desire to protect life is genuine. And I honor that.
But I’ve also noticed something else: many of these same friends have come to see abortion almost entirely through a political lens. The assumption is simple and deeply held: If we elect the right people, we will save more lives.
I understand the impulse. I, too, consider myself pro‑life, though with exceptions for rape, incest, and medically dangerous pregnancies. But I’ve never believed that political power alone can carry the moral weight of such a complex and deeply human issue.
A recent article in Christianity Today helped me understand why.
The piece examined abortion laws across the United States and found something striking: the strongest predictor of a state’s abortion policy is not how it votes, but how often its people attend church. States with high church attendance tend to have restrictive abortion laws. States with low attendance—even conservative ones—tend to protect abortion access.
The article’s conclusion was gentle but unmistakable:
Evangelicals may have unintentionally weakened the pro‑life movement by making it primarily political rather than spiritual.One line in particular stayed with me:
“Ultimately, if pro-life Christians can share the gospel and increase the number of churchgoers in their regions, they might be able to do more lasting good for the pro-life cause than any purely political strategy could accomplish.”
That sentence captures something I’ve been sensing for years.
Politics cannot do the work of discipleship
Many of my MAGA‑aligned friends believe that political victories are the key to cultural transformation. But the data suggests the opposite: politics tends to follow formation, not create it. When church life is strong, people’s moral imagination is shaped long before they enter a voting booth. When church life is weak, political strategies collapse—even in states that vote overwhelmingly conservative.
This is why we’ve seen pro‑life ballot measures fail in places where Republicans win easily. The political identity is strong, but the spiritual formation is thin.
A movement built on outrage cannot sustain compassion
I’ve also noticed that when abortion becomes primarily a political weapon, something precious is lost. Compassion becomes conditional. Nuance becomes suspect. Exceptions—like rape, incest, or life‑threatening pregnancies—are dismissed as “compromise.” And the women at the center of these stories disappear behind slogans.
This is not the way of Christ.
The Jesus I follow—the Jesus who drew me into the evangelical movement in the first place—never reduced people to issues. He never used moral questions as political leverage. He formed people through presence, community, and love.
What if the real pro‑life work is quieter?
What if the most effective pro‑life witness is not a voting bloc but a community of people who embody the compassion of Christ?
What if the real work is:
- strengthening churches
- supporting mothers
- addressing poverty
- expanding healthcare
- reducing domestic violence
- building communities where children are welcomed, not feared
These are not partisan ideas. They are deeply Christian ones.
A word to my friends who care deeply about life
I know your heart. I know your sincerity. I know you want to protect the unborn. But I hope this article—and this reflection—opens a small window to a larger truth:
Political victories cannot replace spiritual formation.
Legislation cannot replace discipleship.
And no candidate, no matter how loudly they claim to be “pro‑life,” can do the work the church has neglected.If we truly want to cultivate a culture of life, we must begin not at the ballot box but at the table, in the pews, in our neighborhoods, and in the quiet, unglamorous work of loving people well.
That is where lasting change begins.
And that is where the way of Christ still leads. -
Dunbar Spring
https://naturalbuildingblog.com/a-food-forest-transforms-dunbar-springs-arizona/I’ve been learning more about Arizona lately, and my admiration for the state keeps growing.
One story that really stayed with me comes from the Dunbar Spring neighborhood in Tucson.
Years ago, a small group of residents there began experimenting with rainwater harvesting — long before it was common or even fully legal.
They believed that the water falling on their roofs and streets shouldn’t be wasted. It could nourish their gardens, cool their streets, and support a healthier way of living.
Their commitment didn’t stop at their own homes. They worked with city leaders, pushed for policy changes, and helped make rainwater harvesting not only legal but encouraged throughout Arizona.
Today, Dunbar Spring is known for its native plants, shaded walkways, and a community culture built around caring for the land.
Meanwhile, here in Las Vegas, collecting rainwater isn’t allowed. It makes me appreciate even more how Arizona treats water as something to be stewarded, not discarded. There’s a quiet wisdom in that — a way of living that feels both humble and forward‑thinking.
It’s inspiring to see a place where sustainability isn’t just a slogan, but a lived practice.
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China and the United States are two big countries with very different ways of doing things. Imagine China as someone painting with a brush—slow, careful, and steady. Now picture the U.S. as a jazz musician—fast, creative, and always changing the tune.
China plans far ahead. Its leaders build cities, trains, and technology with long-term goals. They don’t change direction often, and they like things to stay organized. People follow rules, and the government makes most of the big decisions.
The U.S. is more like a jam session. Every few years, a new president comes in and changes the song. Some people love the freedom to speak up and try new ideas. Others feel frustrated when plans get reversed and progress gets delayed.
China’s way can feel calm and powerful—but it doesn’t always let people speak freely. The U.S. can feel exciting and full of choices—but sometimes it’s messy and hard to agree on things.
Both countries have strengths. Both have problems. And both are trying to shape the future in their own way.
So instead of asking which one is better, maybe we can learn from both. From China’s steady brushstrokes, we learn patience and planning. From America’s jazz notes, we learn creativity and courage.
Together, they show us that the world needs both rhythm and reason. And maybe, just maybe, we can find a new way to play—one that brings out the best in everyone.
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I’ve been reflecting on something that science and faith seem to agree on: when the brain goes quiet, consciousness doesn’t disappear—it returns to something bigger.
A 2025 study published in Nature Human Behaviour found that under deep anesthesia, the brain’s unique “fingerprint”—the pattern that makes you you—completely fades (Nature Human Behaviour, 2025). The networks that hold your memories, your sense of self, your story… they all go silent. And yet, when the anesthesia wears off, your awareness returns. Your “I Am” comes back.
This has led some scientists to ask: maybe the brain doesn’t ‘create’ consciousness. Maybe it ‘conducts’ it—like a radio tuning into a signal. When the radio breaks, the signal doesn’t vanish. It just stops being heard through that device.
Dr. Stuart Hameroff (Hameroff, 2022) and physicist Sir Roger Penrose (Penrose, 1994) believe that consciousness flows through quantum processes in the brain’s microtubules. When those processes collapse, awareness fades. When they restart, the self returns.
I’ve also seen research by Dr. Robert Hesse and The Contemplative Network showing that prayer, compassion, and forgiveness increase coherence in both brain and heart rhythms (Hesse, 2023). That means these spiritual practices may help us tune into the field of consciousness more clearly. Maybe faith isn’t just belief—it’s a way of aligning with something real and measurable.
So what happens when the brain dies?
If the brain is a conductor, then death isn’t the end of consciousness. It’s the moment when the signal returns fully to the field. The “I Am” may dissolve into something universal. Or—if Christ’s resurrection was historical—it may be retrieved. Not just remembered, but reawakened.
The resurrection, to me, is more than a miracle. It’s a message: that our identity is not lost in death. It’s held. It’s known. It can be restored.
“In God we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
Science and faith are not enemies. They’re two ways of describing the same mystery. And when the brain goes silent, consciousness does not fade into nothing. It fades into everything.
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By Ed FernandezIn the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic death, many in the evangelical world have rushed to memorialize him as a bold truth-teller and defender of Christian values. But for Black communities and their allies, this moment demands more than mourning—it demands honesty.
Kirk’s legacy, like that of 19th-century theologian Robert L. Dabney, is a study in contradiction. Both men were articulate defenders of Christian orthodoxy. Both were also unapologetic opponents of Black dignity and testimony. Dabney, revered in Reformed circles, wrote extensively in defense of slavery and white supremacy. Kirk, in more modern terms, used his platform to undermine Black narratives, often cloaking his rhetoric in appeals to free speech and patriotism.
Theological brilliance cannot excuse moral blindness. As Black theologians like James Cone and Willie Jennings have long argued, any theology that ignores the suffering of the oppressed is not merely incomplete—it is complicit. Cone’s Black Liberation Theology reframed the gospel as a message of emancipation, not empire. Jennings exposed how Western theology has historically been entangled with racial hierarchies and colonial power.
Today, communities are reckoning with these legacies. Churches are revisiting the heroes they once celebrated. Seminaries are re-evaluating the texts they teach. And Black scholars are offering counter-narratives that center truth, justice, and memory.
This is not about erasing history. It’s about telling the whole story. Mourning Kirk’s death should not mean silencing the voices he spent his life opposing. Sympathy and accountability are not mutually exclusive. If we are to move forward, we must confront the theological traditions that have too often sanctified exclusion—and listen to the communities that have borne the cost.
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Living Awake to What We’ve Been Given
Parable of the Talents
By Ed Fernandez
Some stories in Scripture don’t just teach—they wake us up. The Parable of the Talents is one of those stories. It’s not just about money or productivity. It’s about readiness. It’s about trust. It’s about knowing the Master—and being known by him.
Jesus tells this parable to help us understand what it means to live faithfully while we wait for his return. And he doesn’t give us a checklist. He gives us a story. A story about a master, three servants, and the difference between trust and fear.
The Master Goes Away
Jesus begins:
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them…” (Matthew 25:14)
The man in the story is clearly a stand-in for Jesus himself. He’s going away—but not forever. His departure points to his death, resurrection, and ascension. And his return? That’s the hope we live by.
This is the truth we proclaim every time we gather at the Lord’s Table:
“Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”
That’s the arc of our faith—the sweep of salvation history. And we live in the “in-between”—between resurrection and return. In that space, we’re not called to wait passively. We’re entrusted with something. Something valuable. Something that belongs to the Master.
Serving the Master Is Not Optional
The servants in the parable aren’t given suggestions. They’re given responsibility. And not just any responsibility—they’re entrusted with the Master’s own property.
The Greek word used here for “slave” is δοῦλος1 (doulos)—a bond-slave. Someone who willingly and wholeheartedly offers themselves to serve a chosen master. Strong’s Greek word studies says this term is used with the highest dignity in the New Testament—referring to believers who live under Christ’s authority as devoted followers.
That’s us. Jesus is our Master. We are his doulos. And serving him? Not optional. He owns everything. We own nothing. Everything we have—our time, our gifts, our breath—is his.
What Are We Entrusted With?
In the parable, the master entrusts his servants with talents.2 These aren’t skills or abilities—though the word has come to mean that in English. In Jesus’ time, a talent was a weight of precious metal—gold, silver, or bronze—used as currency. So we’re talking serious value.
What matters most is what the servants *do* with those talents. That’s what reveals their trustworthiness.
“The one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.” (Matthew 25:16–17)
They doubled what they were given. That’s a 100% return. Pretty impressive, especially compared to today’s investment benchmarks.
But the point isn’t the percentage. It’s the faithfulness. The Master is pleased with both servants and says:
“Well done, good and trustworthy slave… enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)
They didn’t just manage money. They honored the Master. They lived awake.
The Servant Who Buried His Talent
Now let’s talk about the third servant—the one who buried his talent like it was radioactive.
Why did he hide it?
“Master, I knew that you were a harsh man… so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” (Matthew 25:24–25)
He didn’t know his Master. He misjudged him. And he tried to *judge* him. But that’s not the role of a servant. The Master is the judge.
Even if the Master reaps where he didn’t sow, he doesn’t keep the harvest for himself—he gives it back to the faithful. The buried talent is taken and given to the servant with ten:
“Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten talents.” (Matthew 25:28)
The Master doesn’t condemn him for failing to double the investment. He condemns him for doing *nothing*. He could’ve put it in a savings account with 4% interest. But instead, he buried it.
And so the Master says:
“You wicked and lazy slave!” (Matthew 25:26)
Lazy and wicked. And it all stems from not knowing the Master—not trusting his character, not believing in his generosity.
Judgment and Joy
“Throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30)
While the good and trustworthy servants are welcomed into the joy of their Master, this one is cast out—into sorrow and regret.
So we ask:
Does the Lord know me? Do I know the Lord?
This isn’t about working for salvation. It’s about relationship. Jesus says in Matthew 7:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven… I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21–23)
Being “known” by Jesus is the foundation. Work without relationship is just noise. But faith—faith that flows from knowing the Master—produces fruit.
The Joy of the Master
The fullness of the Kingdom—the joy, the celebration, the life made perfect—is found in his presence. And serving him isn’t just for his glory. It’s for our good.
He doesn’t need anything from us—but he delights in giving everything to us.
So let’s live awake. Let’s live ready. Let’s live faithful.
Maranatha! O Lord, come!
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Footnotes:
1. Strong’s Greek: 1401. δοῦλος (*doulos*) — a slave ([bibleapps.com](https://bibleapps.com))
2. The Four Coins Jesus Knew – CoinsWeekly; see also v. 27, “money” is used for talents
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In memory of Lola Margarita, whose hands brewed love into every cup. I grew up with coffee not just as a beverage, but as a ritual—an inheritance steeped in memory. My grandmother, Lola Margarita, cultivated her own beans in South Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao. She roasted them over fire, ground them by hand, and brewed them with reverence. Her coffee was bold, aromatic, and deeply comforting. It was the taste of morning prayer, of quiet strength, of home.
Earlier this year, I returned to the Philippines carrying a two-pound bag of Starbucks’ Caffè Verona, hoping to share something familiar with my family. I expected to find better coffee there—something closer to Lola’s—but I was surprised, even disappointed, by what I tasted. The local brews lacked the depth and aroma I remembered. A family member gave me barako from Batangas, but it felt flat and one-dimensional. Another gifted me Robusta from Sultan Kudarat, which was bold but bitter in a way that didn’t resonate.
It made me wonder: what happened to the coffee I knew?
Lola’s beans were likely Arabica, grown in the highlands near Mt. Matutum, where indigenous communities like the B’laan and T’boli still cultivate heirloom varieties. Today, that region produces some of the Philippines’ finest Arabica, but much of it doesn’t reach local markets. Instead, instant coffee dominates, and traditional roasting methods have faded.
A drone shot of Mt. Matutum on the island of Mindanao, Philippines Back home in Nevada, I grind and brew my own coffee—$14 a pound, plus tax. It’s not cheap, especially with prices rising and tariffs looming. But it’s worth it. Each cup is a quiet act of remembrance. The hum of the grinder, the bloom of the pour, the steam rising like incense—it all brings me back to Lola’s kitchen, to the warmth of her hands and the dignity of her craft.
Coffee, for me, is more than flavor. It’s legacy. It’s presence. It’s the bittersweet taste of change—and the enduring aroma of love.
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Lakepointe Church senior pastor Josh Howerton delivered a sermon titled, “How to Vote Like Jesus.” In it, Howerton “repeated GOP rhetoric in a veiled attempt to convince his Dallas-Fort Worth congregation how to cast their votes in November’s election.”
Howerton recommended that Christians “should rid themselves of the idea that presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, must be perfect. Instead, he suggested people vote for the politician they believe best upholds their religious values.”
So, if you’re a Christian, how do you vote like Jesus”? Howerton’s implied answer to that is of course, “Vote for Donald Trump.” But does Trump uphold Christian values?
I’ve seen lists of “Christian values” that obviously try to tailor-fit Donald Trump’s conservative political stance, or at least what he says he believes in, presumably to please his evangelical supporters. But I won’t fall into the same temptation by hand-picking Christian values that may favor Kamala Harris, or by going the opposite direction and coming up with a list that traps and judges Donald Trump. So I asked the question, What might be a source for a list of Christian values that would be seen as politically neutral?
What can be more apolitical than than the values Christian parents teach their children? To find a list, preferably a short one (as I don’t have the time for a very long one), I searched online for books that might help parents teach their children Christian values.
I found one: 10 Christian Values Every Kid Should Know. By the way, we shouldn’t think there’s one set of values for kids and another for adults. And the book does not imply that at all.
I like the way the book is promoted: “Using the latest research, Donna Habenicht provides more than 1,000 strategies for teaching kids the basic Christian values of respect, responsibility, self-control, honesty, compassion, thankfulness, perseverance, humility, loyalty, and faith in God.”
We’re not going to use 1,000 strategies for teaching voting adults Christian values, but we’re going to use the same values that Habernicht has on the list.
RESPECT
Even if you’re the most loyal of all Donald Trump’s MAGA fans, you would not consider Trump a respectful man. And Jesus would certainly agree with you! Trump is known for the opposite. He disrespects anyone who opposes him. His disrespectful name-calling are too embarrassing to mention in detail here. So I won’t. But let me make an exception: Trump called Kamala Harris “dumb as a rock” and a “low-IQ individual.” By the way, that’s a very interesting insult from a very disrespectful presidential candidate who didn’t want to debate with his opponent again after she defeated him in the only one they had.RESPONSIBILITY
Besides Richard Nixon’s irresponsible involvement in the Watergate scandal that resulted in Americans losing faith in the government, the January 6 insurrection is probably the most irresponsible event in recent memory that a presidential candidate was involved in and didn’t care about what might happen to people at the U.S. Capitol, including his own vice president, Mike Pence. “Donald Trump sat for hours watching the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol unfold on live TV, ignoring pleas by his children and other close advisers to urge his supporters to stop the violence.”SELF-CONTROL
What is self-control? Meriam-Webster defines it as follows: “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.” I think that anyone of us can sometimes lose self-control, but there’s one among us who always loses his cool. The most recent one, if you missed it, is a display of utter lack of self-control. His behavior and actions were, to say it mildly, not appropriate for general audience and definitely not befitting a person running for the most dignified office in the world: President of the United States. In a recent political rally in Milwaukee, Donald Trump lost his cool over the microphone that didn’t serve him well: “I get so angry. I’m up here seething. I’m seething, I’m working my ass off with this stupid mic. I’m blowing out my left arm, now I’m going to blow out my right arm and I’m blowing out my damn throat too because of these stupid people….” From a display of anger, he transitioned to an act of lewdness as he depicted a sexual act using the mic stand.HONESTY
Honesty is an issue that those who pay close attention to and watch unedited videos of presidential candidates know who between the two do not have it in their heart to tell the truth. I have been reminded a number of times that none of us tell the truth every time. Well taken. But I’m also aware of the fact that one presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has been documented making false claims and lying to people all the time. “By the end of his term, Trump had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency — averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day.” Only about 2% of people’s lies are cruel lies. But Trump’s cruel lies are a staggering 50% of his lies: “Instead of adding up to 1 or 2 percent, as in my previous research, (Trump’s cruel lies) accounted for 50 percent. When I first saw that number appear on my screen, I gasped. I knew, of course, that Trump likes to mock and denigrate other people (and countries and agencies), but I didn’t realize just how often he was doing that with his lies.” That clearly tells us what kind of a liar Trump is—the most cruel!COMPASSION
“Compassion is a feeling of sympathy or pity for someone who is suffering, and a desire to help them. It’s a social feeling that can motivate people to help others relieve their physical, mental, or emotional pain.” There’s an image that comes to mind and one that graphically shows a lack of compassion. In 2015, Donald Trump, appeared to mock a reporter, Serge Kovaleski, when he contorted his arms apparently imitating Kovaleski, who suffers from arthrogryposis. In Trump’s defense, others have denied Trump mocked Kovaleski, but you can just watch it to see for yourself.THANKFULNESS
There are so many things we can be thankful for but there’s one thing that I believe many of us are grateful for: the privilege of living in this imperfect and yet still the greatest country in the world. A young person has expressed why we should be thankful for living in the United States: “We live in a country that has so much freedom that we often take that freedom for granted. In other countries freedoms like political diversity, education, and religion is illegal, sometimes the outcome is even harmful. We need to realize just how lucky we are.”
Despite that realization, however, a presidential candidate, instead of expressing gratitude, trashes America: Former President Donald Trump has called the United States a “third world nation.” The reason for him degenerating America is because of his allegation that the 2020 election was stolen from him despite the fact that he has no evidence to back his claim. Today he still continues to trash America when he ought to be thankful that he could freely do even the crazy things he does.PERSEVERANCE
Perhaps this is a trait that Donald Trump possesses. He lost the last election, denies he lost, and is now running again as candidate for president. He perseveres! But why? It seems obvious to me that he’s running again not really because he cares about people and the country. He cares about himself, how he can use his power to avoid punishment for the crimes he has been convicted of, and he wants to wield enormous power against his enemies. Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of thing good leaders patiently suffer through to achieve their dreams that are often not just for themselves but also for the country and the world. If Trump is known for anything, it is for short cuts. What can be a faster way of making more money than giving tax cuts to billionaires like himself (if he is still considering his debts).The American economy has been built on the back of regular American workers and they are the ones who need the tax cut. But didn’t Trump claim he cut taxes for the middle class? Yes he did. But it was just a claim. “The tax legislation that President Donald Trump signed in December 2017 significantly reduced federal revenues, with the largest tax cuts going to the richest Americans. Following the enactment of these tax cuts, federal revenues fell dramatically—as the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected would occur at the time the law passed1—and they remain below projections of federal revenues made prior to their enactment.”
HUMILITY
Do we even need to talk about this? OK, I don’t want to deprive you of a good laugh. So here, and you may laugh out loud too: https://youtu.be/ANvWtIwoOb8?si=HpOF__IvL6UVyIiVLOYALTY
Loyalty happens to be a big word to Donald Trump. But loyalty is always towards him. Anyone who is not loyal to him was and will be fired! The list of the people he fired is long and you can google that yourself. Trump is not known for loyalty. He is not loyal to his own country—he degenerates the United and criticizes how it is governed by leaders a lot smarter and better than himself, and praises despots like Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un. His only loyalty is to himself.FAITH IN GOD
Donald Trump talks about his faith. Yes. Rarely, but he does, especially when he is speaking to his evangelical base. He praises people like Franklin Graham who, in times of natural disasters, go out there and help people (see for example). Caring and helping others can be a sign of faith. James 2:14-17 (English Standard Version) reads,What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But is Trump really interested in helping people because his faith makes him such a caring person? Those who know Trump know him very well:
Donald Trump deliberately withheld disaster aid to states he deemed politically hostile to him as US president and will do so again unimpeded if he returns to the White House, several former Trump administration officials have warned.
As Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton have ravaged much of the south-eastern US in the past two weeks, Trump has sought to pin blame upon Joe Biden’s administration for a ponderous response to the disasters, even suggesting that this was deliberate due to the number of Republican voters affected by the storms.
Harris accuses Trump of ‘playing politics’ with hurricane disaster relief.So back to the question: “How to vote like Jesus?”
Yes, a presidential candidate does not have to perfect. And I agree with Pastor Howerton that we “should rid ourselves of the idea that presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, must be perfect. “Instead…people (should) vote for the politician they believe best upholds their religious values.”
So if we are to teach people the Christian values listed above and choose one of the candidates who better embodies and upholds those values, though imperfectly, who might that be?
You know who my choice is. And I think Jesus would approve of my choice. Who is yours?
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ER Patient: Me I have a daily routine. Part of it is taking my blood pressure before making coffee.
After I pushed the blood pressure monitor’s start button in the morning of the 20th of March 2024, Ruth caught me leaning towards my left side with my tongue sticking out on one side of my mouth.
“What’s happening to you?”
“I’m sleepy.”
I passed out.
When I snapped out of it, I was being carried in a stretcher by paramedics.
One of them instructed me to raise a particular limb after another. I did for each one.
In the ambulance, I was conscious all the way to the hospital. I even recognized the road we were on as I’d driven there countless times on the way to and back from Costco Businesses Center.
When we were entering the hospital’s Emergency Room, I asked, “Are we at UMC?”
“Yes,” the paramedic replied.
I felt good about myself.
Ruth, however, had not been feeling good about what was happening to me. She believed I had a stroke. She observed that I had all the symptoms of a stroke. And that’s why she instructed our youngest son to call 911.
What could have triggered this health crisis? I try to eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise regularly. In fact, just a couple of days before, I went hiking near Red Rock Canyon!
Hiking First Creek Trail near Red Rock Canyon My sister-in-law who came with her whole family from the Philippines for a surprise visit jokingly said it was caused by my shock for unexpectedly seeing them after so many years.
We all had a good laugh. But the question remains.
After a barrage of tests, the young ER doctor (probably in his mid 30s) said, “The good news is we don’t find anything wrong with you. The bad news, you have COVID.” Then he went on to explain that he believed the virus infection triggered my blood pressure* levels to go up (163/81) and that’s why I got dizzy and passed out.
I visit hospice patients and am too familiar with death and dying. Some of the patients I’ve seen were younger than me. One was almost two decades younger. Yet despite the fact that I’m now in my late 60s I still feel young and healthy. I never really felt threatened by death until now. Neither was my family worried about my health until now.
Death is a fact of life. We have to deal with it sooner—indeed now—than later.
Recently, Ruth and I talked about certain things that we have to set up before it’s too late (like a trust) to get ourselves and our family ready.
For now, despite being aware that death can come anytime, I have to make a commitment to continue to take care of myself. I want to be there for my loved ones, friends, and the rest of the people who need my support and care for as long as possible.
So help me, God.
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*https://newsroom.heart.org/news/covid-19-may-trigger-new-onset-high-blood-pressure
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In the quiet chapel, where stained glass whispered stories of saints and sinners, I find solace. My footsteps echo, a rhythmic cadence that matches the beat of my heart. Each pew holds secrets—some whispered, others shouted in prayer or lament. But today, I carry a unique burden, one that weighs upon my soul.
The man in Room 157, his pain etched into the grooves of his hands, recounts a symphony of suffering. Neuropathy, like discordant notes, reverberates through his bones. The veins spared, but the leg’s grand artery—the highway of life—removed. A relic of 2000, yet it still throbs, a silent hymn.
And then, the hip—broken twice, a testament to resilience. Laughter spills from his lips, a bittersweet melody. “A big challenge,” he says, and I nod in agreement.
He traces his spiritual journey—a Baptist once, now a seeker. In 2002, California’s prison walls held him. There, he met a Muslim—a fellow traveler on this winding road. Conversations flowed like hymns, prayers interwoven with shared doubts.
“I accept the Muslim,” he tells me. “Sometimes my prayers stumble, seeking better footing. The mosque beckons, a challenge to return.”
His eyes, galaxies of faith, hold both love and struggle. “Physical love,” he says, “makes worship harder. But God—whether Allah or Jesus—knows no boundaries. In 2003, a stroke blurred my vision, yet I seek clarity.
In the California choir, I strummed my guitar, harmonizing with souls. The Bible, once my compass, now shares space with the Quran. Walls crumble; God remains.
And prayer—the universal tongue. It heals not only the spirit but also the body. Worries find solace in whispered conversations with the Divine. “Anytime,” I assure him, “God listens. All the time.”
As I leave Room 157, the man’s voice lingers—a psalm of endurance. The chapel absorbs his melody, and I hum along, knowing that faith transcends labels.
In the quiet corridors, I carry his song—a harmonious blend of brokenness and healing. And somewhere, in the vastness of the universe, angels lean closer to listen.
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What’s wrong with that? Really, nothing! Besides, it’s matter-of-factly true! And if you’re not an onion-skinned Taylor Swift fan, that’s actually funny! Especially if you’ve seen the who-knows-how-many camera shots of Swift at the NFL.
So why is the media so hard on Filipino American comedian, Jo Koy? My guess is that the star-struck media and Swift fans just went with the flow and follow her lead: Swift’s tight-lip reaction to the joke.
They’ve made Jo Koy look even worse by saying his jokes weren’t funny. C’mon! Watch the clips and see how people were laughing. Some even found the Swift/NFL joke funny, excluding Swift, of course!
But what if Swift was sport enough to just ride on Jo Koy’s joke, like Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep did? I bet things would have been different.
I don’t find all of Jo Koy’s jokes that funny, but it’s not fair to judge his performance based on Swift’s facial response to his joke. Yes, even if she is Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.
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Oh one! Oh one! Whose birth falls on January one!
At this age what have you already done?
Perhaps that’s the wrong question to ask an old man
A better question to ask such a man is ‘Are you a grown man?’
Old Man But what do we mean when we ask an old man if he’s a grown man?
Physical stature is measurable and is a lot easier to define
But when it comes to growth, build and looks aren’t what he wants you to find
His inner being is more important than anything else that you can findConscious of my consciousness, I am aware that I am
But I am conscious that I am not alone in such consciousness
So I don’t give in to the idea that I am “The Great I Am”
Indeed the opposite is happening within: the more I see the vast universe, the smaller I see myselfWhen one passes life beyond halfway through
In his late 60’s he becomes more aware that life can be almost through
Especially so when he feels so fragile and unwell
And thoughts of his own brothers, who passed away when about his age, on his mind sadly dwellSometimes I think that I’m being crazy—
Thinking ‘God willing, I’m going to do this and that one of these days’
But perhaps that’s why I’m still here today
‘God’s not done with me yet,’ as I heard some folks would like to saySo I do my part, to keep myself up to whatever task has been entrusted to me
I daily walk and listen to teachers to keep both my body and mind healthy
I share thoughts to anyone who is willing to listen
Hoping that light would help dispel some darkness within -
Where Are the Parrots?
— Read on edfernandez.blog/2023/12/01/where-are-the-parrots/
PENnED 