by Karen Galarpe
This year 2020 is such a challenge, isn't it? No one saw a pandemic coming and the things that go with it: lockdowns, social distancing, community quarantines, travel ban, business slowdown, even job losses. It disrupted our lives and our usual routines. Over a million people have lost their lives worldwide.
Many people have expressed exasperation on social media, saying, "When will 2020 end? Quota ka na." I believe though that there's a reason for everything and there's something to be grateful for in every situation.
Well we have just a little over two months left in 2020 before the new year 2021 rolls in.
This early, I am already looking for a planner that I could use for the coming year. It should have monthly and weekly pages, be big enough for me to write my schedule and things to do, and be light and thin enough so as not to make my bag heavy.
I'm also looking for devotionals -- little books one can read for every day of the year -- that I could use and give as gifts to friends. I find devotionals very helpful as they give me a moment to be calm during a busy day and remind me of what's important.
Some of the devotionals I've used over the years are Our Daily Bread by Our Daily Bread Ministries, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, Finding Refuge and Strength by Harold Sala, and Encouraging Words for Women by Darlene Sala.
This early, Church Strengthening Ministry just released a new devotional entitled "Unchanging Grace" by Pastor Jose "Joey" Umali. It comes in five different covers showing the country's natural tourist spots. Handy enough to fit in my hand, it's lightweight and can be easily tucked inside my bag.
There's a Bible verse, about four or five paragraphs of reflection, then a short prayer on each page. Going through each day's entry will just take five minutes or less, but each one is "malaman" and meaty.
Here's an example of what Pastor Joey wrote in one of the entries: "Faith is to the soul like the pupil to the eye. Faith opens in dark times such as the crises of life. Faith gives us the power to see beyond the darkness. Even if the future looks grim, our faith makes us see in the dark."
With eyes of faith, let's look forward to what 2021 may bring.
VERSE OF THE WEEK: By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8
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