There was a big torrential rain couple of days ago. B and I got up at 5 that morning to catch the big sales at Potter's. We were very happy with our finds, though we were drenched.

This year, the government changed the sprinkling policy. We are only allowed to water our garden from 5 to 9 in the morning. Who wants to get up that early? By 7, the water pressure is so low because every household is using the shower. So sprinkling is a luxury for the rich who has automatic timer and sprinkling system. Even if I managed to remember to turn on the tap in rare occasions, water only reaches one inch deep after an hour of sprinkling.

But that torrential rain, oh what a life saver! It soaks down to a whole foot deep. I could almost hear the plants giving out satisfaction sigh and a burp. I couldn't wait to go out to dig up some of the established bushes which have grown too big for their lots and needed to be assigned new locations. It was so easy to sink the fork into the dirt to lift them up. It makes the job ten times easier.

In life, we also need torrential rain from the word of God to drench our parched souls. The talk of man is like babbling, like the sprinkler with its limitation, ever working, never satisfying. But the word of God is like timely rain. It changes the course of life, to take us to a wider and broader perspective where we can grow as a person.

In Isaiah 55:8-13, God says,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
it will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord's renown,
for an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed."

Amen. I love it!

What is the best investment of our days? Whatever we have saved or invested in, cannot catch up with the
rise of inflation and realty index. So many seniors lost their life saving to faulty gold mines and stock market scams. Even the country with the most millionairs cannot save itself from the blink of national bankrupcy. It is one gigantic bubble burst. Sadly, most people still do not see it as it is. We still want to be slave of some crumpled papers.

Haggai 1:5 - Now this is what the Laord almighty says "Give careful thought to our ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

Psalm49:10 - For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

So how can one avoid such futile investment of life, time and energy?

Matthew 10:42 - Jesus says,"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

The hinge of the reward is not even on the cup of water, which may or may not save the little one's life, but it is on the fact that one gives it in the name of Jesus. So those who do that, be it a failed or successful mission, it is going to yield heavenly dividends. What a garanteed investment!

The virtue of 'Thankfulness' - what has that to do with the disasters that is happening around the world especially in North America? Just because we are not close to them does not mean we are not affected by them nor will we be exempted in the future. How does a first class country ends up in shamble in a relatively short time?

The Bible says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly see, being understod from what has been make, so that men are without excuse. For though they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man ..............Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised."

It is a dreadful thing to be given up by God whom we have tested and tried by abusing what he has given us graciously. Now he is taking them back, what do we have to say? Is it our right to lay claim on them forever?
Can we use our mere power to restore what has been taken away until the next disaster comes upon us? Perhaps
God still have good intention behind those tragedies, when men have to strive for survival, we have less time to
engage ourselves in sinning.

God seeks to bless those who are thankful, even in the face of disasters. Therefore, David says, "though I walk
through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil, your rod and your staff comfort me.............'