Saturday, October 17, 2020
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Grieving never means not being strong enough
by Al Sabado
How many times do we hear people tell the bereaved, “Be strong”? Or
have we been telling that statement to people who just lost a loved one?
I've heard that many times since few weeks ago, when my dearest father
passed away. I know people meant well, but grieving is never about being weak
or not being strong. The truth is, strength comes in allowing ourselves to
grieve naturally as human beings.
So today, I told one of my siblings, “Let’s take the time to grieve.
No rush...”
Grieving means facing the pain of losing a loved one. No explanation
required. No skipping the process. No holding back those tears.
After my dearest father passed away less than a month ago, I still cry. I
can laugh and smile certain days. But I still cry and I probably will every
time I remember him.
I miss my father so much. And I am so grateful to the Lord for him—my close friend, a loving
father to us his five children.
Yes, I grieve and I take the time to do so...
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.--(Matthew 5:4)
Friday, December 23, 2016
Weak and beggarly elements: Observing days, and months, and times, and years
God's Word says,
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Repost: Is cremation Biblical?
At least two of my siblings signified their wishes to be cremated when they die. But I objected and told both of them that when they die and if I'd still be around, each of them will have a decent burial, just like our mother's.
When we read God's Word, we can note that Christians buried their dead, not cremated. Any wonder why God hasn't shown us in the Holy Bible examples of burning the body of deceased loved ones? Because cremation isn't Biblical and it's not God's way. Cremation comes from pagan origin. God has repeatedly shown us in the Scriptures the special way of burying the dead through the lives of believers such as Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, David, and the Lord Jesus Christ. If we claim to be believers of the God of the Bible, don't we follow His ways?
You may do Google search or visit the link of "Cremation: What Does God Think?" to read more on the subject.
When we read God's Word, we can note that Christians buried their dead, not cremated. Any wonder why God hasn't shown us in the Holy Bible examples of burning the body of deceased loved ones? Because cremation isn't Biblical and it's not God's way. Cremation comes from pagan origin. God has repeatedly shown us in the Scriptures the special way of burying the dead through the lives of believers such as Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, David, and the Lord Jesus Christ. If we claim to be believers of the God of the Bible, don't we follow His ways?
You may do Google search or visit the link of "Cremation: What Does God Think?" to read more on the subject.
From Al's Google+
Monday, September 19, 2016
Homemade almond milk and wheat bread topped with chopped oregano leaf
by Al Sabado
We didn’t have bread this morning and I
felt not going out to buy from the store. But I remembered the wheat flour (a
kilo for Php60, about 1 USD) I bought the other day from St. Ellen store here
in Marikina—my ultimate source of baking ingredients. (They also sell nuts, walnuts,
raw whole or slivered almonds, high-grade chocolate for baking, and cake boxes,
among others.)
I didn’t have yeast and thought it better
not to have it. So I searched for a simple recipe on Google by typing “homemade
wheat bread without yeast” and clicked one of the options that led me to the
page of Yeast Free Bread by www.food.com.
But I couldn’t figure out from the page whether I’d have to knead the mixed
ingredients, so I looked further on YouTube and found Roberta L TV, where I learned to simply mix all dry and wet ingredients in a bowl. Thanks for
that cool demo, Roberta! I was excited to see the mixed product that I ran outside,
picked a few oregano leaves from across the street (our kind neighbor’s vacant
lot), chopped a piece, and sprinkled it on top of the mixed bread—ready for
baking.
After a 20-minute preparation, the bread’s all done in 40 minutes. Now we have freshly
baked wheat bread on the table. The result? I say, it's great! I'm happy with it. Since the bread has no yeast, the texture of a thick slice is heavy and chewy, which is ideal for heavy breakfast, then just a thin slice for light snack. What I really like about it is that I know what's in it—no strange stuff added.
 |
| My homemade wheat bread topped with chopped oregano leaf. The oregano leaf I used was big enough, I thought, but you can use more if you prefer, for a generous sprinkle of oregano. Other toppings or mixes (e.g., raisins, slivered almonds, walnuts, etc.) are possible. |
Oh, the almond milk,
yes, I’ve also tried making it at home, because the consistency of the almond
milk my sister buys from the supermarket looks so thin. I wasn’t (and still am
not) convinced it’s truly nutritious. So I was quite pleased to read Diana
Herrington’s article, “Why I Don’t Buy Almond Milk,” where she also shared her easy-to-follow Almond Milk Recipe. I’m prone to cooking and making food out of basic ingredients, especially when
I don’t have all the ingredients in our kitchen. So my version of almond milk
is simply the blend of almonds and water. (That’s one cup of almonds soaked 12
hours in plain water. Use that same water and add more, equal to three
cups.) The rest is enjoying a glass of it. I recommend the use of strainer upon
pouring the juiced almonds on the pitcher to further eliminate almond sediments.
 |
| My glass of thick homemade almond milk. Notice its thickness compared to the ones sold at the supermarket. |
Almonds are rare
where I live, but I found they’re available from stores that sell baking
ingredients, just like St. Ellen, which sells a kilo of
almonds for Php940, about $20 USD. And because almonds are costly, you’ll opt to make sure
not to throw or waste the almond pulp, which makes sufficient flour base
for making cakes. I just tried making almond pulp cake loaf.
 |
| A small slice of almond pulp cake loaf (over an inch high) I made yesterday. |
Now, how can we tell if people enjoy what we cook? Quietly observe. For example, in my case, when my dad finishes a slice of cake while dropping compliments about the food, I know my cooking is good. But if he's quiet and gets no second serving of what I cook, I know my cooking is bad. I'd figure out what went wrong; the temperature I applied must be too high, I probably added too much salt, or I forgot to put sugar, etc. But hey, my dad ate more than a slice and said I could sell my [almond pulp] cake loaf! So, place your order now! :)
Kidding aside, again, look for the baking stores nearest your place when you want to make your own homemade almond milk—a wonderful alternative, especially when the supermarkets you go to run out of almond milk supply.
Enjoy!
:)
Sunday, November 22, 2015
If your church leaders fail to warn you of doctrinal errors . . . beware
Al Sabado
Shared publicly - 3:16 PM1. Recently, upon reading Ray Yungen's "A Time of Departing" (pp. 190-1), I learned that Chuck Swindoll is now into contemplative spirituality (see the dangers thereof, http://www.faithalone.org/journal/1997ii/Caddock.html).
In Philippine setting:
2. "Practicing the presence" was a subject matter of Bible study when I was still attending Bread of Life Ministries, an evangelical church with numerous outreaches locally and abroad. Who would think that such practice is a "dangerous" discipline of the New Age Movement, and probably other groups that do not (and refuse to) recognize Jesus Christ as the Lord.
3. "Cultural redemption" is also a hot topic of Ed Lapiz in his congregation, Day By Day Ministries, which I also attended for some time. But what does God intend to redeem: the human soul, or the culture that we can't even bring with us to the grave?
4. A "package full of assorted candies that give you cavities" was what I found at the Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF) church program menu. CCF hasn't denounced to this day its adherence to Rick Warren/purpose-driven life/church, and its leadership seems to be "content" using The Message in teaching God's Word. The Message, by Eugene Peterson, is a Bible translation that fails to address Jesus Christ as the Lord, but master (the same title that Judas used prior to betraying the Lord Jesus), among other serious doctrinal issues.
What does your church teach? If your church leaders fail to warn you of doctrinal errors, but promote ecumenism, feel-good gospel, and the like, beware . . .
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