Pastor’s Blog
When Trust in God Begins to Erode
Today’s world feels unstable, especially with the ongoing war in the Middle East. This conflict has caused people to take strong, opposing sides. Many form opinions based on the stories they hear, and it seems like everyone feels…
Path to Peace - 2
Some of us have family members or relatives in the Middle East who are affected by the ongoing war. At our recent Prayer Meeting, we prayed especially for them and asked that this conflict would end peacefully, not just in that region…
Path to Peace
Kim and I tried an experiment to see how we could manage our finances better. She started by handling the budgeting, dividing our income among bills, necessary expenses, and even some fun. After a while, I felt…
Pressure and Thorned Hearts
A little pressure can be helpful. A deadline might push me to finish. When I need to organize scattered thoughts, it can help me find a clearer message. But pressure can also become too much. Sometimes I can’t tell…
Light-up Shoes and Radiant Faces
When Kym, our oldest daughter, was about two years old, light-up shoes that glow with every step were already popular, even in the Philippines. We bought her…
Abide Today
Sometimes I think about the different experiences each of you have had this week. If an artist tried to capture everyone’s journey, the painting would be full of color, showing all the ups…
Seeking God’s Face Together - 2
The Christian life is designed for community, not for living alone. Some people may practice their faith apart from others, but this is rare in the Bible. Sometimes…
Seeking God’s Face Together
I recently returned to one of my favorite walking paths—not just for exercise, but for quiet reflection, prayer, and what I like to call God-sighting. My walk begins…
My Jehovah-Jireh
My family has often needed money for important expenses, but God has always taken care of us. The same is true for our church’s financial needs. A few Sabbaths ago, I told the story of how…
Year-ender, A Pastoral Note
Some of us can hardly believe the New Year is here, while others may already know what they want to pursue. Right now, I keep thinking…
When the Rain Falls on Waiting Ground
I remember it rained hard in our part of Chula Vista at least twice last month. One rainfall I clearly recall was on November 15, when the ground was…
Love Made A Way
December can feel like a month of tension. On one hand, we want to enjoy the purity and sparkle of the Christmas season, filling our hearts with…
God’s Mercy At Work
One of the blessings I look forward to during the yuletide season is the music and preaching centered on the birth of Jesus—elements of…
“God With us”
The Christmas season comes and goes, year after year. Yet the memory and influence of each celebration are dynamic rather than fixed. Our experiences…
Thanksgiving Gestures
Our Filamily Thanksgiving celebration is truly one of a kind. No church—regardless of denomination—appears to a…
Time is a thief
On this day (November 22) thirteen years ago, I asked Liezel to be my girlfriend. We were seriously just kids—filled with the joy of life and the butterflies that come with young love. But if someone from the…
Pickleball parables
This past Monday, SECC’s Ministerial Department hosted a pastor’s pickleball get-together at our church! Pastors from all over our region came to enjoy some fellowship, some laughs, and yes, some surprisingly competitive rallies. And if you’re wondering…
Freedom and the Legacy of Sacrifice
I missed the opportunity to share my “one cent” among the many who spoke in support of the resolution to name a park Filipino American Veterans Park, which the Chula Vista City Council passed recently, after about…
The Kingdom Without the King
Justice and the equitable distribution of resources—ensuring that everyone, everywhere, benefits—once seemed to me the highest vision of human progress. Such ideals, I believed, would…