The Gift of Friendship

TITLE: The Gift of Friendship
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 21 Sep 2010

MAIN POINT: We are made to need friends. Each act of friendship is an opportunity to exercise 2 benefits: In loving others, we become more love-able ourselves.

The past few weeks have been rough for me. Just over a couple of weeks, I get to experience the extremities of human emotions. From a high of enjoying a rare beautiful holiday cruise to Alaska, to an emotional low of losing my father. If anyone suspects that God has a unique sense of humour, I suppose this is the evidence to prove it. However, anyone who stops the story right there, and blame God, it will bring grave injustice to our Heavenly Father. The promise I have held since becoming a Christian is the assurance that God is always with me. After all, He is my Shepherd. The weeks of mourning and grieving ushered in an amazing grace of friendship, of people who have taken the trouble and time to walk with me. Such grace is absolutely heartwarming and beautiful. In the midst of sorrow and death, there is joy and hope. Friends and family play a huge role in all of these. God is at work. He works through friends.

A) Don't Miss the Arrival Hall Moment

Friends lift me up during those moments. I remember a dear brother in Christ who went to the airport just to give me a warm greeting after a long 20 hour plane ride. That feeling was priceless. I remember saying things like

"Hey! You do not have to come all the way the airport. Transport is already taken care of."

That will be utilitarian-thinking. Friendship is beyond providing transport, silly me. Am I in the right frame of mind at that time? Am I jet-lagged or am I simply trying to act cool in a hot and humid climate? I guess at that time, I as in no position to judge. After a brief chat and a goodbye, I was on the way home to see the body of my father lying in a casket at home. As the car I was in zips through highway on a 'cool' early morning air, I remember that there is a certain happiness and joy anybody has at the airport. I remember a movie (I forgot the title) that made that exact description of what happens at arrival halls of airports. It is nearly always the case at airports, that people feel that sense of happiness and joy to see loved ones. Any exceptions are few and far between. I observe at people coming out of airport gates. This is what I call the "Arrival Hall Moment."

• Mothers hug their children;
• Wives smother their husbands with kisses;
• Children surround their parents gleefully albeit with expectations of goodies;
• Family members let loose tears of joy;
• Friends release squeals of delight as they jump and celebrate the happy occasion.
• Even the most stoic of people has to surrender a smile or two at some point.

Do not miss the 'Arrival Hall' moment. The King James Bible has a phrase in 1 Peter 1:8: Joy unspeakable.

If there is one word to describe the arrival hall environment, it will be the word 'beautiful.' How else can I paint the human emotions going on during that precious few minutes of seeing one another? I must admit. Even under the most depressing climate of losing a loved one, the joy of meeting family and friends at airports is truly 'joy unspeakable.'  Sometimes, denying others an opportunity to help can be plain selfishness.

How silly of me to miss that. Thanks KM.

B)  Of Friends Despite Busyness
Online, friends quickly share their condolences with me. God bless their souls. Almost immediately when I publish my dad's passing on Facebook, a few faithful friends will write their condolences online. Every word means so much. Strangely, in times like this, one is tempted to expect all of their online friends to say something. That is downright silly. The world does not revolve around me. People have their own lives. They have their own problems. I have my own burden of mourning to carry. Not everyone likes funerals, so I should not even expect anyone to come to such sad events.

Yet, friends are absolutely essential. I may bravely deny it but they mean so much. On the last day of the wake, my dear friends from my small group brave terrible jams at the border to come and share that moment of comfort. (You know who you are.) Gathering together as an entourage, they come in droves, one after another. It is a small happy gathering in a sombre atmosphere of grief and loss. However, every presence, every smile, every hug and every word of comfort alleviates and assures me that God cares for me.  At that moment, there is camaraderie. There is unity. There is love. There is God present in the midst.

C) Gift of Friends and Food
Friends continue to hang on to me, even when am tempted to drown in self-pity and utter sadness. Grieving is a long journey, arduous and painful. I remember crying every morning. With understanding and care, friends walk with me. They talk with me. They embrace me like an ordinary person. I needed that. One memorable moment was a feast when I was staying with a dear family in Christ. My poor appetite at that time does a great injustice over the almost 9 superbly designed and lovingly prepared dishes. The spread is most healthy (Steamed fish with chicken essence). There is local delight, (Hainanese chicken). There is fibre (mixed vegetables). Then there is the food for the occasion: Mooncakes galore.

What more can I ask for? That day, I drink and dine with a grateful heart, refusing to let my lack of appetite affect the moments of joy unspeakable. It is a wonderful lesson for me. A simple meal of friendship and love releases me to see God's grace in its fullness: the gift of friendship.

On Sunday, another friend promptly responded to drive me to his church.  God used him and his wife to prepare my heart for worship. That morning, I was able to pour myself out to God to receive comfort from the God of comfort.

D) Friends Who Bless
Two ladies featured prominently during my short time in Singapore. They take on multiple roles. They drive. They cook. They link people up. They ministered to people in their circles of influence, even as they ministered to me. Being able to witness their small little ministry is a blessing in itself. It is a humble demonstration of how God can bless people. through people. In a world where people almost always equate blessings with possessing money and riches, they show me that blessings is not what we receive in terms of possessions, but what we GIVE away in terms of time, care and love. It reminds me of the 'greater' blessing. Far too many people are obsessed with accumulating more things and possessions and label them as God's blessings for them. Haven't they notice that these are but a miserable tip of the iceberg of blessing? The greater blessing is not the greater capacity to receive, but the greater willingness to GIVE and to be CHARITABLE.

For me, I can say that the greater blessing I have received is not the food or the amount of attention. It is the blessing of true friends. It is the blessing of being able to give more than we receive. It is the blessing of being able to bless others much more, to let our personal belongings be utilized by God for the sake of others. Sad are those who keeps their things to themselves and to let them rot at home or in their storerooms. What good is a nice Jaguar or a Lamborghini if they are always locked up in the garage? Exchange them for a few vans that can ferry people around to their fellowships of joy. What good is a fat bank account if they are merely collecting interest for a small family? Convert them into precious resources that others can use. I guess, for me, what good is my knowledge and spiritual wisdom if I were to keep them to myself? Why not share it more regularly and more faithfully each week?

Thanks again my friends. I will continue to blog and write my SabbathWalk commentaries to shine God's glory to all. For this, I have updated my main blog to read as:

"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,
and one of the best things you can be." (Douglas Pagels)

E) The Ride Home

On my way back to the airport, my friend at the Arrival Hall Moment pops up again. This time, he provides the transport. He exemplifies true servanthood, giving all but expecting nothing in return.  He takes the trouble to wake up early to send me to the airport, despite having to run several errands that morning. He prioritizes things in such a way that gives me hope. In our society where busyness seems to be the norm, prioritizing is truly an act of love. I think there is much more. There is friendship unspeakable.

When it comes to true friendship, I learn that true friends are hard to come by. More importantly, it is not the accumulation of the lists of friends that we can boast of. It is the appreciation of who we already have. KM reminds me on that last part of the journey by quoting a saying attributed to Mark Twain:

"It is not what I don't know about the Bible that troubles me, it is what I do know!"

In the same light, it is not the friends that didn't bother to connect with me that 'troubles' me. It is the friends that bother to spend time with me that keeps me grateful. In a nutshell, God has placed specific people at particular times of my life to walk with me. I should not be too concerned about the absence of other people, but the PRESENCE of those who are there for me. These people have their challenges, their problems to deal with, but they choose intentionally to put them aside, and to put their own needs lower than mine. It reminds me of Paul's words:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4, NAS)

Now, do not get me wrong. Just because I elevate some people does not mean I downgrade others. Relationship is not necessarily a zero-sum game. The point is, I have learned that showing love and care has a double benefit. Firstly, it helps others. Secondly, it helps ourselves by freeing us from our tendency to become self-absorbed. The exercise of friendship is an opportunity to do both.

For everyone else whom I did not get to meet up, you will have the benefit of any doubt. Honest. May the Lord truly bless you and keep you and grant you peace wherever you are, in your respective levels of busyness.  I pray that in your hour of need, the Lord will send friends to walk with you during your moments of struggle, as He has faithfully done for me during my journey through the dark nights.

Thought:  "The spaces between your fingers were created so that another's could fill them in." (Anonymous)


sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Never Give Up (Remembering My Father)

TITLE: Never Give Up (Remembering My Father)
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 17 Sep 2010

MAIN POINT: Honoring my father with memories.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

I buried my father last week. On an uneventful Wednesday morning, he breathed his last peaceful breath and went home to be with the Lord on September 1st. When I first received the news, my family and I were on a cruise to Alaska with my mum and mother in law. Thanks to a determined travel agent friend, the news was relayed to us on the ship when we were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Frankly, I never realized what it really means to be ‘lost at sea’ until that day, literally and emotionally. With no way to rush home quickly, except through expensive helicopters over the seas of Alaska, I was humbled with utter helplessness.

Stunned, I struggled whether to tell my mum. Silly fears and imagination convinced me to keep the news from her for a few more days. Let her enjoy the rest of the cruise and the Alaskan landscape. She deserved it after being my dad’s primary caregiver for so many years.

Praying together with my wife and children kept us strong. Strangely, my children seemed to hold up better than I do. Maybe it was because they were not as close to their grandpa in his final years. Maybe they were already prepared in their hearts, having seen his condition a few months ago. While my family toggled between grief and relief (he is a stroke patient), we could not but feel deeply saddened about losing him. It is one thing to be prepared for his passing. It is yet another to actually go through it.

I told my mum on the second last day of the cruise. The best holiday of her life had been rudely interrupted.

A) The Funeral
I flew back to Malaysia immediately the day after the ship docked back in Vancouver. My mum spent an additional day with the grandchildren.

I arrived with sadness as the overarching background. My body systems practically shut down. I would get headaches, perhaps from the lack of sleep. I would wake up during strange hours due to the jet-lag effect after flying nearly 20 hours across the Pacific. I had little desire for food. Instead I fought back tears every morning prior to the actual burial. At the wake, one thing is clear: We want to honour our father with our presence. Taking turns throughout the day and night, my brothers and I kept a vigil to watch and pray.

The whole process was slow, painful and noisy. The funeral parlour where the wake was held is a public one shared by people of different religions. On the first night, our neighbour, a Buddhist family and some monks chanted with microphones and loudspeakers. It was hard to listen to our voices singing hymns. The speaker had to compete with the monks as he shared a word of comfort from the Bible. I told myself that we needed to be tolerant. We needed to appreciate the multi-religious makeup of this largely Muslim country. At the same time, I would be saying inside my head:

“Can't you just lower the volume on your speakers?”

One comfort I had is to share the grieving with loved ones. The other was to dance with nostalgia when I visit eating places my dad used to frequent. We hugged. We wept. We talked about our good and bad days with my father.

My father is a simple man, and not difficult to get along with (though my mum will dispute that). A one-dish meal is more than sufficient for him.  He is quiet and says very little about his inner thoughts. I delivered a eulogy on the final night of the wake during the Christian service conducted by elders and pastors from the local church my parents attend.


B) The Hard Years of Survival
My father was born in Malaysia in the midst of WWII. Times were hard. During the war years, struggling to survive and to stay alive is very much the normal way of life. The early years of hardship prepared him to be more resilient and independent from a young tender age. After all, there weren’t many people to turn to when nearly everyone is plodding away as well. The fears, doubts, and the lack of help at that time can be easily described as follows:

“If I help you, who will help me?”

In a every-man-for-himself world, life becomes an unhappy race for survival. Fortunately, my father made a conscious decision to do something about this.

After the War, my father ventured down South to neighbouring Singapore. Armed with only a Grade 3 education, a few belongings (he had little), but lots of courage and entrepreneurial drive, he got himself into the construction business. His determination to succeed enabled him to break through barriers like never before. He received big contracts. He made shrewd entrepreneurial decisions. He married my mum.

The pendulum swings from survival to success. The turnaround has just begun.


C) Fruits of Success & Agony of Failure
As a young boy, it feels good to be chauffeured to school by my dad’s personal driver. Almost every other year, my father changes the family car in order to keep up with the business image expected by his customers. Hard work and shrewd business decisions provide a comfortable life for my mum and the children. We have four square meals and a roof over our heads. I get to go to school. I wish things have remained that way. That is not to be.

For the nasty pendulum swings again, this time for the worse.

The property and construction industry entered into a terrible depression in the 70s. Many people suffered. Companies went belly up. My father became a bankrupt. For an entrepreneur, taking risks is a norm. Great gains and great losses are strange bedfellows. In good times, we would be riding on BMWs and Mercedes’. In bad times, we even have to borrow money to sustain a humble Japanese sedan.

Blame the economic climate. Blame the unscrupulous business partners. Blame the pendulum of life that does not stay still, especially on the good end.

Wealth matters were soon overshadowed by health concerns. Not long after, doctors discovered a tumor growing inside my father’s brain. The prognosis is not good: 3 years they said. He exceeded these projections by more than 30 years.

D) Honoring My Father’s Fighting Spirit
I do not know how my father did it, but he proved to us one thing: A fighting spirit. An attitude that says: “Never give up. Always get back up.”

• He was bankrupted not once, but twice; but he got up.
• When the business doors of Singapore closed on him, he got up by opening the doors of neighboring Malaysia in JB.
• When everyone else says the property market is doomed, my father got up to prove his critics wrong.
• Twice he suffered strokes; still he got up to survive, even able to flip the TV remote control on his own.
• Many times he endured humiliation from living in a bungalow to living in a single room. (I still remember when we moved to JB from Singapore, how difficult life was. The whole family would be staying in one room. I have no place to study except on the narrow balcony of the room overlooking a noisy highway.) He got up from this humble room, and went on own a house, title deed and all.

My father will be very angry to see any of his children complaining about life instead of doing something about it. I can imagine him repeating a rebuke like Jesus to the lame man in John 5:

“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”

My father didn’t do a lot of miracles like Jesus did. He just picked himself up, his own mat and he walked. He is not one who easily gives up. Instead, each time he falls, he would get up and try again.

This reminds me of the spiritual masters. The secret to spiritual growth is like this:

“I fall down. I get up. I fall down. I get up. I fall down again. I get up again.”

My dad did exactly that. My father got up again and again.

E) A Final Farewell
Since his early years of hardship, my father has pledged he would never allow the next generation to suffer the same manner he suffered. He would make sure his children gets the security, the education and the needed roof over their heads under any circumstances. I pledge to continue this legacy.

Most importantly, his fighting spirit tells me not to succumb to the erratic swings performed by the pendulum of life. Why should we let our moods be dictated by mysterious pendulums to define happiness in terms of survival or success? No. We have Christ. My father may not have been a religious man to fervently proclaim Christ in his lifetime. Yet, he does what a good father would have done: Love his family. That in itself is doing the will of God.

I recall the words of the former Anglican Archbishop in Western Australia, George Appleton.

“Death is part of the future for everyone. It is the last post of his life and the reveille of the next. Everywhere men fear death – it is the end of our present life, it is parting from loved ones, it is setting out into the unknown. We overcome death by accepting it as the will of a loving God; by finding Him in it. Death, like birth, is only a transformation, another birth. When I die I shall change my state, that is all. And in faith in God, it is as easy and natural as going to sleep here and waking up there.”
(George Appleton, Journey For a Soul, Glasgow: Fount, 1979, p53)

Finally, I take comfort in the words of Paul writing to the Church in Rome.

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:8-9)

In true fashion, if my father can say anything right now, he would be saying to his family, and all his loved ones:

“After burying me, grieve if you need to. Cry if you have to. Mourn if you want to. But after that, get up. Pick up your mat and walk. “

My youngest brother wrote in his Facebook these words the day my father passed away. “If I can, I will gladly be your son again.”

Together with him, I echo this exact sentiment. My brothers, my mum, my aunties and all family members, if there is one lesson my father wants us to learn: “Never give up. Always get back up.”

I will remember you. May I honor you to continue this fighting spirit you have shown to never give up. You do not have to get up again. Christ will do that for you.



Your son.


sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Four Marks of Faithfulness - Part 2

TITLE: Four Marks of Faithfulness – Part II
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 6 Sep 2010

Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:15-16)

MAIN POINT: Last week, I shared about the first two marks of faithfulness: Beyond destination, and beyond moods. This week, I share the other two. The last two marks of faithfulness transcends 'good-old-days' thinking and looks forward to a brave new world.

During my seminary years, we lived like a pauper. We ate unsold bread donated by the bakery. Church friends donated their used items. Practically all our furniture and equipment are second hand items. All of us eat leftovers for lunch, sometimes dinner. Lest readers think we live like a destitute, that is not the case. We are simply more careful with our limited resources. Occasionally we splurge on a nice dinner outside by giving our kitchens a ‘sabbath’ break too. Most of all, we have learned that we do not need a lot of things in order to live a meaningful life. Let me repeat:

“We do not need a lot of things to live on, in order to be happy.” 

The next two marks of faithfulness deals with the acts of simple commitment. In other words, faithfulness and commitment that avoids the ‘good-old-days’ thinking, and not afraid of a uncertain future.

A) Mark #3 – Faithfulness Transcends “Good-Old-Days” Thinking
When Ruth was asked to return to her gods and her people, her mother-in-law was concerned about Ruth losing out in terms of possessions and future opportunities. Like it or not, it is always easier for a person to return to her home country, her familiar culture and her society where she can easily blend in and be accepted. It is extremely helpful whether one needs to find a job, a place to live in or even a new soulmate in familiar territory.

Immigrants all over the world struggle with trying to find acceptance in their initial years in their newly adopted country. I have seen how Asian immigrants struggle to make ends meet in places such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or other English speaking countries. The rule of thumb is that, for new immigrants, previous experience and qualifications are not easily transferable. Safe to say, for any new immigrant, one needs to be prepared to rough it out, and not to expect kingly treatment just because they carry professional degrees, PhDs, or multiple work experiences. For those who migrated due to marriage, when their spouse dies, they are suddenly left alone in a foreign land and culture like a fish out of water. I have asked many friends before what they will do if their spouses die when they are in a foreign land. Nearly all of them said they will return home to their home countries.

For Ruth, losing her husband looks very much like being left alone in a strange new country. Naomi acts sympathetically and sensitively to Ruth’s needs. She knows that it will be hard for Ruth to adapt. After all, Ruth has every right to make it successful if she return to her gods and her people. It reminds me of how Israel complains ands asks to be returned to Egypt while they are traveling in the wilderness. Memories of the ‘good-old-days’ are so seductive during challenging times.

In a remarkable display of faithfulness, Ruth dismisses all the ‘good-old-days’ stuff. Instead, she embarks upon a brave new commitment to an uncertain future. More accurately, she chooses to be faithful to her marriage commitment, that when she marries, she marries the entire family, not just her husband. This remarkable act of faithfulness explains why a whole biblical book is named after Ruth. It is a great honour indeed. In the world of publishing, even great authors do not have the same reach like the Bible, and to have one’s name on a biblical book is an honour and privilege no money can ever buy. As far as Ruth is concerned, she has learned what it means to remain committed regardless of possessions, reputation or future opportunities. Ruth knows that faithfulness transcends great possessions of material goods.

B) Mark #4 – Faithfulness Transcends Fear of Uncertain Future
When Ruth pledges allegiance to the faith of Naomi’s, she is doing something deeply significant. She effectively rejects her own religion, and adopts the faith of her mother-in-law. In contrast, Orpah, the sister-in-law of Ruth was said to have returned to her land and her gods (Ruth 1:15). It is tempting for Ruth to simply follow suit. However, Ruth has that sense of faithfulness that transcends her previous religious convictions. She lets her love for Naomi, her desire to be faithful overcome any religious prejudices she may have, to accept the Jewish faith.

Ruth has just thrown away her future. It is like handcuffing herself to her mother-in-law’s hand and casting the key away in the wide blue ocean.

• Ruth could have remarried as she was still young;
• Ruth could have returned to Moab to restart her life as if former life never happened;
• Ruth could have just taken Naomi’s advice and run back home.

Fortunately for us modern Bible readers, in Ruth, we have a true example of what faithfulness and commitment looks like: Faithfulness transcends future promises.

Note the word ‘faith’ in faithfulness. This reminds me of the powerful testimony of saints in Hebrews 11. From Abel to Abraham, Jacob to Joseph, Rahab to Ruth, wandering men and women of faith at large, they cling on to their faith, regardless of whether they see their promises fulfilled to them.

“And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,” (Hebrews 11:39)

Ruth received the shorter end of the bargain unwillingly when her husband passed away. She embraced an even shorter end willingly when she chooses to follow her mother-in-law. Faithfulness replaces an indefinite future with a definite commitment to a person.

C) Faithfulness as a Follower of Christ
Let me summarize the four marks of faithfulness.
1. Faithfulness transcends destination;
2. Faithfulness transcends moods;
3. Faithfulness transcends ‘good-old-days’ thinking;
4. Faithfulness transcends fear of an uncertain future.

What can we learn from these 4 marks with regards to Christian discipleship? Firstly, Christian discipleship is an act of faithfulness by clinging on to Jesus, regardless of our earthly destinations. Believers of Christ are first and foremost citizens of heaven. Whether we are at home or abroad, or aliens in a foreign land, our citizenship is in heaven. I know of people who cling on to nationalistic fervours relentlessly in the name of patriotism and cultural pride. I do not want to dismiss them. Instead, I want to suggest that unhealthy infatuation with patriotism can turn unruly and unhelpful. Like any culture all over the world, there are good and bad Moravians. There are good and bad Germans. There are good and bad Chinese people. There are also good and bad Westerners. We cannot simply judge a person on their skin colour or country of origin. When our citizenship is in heaven, we learn to see things with a bigger perspective.

Secondly, As a citizen of heaven, we fight against our tendencies to be victimized by our feelings. We aim to do the right thing, whether we feel like it or not. We pledge faithfulness, whether we feel good or not.

Thirdly, as a citizen of heaven, we look at our past with fond memories, but never trapped by good-old-days thinking which can impede our future growth. Take for instance someone who loves the Apple IIe, one of the classic Apple computer products more than 30 years ago. If this person insists stubbornly on using only his Apple IIe everywhere he goes, he would have deprived himself of the latest Apple notebooks, the flashier gadgets which are not only easier to carry but possess greater computing power. A ‘good-old-days’ thinker deceives himself to think that his clunky old Apple IIe can outperform the latest MacBook Pro laptops.

Finally, as a citizen of heaven, we practice faithfulness by braving the future with hope, and fighting any crippling fear of uncertainty. There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear, writes John in his first epistle.

Ruth exemplifies all of these marks of faithfulness. With remarkable courage, she clings on to Naomi and adopts a culture foreign to herself. With passionate pleas, she waylays Naomi’s tears to assure her mother-in-law that she will never leave or forsake her. This she does so honourably not just with words and actions, but her full and total commitment. Now, that is faithfulness.

“When you have come to the edge Of all light that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or You will be taught to fly.” (Patrick Overton)

Thought: Faithfulness is an adventure not to be missed. Why settle for the mediocre when you can be the best that you can be?


sabbathwalk

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.