Middle of Sukkot

Today is the middle of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. At least now there is light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the Israel-Hamas 2-year war. It ended 2 years and 2 days after the October 7th massacre of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas which caused Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. No country will sit idly by when citizens are slaughtered in broad daylight. Anyone commenting on the war without reference to Hamas' atrocities and horrific acts on October 7th against the State of Israel is simply unjust and is driven by extremist ideology. But now a ceasefire takes place and there may be peace in the Middle East at least for the next few years while President Donald J. Trump is in office. After Trump is out of office, no one can predict what will happen in the region and in the world. We live in troublous times.

But I rejoice in the fact that my ministry is quite settled now. I have had a heart to heart talk with the elder whom I knew before taking on this current pastorate and he seemed sincere to want me to stay on. But the wounds run deep even as Scripture says "he was wounded in the house of his friends" (Zech 13:6). Mockery and hatred from enemies is one thing, but if one feels betrayed by those close to oneself, it is hard to forget, but God's grace abounds to all who forgives the wrongs of others just as God forgives our sins and transgressions against Him. 

I have one whole year to plan out until October of next year as to what I want to do in the next 12 months. I will set out the plans in the December's Retreat which will take place in less than two months' time. I still have two long journeys to make, one next week and the other early next month. I pray that it won't clash with the State's Elections as I plan to keep up my record of voting in every election that I am in Sabah. Even the 2013's elections, my wife and I returned to Sabah from Singapore to vote and it cost us more than SGD1,000.00 for the airfare and a weekend's stay in Kota Kinabalu.