Footsteps

february 14, 2026

It snowed the night before, and I wasn’t expecting it. When it was time for me to go out for a run, I had to pick which shoes to wear on snow. I wasn’t sure if the trail was plowed or not, but I decided that I should be ok with my regular running shoes that I usually run in. Well, I was wrong. The trail was still covered in snow and I knew my shoes would be wet by the end of the run. 

There were fresh tracks of footprints on the trail covered in snow. By looking at the rhythmic distance of the footprints, I knew that this was a runner’s print and the stride showed that this was a fast runner. I stepped on every one of this person’s footprints. With the long stride, I had to run faster. In the end, my shoes did not get wet because of that and I also got to run at a quicker pace which put me to good training.

1 John 2:6 tells us, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Discipleship starts by following the footsteps of Jesus. It’s a response to the calling of Jesus, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. Jesus’ footsteps do not guarantee an easy life. In fact, He said there will be trials and difficulties all because of following Him. But the greatest joy and gift in doing that is simply that you are walking with Him. I don’t know if there’s a better Valentine’s Day happiness than that. May we all walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and we will abide in Him.

Connection

february 7, 2026

The other day at our online prayer meeting, Jenny asked me to read Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” This is a verse I used to memorize when I was young, and I appreciated reading the verse at the meeting. To me, it speaks of community and connection with one another.

I was working on my computer when I suddenly got a call from an old classmate. It was completely unexpected, and I answered the call. We exchanged greetings, and he told me he called because he thought of me all of a sudden. Truly, it was a pleasant surprise, and we got to visit over the phone for some time after that. Honestly, it felt really good.

Jesus did this really well. He even visited and connected with sinners. Surprise! When Jesus stopped at the sycamore tree and talked to Zacchaeus, people said, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Luke 19:7. This speaks volumes because to Jesus, they are all His people, for “He was moved with compassion.” Matthew 9:36.

There’s something special about connecting with people that we care about. It doesn’t take much to do that: a simple text message, a phone call, or a short visit. Whatever its form, that connection creates a strong bond between the parties. May the Holy Spirit speak to your heart today and find someone to connect with in the next week.

Learn From the Best

January 31, 2026

As a sports enthusiast, I have done a few things: running, SCUBA diving, swimming, cycling, snowboarding, skiing, triathlons, etc. I really enjoy all of them, but it takes time and effort to improve my skills. Even in running, there are techniques and skills you can learn to improve your performance. A lot of the time, I've tried to learn and improve these various disciplines on my own, and it’s not always easy to do so. I am not sure if I am doing them correctly. When I struggle with these issues, that’s when I hit the wall, and I don’t improve anymore.

Then, there’s a major breakthrough when you get help from an expert. For instance, in swimming, I would ask an expert to watch me swim a few times. All it takes is a couple of pointers from the expert and some simple drills I never thought of. That is when I improve to the next step. Of course, I don’t transform from a novice to a master at once, but these pointers will help me advance step by step. I found this to be true across all the disciplines I have engaged in.

Jesus did the same for the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27. Jesus, the Author, gave Bible studies to the disciples, and from the looks of it, it wasn’t a complicated study. It was simple pointers that helped them see that the Bible is all about pointing to Jesus. That was the start of their transformation. I think many of us struggle spiritually at some point in life, and the growth stops. That’s when we have to learn from the best, Jesus. Jesus, our Master teacher, will guide and lead us accordingly.