We just received news of Paul’s older brother, David, getting accepted to the Wharton school of business. What great news! We are overjoyed for David. I know it’s been his dream and he worked really hard for it. I have never heard of Wharton until from an episode of “The Apprentice,” I learned that both Donald Trump and his beautiful daughter, Ivanka Trump graduated from Wharton.
The news got me thinking. How great is this country that everyone’s got a fair shot at their dreams. Take hubby’s family, there are no high-profile or wealthy connections; Paul and David are the first in the family to even get a college degree. David didn’t have a rich father or famous mother or connections to the elite, he only had his own hard work and well-earned accolades behind his belt and he got into the world’s best B-school. Only in America. I love this country. Of course David has got talent, he is fluent in three languages and a shiny career at Panasonic for the last several years to boot. Hubby will add that David’s good looks doesn’t hurt either. But no one can underestimate the simple foundation of his hard work.
Hubby jested, “we’ve got a doctor, an engineer, and businessman in the family, now all we need is a liar.”
“Say what?!” I said.
“Oh, I meant a lawyer.” Ha, ha, funny hubby, he didn’t even mean to make a joke, it was a genuine Freudian slip!
This got me thinking some more. I thought of the lesson that we just had last Saturday on the Beautitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
The author, Philip Yancy, challenged us to think, in a world that rewards self-confidence, self-assertiveness, and success, where do these words of Jesus fit? I have been struggling with the answer ever since. Jesus also said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” It would seem the poor and the meek have a inherent advantage over the well-to-do spiritually. While I believe this is true because the poor, the prosecuted, and the meek are often desperate and desperation will turn us to God, but I don’t believe that it is wrong to be self-confident and successful in this world. It might be harder to have both, both practically and psychologically-speaking, but worldly success and godliness are NOT mutually exclusive. But when failure and crisis do come our way, as Christians, we can handle them with gratitude and even joy knowing that God has promised us great things in our troubled times.
So, this is my prayer for David for his future. I pray that no matter what status or money comes his way, he’ll always retain his core of goodness, integrity, and love for God. And this prayer applies to us, too. But for now, I’m just happy for David, happy that he’ll be back in the US once again. And happy, too, that hubby continues to have a close relationship with his one and only brother. That's more valuable than many things on earth, isn't it?
Our "reunion" memorialized in sand, which was soon erased by the ocean wave.
At the Santa Cruz beach. As Laurel said, the ocean waves and vista make one contemplative.
I can't help but dream of living in California one day, but hubby never fails to remind me of the inconvenient threats that come with paradise: earthquakes, forest fires, and tsunamis.
Shadow picture, Shoreh's idea.
With Laurel at Firshermen's Wharf. That's an eyeball flower to the left of me!
The awesome foursome, R to L: Joyce, Shoreh, Laurel, and Linda. We've known each other for 16 years!! My oldest and bestest friends.
Hmm, an outfit of my own making. Last year's gaucho pants, shoes:ballerina flats, and a matching headband b/c I didn't wash my hair today. Peek-a-boo Kitty.
Kitty doing the "catwalk." I think you're gorgeous, Kitty!
Mom, glad she liked her presents.
Paul taking our pic; he also made this Christmas day dinner. That's chicken feet on the left side of the picture. Yummy!
Having our picture taken by Adrian.
What a lovely Christmas tree.
