Thursday, May 27, 2021
Discover The Importance Of Honesty In Your Relationships
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful” Genesis 26:7
Rebekah lived in a polygamous society where the women were property and beautiful women were commodities to be purchased at the cost of gold or blood. Isaac, her husband, knew this all too well; so when he was asked, “Who is this woman?” he lied out of fear, saying, “She is my sister!” And why not? Who keeps faith with the enemy? A generation before, his father, Abraham, had essentially done the same thing to try to protect his mother. You can read about both incidents in the book of Genesis. This issue of lying to protect someone when the very act of dishonesty only endangers relationships all the more is not new. The incidents which I related took place almost 5,000 years ago, yet the issue is as relevant as your wife’s most recent visit with her neighbor or best friend.
Take, for example, the woman who was involved in an affair, and thinking she had to tell someone, told her best friend, making her promise not to mention a word of this to anyone, including her husband. After her husband had lunch with the husband of his wife’s best friend, he commented to his wife, “Something’s wrong. I don’t know what it is. Do you?’ Caught between loyalty to her friend and her husband, she lied, “No, I have no idea.” It was the first time she had ever consciously lied to the man she loved. She hoped the whole issue would go away. It didn’t. One lie led to another. She became part of the conspiracy, and she felt as guilty as if she herself were involved in the affair.
Finally, the whole situation became public, and when it did, her part was confessed with tears and remorse. Was she protecting her friend? No, she would tell you, she was betraying her own husband out of misplaced loyalty. “Don’t ever tell me anything I have to lie about,” she now tells her friends.
The truth about lies in marriage is that they just don’t work. No relationship is more intimate, more personal, and more complete than is marriage, and though one person thinks he or she is sparing the other, the fact is he or she is violating the very fabric of a relationship and is undoing the trust that was woven over a period of many months, perhaps many years.
“The truth hurts,” people sometimes tell me in trying to explain why they chose the path of deception. “Of course, it hurts!” I agree, but the consequences of deception and eventual discovery hurt far, far more. What is unconfessed, which may involve only one or two others, eventually becomes public news and the pain and shame only multiply.
When Abraham and then a generation later his son Isaac lied, they learned through painful experiences that God’s protection, care and forgiveness bring the least suffering to themselves and to others who are caught in the deceit trap.
I’ve been focusing on a fascinating passage found in the book of Proverbs where the writer records six things which God hates, even seven which are detestable to Him. Lying is the second on that list. Whether it is a friendship, or the workplace, or the intimate relationship you have with your mate, absolute and complete honesty is the only ingredient that will produce growth and stability.
Interestingly enough, looking at the list of character flaws which God hates, then matching them with some of the great men and women of the Bible, I have to say with the Psalmist, “The Lord remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14).
Resource reading: Psalm 103:8-18
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/discover-the-importance-of-honesty-in-your-relationships/
Division of Maguindanao into 2 provinces now a law; no date for plebiscite yet
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the bill dividing Maguindanao province into Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu announced in his Facebook page that Duterte signed on Wednesday Republic Act 11550, which divides the 36-municipality province into two provinces.
“Alhamdullilah, Alhamdullilah! Finally, the President has already signed into law the bill, May Allah bless and prosper our sincerest aspirations for the welfare and development of Maguindanao,” Mangudadatu, who authored House Bill 6314 seeking the division of the province, said.
If the proposed division of the province wins in a plebiscite that is yet to be scheduled, 12 municipalities will make up Maguindanao del Norte and the remaining 24 towns will form Maguindanao del Sur.
Maguindanao del Norte will get Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, North Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Talitay and Datu Odin Sinsuat, which will serve as its capital.
Maguindanao del Sur will comprise Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Datu Montawal, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Sharif Aguak, Sharif Saydona Mustafa, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan, South Upi and Buluan, which will be the capital.
Senator Francis Tolentino, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said the division of the province aims to help boost social and economic development and promote political stability in the region.
Tolentino said the division will mean better delivery of basic services such as public health care, education and transportation to the most remote villages.
Maguindanao is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Among the other proponents of the bill in the House are Rep. Ronnie Sinsuat of the first district of Maguindanao and Rep. Noel Villanueva. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)
PBA: Blackwater eyes possible training in Tagaytay to cut travel time
The management of Blackwater is considering to move its training camp somewhere near Metro Manila to save some travel time.
Coach Nash Racela and the rest of the team already held scrimmages at the Batangas City Sports Center on their first week of training.
Pending the government's decision on whether it will put the NCR Plus under the regular general community quarantine (GCQ) or remain under heightened restrictions, the Bossing are mulling to move their camp to Tagaytay.
The team made a temporary move to the Splendido Taal Country Club.
Team owner Dioceldo Sy said they plan to stay if NCR Plus reverts to regular GCQ.
"Tingnan natin by next week," Sy said in PBA.ph. "For now balikan muna." (LINK ON PBA.PH https://pba.ph/news/blackwater-eyeing-tagaytay-training-camp)
Those who are practicing in Batangas are training under a closed-circuit system or semi-bubble setting. This means, everyone from coaches, players to staff have to strictly limit their movements from house to vehicle to venue and vice versa.
Meralco, TnT Tropang Giga, and NLEX, meanwhile, are training in a full bubble set-up.
The NLEX Road Warriors are training in Clark, Pampanga, while the Bolts and Tropang Giga travelled up north in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
'Passionate' Cambage to lead Australia's bid for elusive basketball gold
Ian Ransom, Reuters
MELBOURNE - Social justice firebrand Liz Cambage will be free to express herself on the court when she leads Australia's bid for an elusive basketball gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
United States-based Cambage was confirmed in the 12-woman squad on Wednesday, weeks after threatening to boycott the Games over a lack of racial diversity in Australia's Olympic photo-shoots.
Cambage backtracked on the threat, but her comment on social media riled former Olympians, including tennis gold medalist Todd Woodbridge and embarrassed the Australian Olympic Committee, which did however acknowledge she had a point.
Sandy Brondello, coach of the 'Opals', said she had told Cambage, who was born to a Nigerian father, that she supported her right to express her opinion and the Las Vegas Aces center was quick to commit to Tokyo.
"She's passionate about a lot of things off the court and we totally support that," Brondello told reporters in a video call.
"I wanted her to be there. She loves the Opals, these are all her sisters... She's ready to go and win that gold."
Cambage generated headlines this week after calling out a coach for a remark about her weight during a WNBA game.
Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller was subsequently fined and suspended for a game by the WNBA. He apologized in a statement to Cambage and the Aces.
"If someone treats her badly in that regard, why shouldn't she stand up," said Brondello, who coaches WNBA side Phoenix Mercury.
Australia were knocked out of the quarter-finals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, breaking a streak of medaling at every Games from 1996-2012.
They were runners-up to the United States at the 2018 World Cup and will be among the biggest threats to the powerful Americans, who are bidding for a seventh successive Olympic gold.
"I think we're capable of that gold medal," said Brondello.
"I believe that the 12 we have named are very well balanced, very versatile, have great experience."
The Opals will have a training camp in the United States in July before heading to Tokyo. Brondello said all her squad would be vaccinated before arriving in Japan, which is battling a fourth wave of COVID-19.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; editing by John Stonestreet)
Japan newspaper sponsoring Olympics joins cancellation chorus
Andrew McKirdy, Agence France-Presse
Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper, an official Tokyo Olympics sponsor, called for the Games to be cancelled on Wednesday, in the latest sign of opposition less than two months before the opening ceremony.
The call comes with public opinion in Japan firmly against holding the Games this summer, and after prominent business leaders voiced their concern in recent weeks.
Organizers insist however that the Games are on, saying an extensive rulebook will keep athletes and the Japanese public safe.
The Asahi daily's editorial urged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to "make a calm, objective assessment of the situation and make the decision to cancel this summer's Olympics".
The paper said it "cannot accept the gamble" of holding the event, despite organizers' assurances it will be safe.
It also accused International Olympic Committee leaders, including vice-president John Coates, of being "self-righteous" and "clearly out of step" with the Japanese public.
When asked last week if the Games could be held even during a virus state of emergency, Coates said "the answer is absolutely yes".
Tokyo and other parts of Japan are currently under a state of emergency, which is expected to be extended this week until June 20.
"Saying 'yes' without demonstrating any clear grounds for it once again drove home the self-righteous image of the IOC," the Asahi editorial said.
Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said it was "natural" that "different media organizations have different views", but acknowledged that people are "anxious".
"The national and local governments have put stringent measures in place to contain the spread of infections, and we believe the situation will improve as a result," he said.
Muto added that no executive board members had called for the Games to be cancelled or postponed.
Two prominent figures in Japanese business have also voiced opposition to the Games in recent weeks.
Masayoshi Son, head of tech investment behemoth SoftBank Group, tweeted on Sunday: "Do the IOC have the right to decide if it's held or not?"
"If you think about what people have to put up with, we might have a lot more to lose" if the Games go ahead, he added.
And earlier this month Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of e-commerce giant Rakuten, called the Games "a suicide mission".
"The risk is too big and... I'm against having the Tokyo Olympics this year," he told CNN.
- 'No change' on Games: US -
Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto acknowledged organisers face "considerable" opposition.
"There are a considerable number of Japanese people who are concerned," she told an executive board meeting.
She reiterated that the number of overseas participants would be capped and they would face tough restrictions while in Japan, and that the Games would not place extra stress on overstretched local medical system.
Muto said the number of medical staff required for the event would be reduced by around 30 percent of the original figure.
Japan has seen a comparatively small outbreak of the virus, with fewer than 12,500 deaths, and has avoided the harsh lockdowns seen in some places.
The current virus emergency mostly limits the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, and forces them to close early.
But the government faces criticism for a comparatively slow vaccine roll-out, with no date yet set for expanding jabs beyond medical workers and the elderly.
An exception will be made for Japan's Olympic athletes and some staff who will get early jabs courtesy of doses donated by Pfizer.
Those vaccinations will start from June 1, with doses going to around 600 athletes and 1,000 coaches, training partners and other members of staff, according to Japan's Olympic Committee.
IOC chief Thomas Bach said last week that most athletes and team members staying at the Olympic village would be vaccinated by the time the Games begin.
But earlier this week, with less than two months to go before the opening ceremony, the US State Department issued a travel warning for Japan over virus risks.
The White House said Tuesday that it supported plans to hold the Games, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying "our position has not changed on the Olympics".
"There are very specific entry and movement rules and procedures which the organisers have laid out in order to ensure the protection of everyone involved," she added.
Cancelling the Games would cost Japan around 1.8 trillion yen ($16.6 billion), a research institute said Tuesday.
But the Nomura Research Institute warned that the country could suffer even greater economic damage as a result of holding the Games, if a spike in infections led to a new state of emergency.
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