Spiritual Advantage with Sam Stone

When I was in college back in Burma, some of my friends loved to tease me about my faith. They asked, “You guys believe God is almighty? Can God make a giant rock that he cannot lift?” Without realizing it was a trap question, I said, “Of course, He can since he is almighty.” They said, “If so, can he then lift it?”
Seeing I was trapped, they laughed at me. If I said, “Yes, He can,” they would say, “Then, your God is not able to create a rock that he cannot lift, so he is not almighty.” If I said, “No.” Then, he is not almighty at all. Since then, I have been thinking about how to solve this puzzle. Do you know the answer?
Later, I thought the problem was not in the answer but in the question itself. How could you ask someone to create something they cannot lift and then ask them to lift it? The question itself is illogical and unfair. But they said if God is almighty, God should be able to do everything. I was pretty dense to get trapped.
Then one day, it dawned on me that if God is almighty, then the answer is simply “yes” to both questions. Can God create a rock He cannot lift? Yes, He can. Can He then lift it? Yes, He can. It’s not contradictory because God is almighty and transcends limiting human logic. Jesus said,
“What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” (Luke 18:27).
He said it after saying, “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25). So, people asked, “In that case, who can enter the kingdom of God? How do camels enter the eye of a needle?” Jesus answered, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”
The entire teaching of Jesus is about making the impossible possible. Jesus said,
“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mat 17:20b).
That answers the trick question above. Is a mountain heavier than you can lift? Yes. Then can you lift it? Yes, with only a mustard seed size faith. Can humans fly? No. Can people fly today? Yes. We have airplanes. Amazing things happen because of those people who have risen above limiting beliefs.
Most importantly, our limiting beliefs make us suffer more in this fallen world. Every day we face the reality of this sea of suffering. Just turn on the TV, and you’ll see crimes, wars, diseases, depression, family feuds, media lies, corporate corruption, murder, rape, terrorism, disasters, and you name it.
The only way for us to survive, thrive, and not become part of the statistic in this suffering world is to rise above our limiting beliefs. I’m not talking about wishful thinking but about possibility thinking. Angel Gabriel told Mary about her pregnancy. Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Lk 1:34). The angel said,
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37).
Jesus came to liberate us from our limiting beliefs. Everything about Jesus was beyond plausible but possible. His life on earth began with the virgin birth and ended with resurrection. Some Christians don’t believe in virgin birth because it is unscientific, illogical, and embarrassing. It was their limiting belief.
Anyone is free to deny the virgin birth but to their own detriment because their limiting beliefs would make them suffer deeper in this fallen world. Suffering is inevitable here, but you need hope to cope. When you rise above your limiting beliefs, you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Those who deny virgin birth cannot genuinely believe in the resurrection either. There is a group of people in the first century Israel known as the Sadducees. They didn’t believe in the resurrection. They thought it was absurd, illogical, and unbiblical.
They had limiting beliefs and tried to make fun of Jesus by asking a logical questions, but Jesus answered them gracefully. Today, we will learn how to liberate ourselves from our limiting beliefs and enjoy life to the fullest with unlimited possibilities based on Jesus’ response to the Sadducees. So, let’s begin!

I’m sure most of you have heard Elon Musk closed the deal with Twitter this Thursday. You might have also seen the video of him carrying a sink into Twitter’s headquarter in San Francisco, tweeting, “Let that sink in.” People like him because he is hilarious and down-to-earth.
He bought Twitter for 44 billion, but many experts believe he had overpaid—at least about 20 billion. His purpose is to allow Twitter to be the global town square for free speech. As someone who came from a country that controls free speech, I appreciate his intention. It’s seriously needed in a divisive time like this.
Some people think he is naïve because it’s an impossible dream. But we must remember this is not the first impossible mission Elon Musk has attempted—for example, Tesler, SpaceX, Starlink, and the Boring Company.
Most importantly, his Starlink satellite internet service has saved Ukraine from getting cut off from communication. Can you imagine how Ukraine could survive and resist for so long without the Internet? I know some ideologues hate him, but what’s new—the Pharisees have been around since Jesus’ time.
The main problems of the Pharisees are a lack of humility, humor, and hospitality. They are so uptight and critical of everything and eventually crucified Jesus. A lack of humor can make a person heinous. Do you know the words “human, humility, and humor” came from the same Latin root word, “humus,” which means “earth?” A person without humility and humor is not a human—not down-to-earth.
After buying Twitter, Elon Musk changed his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit.” We all know a twit is a silly or foolish person. That means he is making fun of himself. You need humility to make fun of yourself. Maybe from now on, the word “twit” will have a new meaning. Humility is also a source of creativity.
We know children are creative because they are humble. Maybe that’s why Jesus wants us to become like children to maintain our humility, humor, and hospitality. Never grow up and become like the humorless Pharisees.
Today, we will look at another billionaire in the Bible who was humble, humorous, and hospitable. His name was Zacchaeus. What’s amazing is that, within a glance, Jesus connected with him, and they became buddies despite the grumbling and sneering of the ideologues.
I am sure Jesus was drawn to him because they share similar personality traits reflecting God’s image. As we know, Jesus personifies humility, humor, and hospitality. Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house.” He reveals that humility, humor, and hospitality signify salvation.
So, today, we will learn from this lighthearted story about how to live a life that attracts divine attention and draws eternal blessings. Let’s begin!

There are two kinds of stress or anxiety in life—Overt Stress and Covert Stress. Overt Stress is easy to recognize because it bogs us down and troubles our hearts. I also call it “Sour Stress.”
Covert Stress is “Sweet Stress” but more insidious. It makes you feel good and proud but sabotages you from the inside. For example, we all have seen many successful people in life destroyed by their own prosperity. In other words, prosperity is equally, if not more, harmful to our spirit than poverty.
Maybe that’s why the wise King Solomon asked God not to make him poor or prosperous because poverty could make him break the law, and prosperity could make him forget God. He knew that the moment we forget God, life becomes vanity. He wanted to avoid Covert Stress.
Covert Stress is like sugar. You know sugar tastes good and makes you happy, but it stresses your inner organs without feeling it and could eventually cause type II diabetes or other serious diseases. Type II diabetes is known as a silent killer because it doesn’t show any symptoms for a long time. By the time it shows symptoms, it’s often too late. In the same way, Covert Stress is a silent killer of our spirit.
The ancient sages call these sources of stress the Eight Winds of Life, which constantly blow at us from eight directions. The overt winds might be like storms of life, but the covert winds might feel like pleasant breezes. Because it is constantly blowing at us, we must always maintain our spiritual fitness to stay in the fruitful state.
The top four Overt Stresses are Scorn, Slander, Setback, and Suffering. When someone scorns you, you feel belittled; when people slander you, you feel outraged; when you encounter a setback, you feel worried; and when you face suffering, you feel pain. Overall, Overt Stresses give you anxiety.
The top four Covert Stresses are Praise, Prestige, Profit, and Pleasure. When people praise you, you feel elated; prestige makes you feel successful; profit makes you feel victorious; pleasure makes you blissful. All these stresses make you proud, but if you are not careful, it could lead to arrogance. They are silent killers.
If you think you can handle these winds by yourself, you are still young. There’s a story of Su Dongpo, about whom I told you a few weeks ago. A highly gifted person in history, he was like Benjamin Franklin of 11th-century China—a statesman, a scientist, a poet, an artist, and a military strategist.
His childhood playmate, Foyin, became a zen monk. As a bright and competitive young man, he wanted to beat the monk in mediation. One day, he felt he had achieved total stillness in his meditation. He immediately jotted down a poem to illustrate his spiritual achievement and sent it to his friend, Foyin.
稽首天中天， 毫光照大千， 八風吹不動， 端坐紫金蓮
“I bow my head to the heaven within heaven;My halo illuminates the universe;The eight winds cannot move me;Sitting still upon the purple golden lotus.” ~Su Dongpo
Notice he said, “the eight winds cannot move me.” The last sentence, “Sitting still upon the purple golden lotus,” means he is comparing himself to Buddha. In other words, he had achieved Buddhahood. It’s the highest achievement a zen practitioner could wish for.
He ordered his family servant to cross the river to give his poem to the monk at the monastery. Upon reading it immediately, the monk wrote a remark on the paper and sent it back. The remark said, “Breaking wind!” meaning passing gas.
When Su Dongpo received it, he was furious, “Dirty monk! How dare he ruin my beautiful poem.” Immediately, he got on a boat and crossed the river to confront the monk. A little boy came out telling him that the master was not at the monastery.
He thought, “I knew it! The guilty monk had gone hiding.” But the boy said, “My master wants me to give you this note.” The note said,
“Eight winds cannot move you, but a breaking wind blew you across the river!”
It’s not just humorous but also a lesson on arrogance. His rage reveals that he couldn’t even handle the wind of “Scorn.” He failed the test. So, his poem shows his arrogance, self-deception, hypocrisy, and spiritual pride.
How do you overcome the winds of life that are blowing at us constantly from eight directions? In this week’s scripture lesson, Jesus teaches us the secret to overcoming the overt and covert winds of life, mainly the covert winds that cause spiritual pride, which could destroy us from the inside. So today, we will learn the secret weapon against the danger of spiritual arrogance. Let’s begin!

Once upon a time, a family in a small village owned a strong and dependable horse that helped the family in farming and transportation. They loved the animal and treated it like a family member, but one day, the horse suddenly disappeared. Many villagers felt sorry for them and thought they were cursed.
They came to express their sympathy, but the old man of the family replied with a smile, “Don’t be sorry for us! It may or may not be a bad thing.” The villagers were surprised at the old man for taking it lightly because losing the family horse in those days was equivalent to losing their livelihood.
A couple of months later, the horse returned, bringing ten wild horses along. Suddenly, it was like a windfall of fortunes. The villagers came and congratulated the family for the great blessing they received, but the old man said, “Oh, don’t get too excited! It may or may not be a good thing.”
As the old man’s son tried to train the wild horses, he fell from a horse and broke his leg. The villagers thought this family was now completely cursed. With a disabled son, who would work the farm and feed the family? Which woman would marry a cripple? This family’s lineage had ended.
The villagers came to console the family, but again, the old man said, “Don’t be sorry for us. It may or may not be a bad thing.” Some villagers sneered, thinking the old man was insane and in denial. His future was ruined.
A few months later, a war broke out, and the government summoned every family with an able-body man to join the military to fight the war. His son was spared from the draft due to his broken leg. The fierce fallout between the two countries resulted in heavy casualties.
Many families in the village lost their sons in the war, and they began to appreciate the old man for at least having a son with a broken leg to take care of the family. (End of the story.)
This story keeps me humble because, as I grow older, I’ve discovered that a lot of things in life are not the way we thought they would turn out to be. We think we know what a blessing or a curse is and fail to welcome the surprises.
It takes humility to see the blessings in disguise, count the blessings, and express gratitude. Faith is humility, not confidence. Somehow, we equate faith with confidence. So we want stronger faith and build confidence. The disciples asked Jesus for more faith, but Jesus said all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed, and with just that, you can move mountains and fulfill impossible missions.
By teaching us to have a mustard-seed-sized faith, Jesus wants us to have a humble faith because a strong faith can make us corky, just like the Pharisees and scribes. If you think your faith is not strong, it may be a blessing.
You have heard that courage is not the absence of fear, but courage is moving forward despite the fear. In the same way, faith is not confidence but moving forward despite uncertainty. If you wait until you are confident to move forward, you will never move. It’s normal for a person of faith to feel like having impostor syndrome because it just means you are humble.
On the other hand, it doesn’t mean you can move with zero faith. You do need some faith to move forward, but as Jesus said, all you need is a mustard-seed-sized faith—nothing more and nothing less. If you have more, you will lose humility; if you have less, you will lose mobility. Faith is an art.
The art of faith is keeping the equilibrium at the size of a mustard seed to avoid the devil’s traps of delirious doubt and pernicious pride.
In today’s scripture lesson, Jesus revealed what he meant by the mustard-seed-sized faith. We will learn from him that faith is not confidence but persistence with humility. So, let’s begin!

Recently, I came across some new research studies on the science of gratitude. Can you believe there’s such a subject as “the science of gratitude?” It’s fascinating to learn how gratitude can enrich our lives with profound joy and happiness.
According to neuroscientists, gratitude can rewire your brain and induce serotonin and dopamine—the happiness hormones that promote health and healing. That’s an affirming discovery for us because, as Christians, our life is all about gratitude. The Bible says,
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5:18).
Notice it says it’s the “will of God” for us to give thanks in all circumstances. The Bible also tells us to rejoice always. How do you rejoice? I’ve discovered that you can rejoice when you count the blessings and give thanks. I’ve personally experienced that a grateful heart cannot be depressed. According to psychologists, the attitude of gratitude is the healthiest emotion.
When I think about gratitude, I can’t help but remember an inspiring joke about a widow living alone, praying every morning and night, and giving thanks to God. Seeing her devotion to God, her atheist neighbor feels annoyed and looks for an opportunity to convince her that God doesn’t exist.
One morning he hears the widow praying aloud, “Dear God, I thank you for your love and grace. Today, my refrigerator is empty, and I don’t have food to eat. But I trust that you will provide me with all my needs. Give me this day my daily bread. Lord, I know you are my shepherd, and I shall not want.”
The neighbor suddenly gets a bright idea to prove her wrong about her belief. So, he goes to the store, buys a bunch of groceries, and places them in front of her door. He rings the bell and goes hiding behind the corner.
Hearing the bell, the woman comes out and sees the bag of groceries and praises God with great joy, “Thank you, oh Lord, for your generosity! I know you are the provider and will give me what I need.”
“Wait a minute, Mrs. Jones,” the neighbor jumped out of the corner, saying, “I am the provider. Not God. I bought these groceries with my own money and placed them at your door. There is no such thing as God. So stop being superstitious!”
The lady appears even happier and excited and raises her hand in the sky, “Oh, what an amazing God. Your wisdom is wonderful. Not only do you give me my daily bread, but also make the devil pay for it!” (End of story.)
I love this joke because it depicts an invincible faith with a quick wit.
K. Chesterton—the great English writer and philosopher—left us with many of his profound thoughts on gratitude and quotable quotes. Here are some of them,
“The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.” ~G. K. Chesterton
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G. K. Chesterton
“The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things, and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.” ~G. K. Chesterton
“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” ~G. K. Chesterton (This one has something to do with our lesson today.)
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” ~G. K. Chesterton
“When we were children, we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?” ~G. K. Chesterton
We live in a fallen world, and we all know life is difficult. But, if you can find reasons to be grateful, life can become a joy to live. Even though science today has proven that gratitude makes a big difference in our well-being, Jesus reveals gratitude has spiritual significance and is a path to salvation.
Do you know God has a soft spot? Our heavenly Father cannot resist our gratitude. One of my daughters knew how to express gratitude in her own way even before she could speak. She melted my heart each time she did that. In the same way, you can melt the heart of the heavenly Father with your gratitude.
Have you wondered how to express your faith? Most of the time, we think we express our faith by passively believing or trusting God, but according to Jesus, our attitude of gratitude shows our faith. God rewards grateful people. That’s why miracles happen when we express our sincere gratitude.
So, today, we will explore how Jesus teaches us to express gratitude and experience grace, not only for the well-being of this life but also for eternal salvation.

There is an Indian parable that is quite thought-provoking. It’s about a prostitute living across the street from a small monastery occupied by a monk. They can see each other from a distance through their windows.
The monk meditates and prays daily. But, through his window, he frequently sees men entering and leaving her house across the street. He says in his head, “What an adulterous woman! She will burn in hell for her sins.”
Every now and then, the prostitute looks through her window, sees the meditating monk, and thinks with admiration, “Heaven bless him! I wish I could meditate and pray day and night like him in my next life. May he be bless forever.”
One day, both of them die and end up at the gate of paradise. The angel ushers the woman in but does not let the monk enter. The monk asks, “You must have got it wrong. That woman is a sinner, but I am a monk.”
The angel replies, “Yes, I know who you are. The problem is when you meditated, you cursed the woman across the street. But, when she saw you through her window, she sent her blessings to you.” Now, her blessings return to her, and your curses return to you. (End of story.)
I am sure we all know that this parable is not to justify prostitution but to awaken the listener to be careful about their inner conduct because appearance can be deceiving. As the saying goes, “Don’t judge the book by its cover.”
The question is, how can we improve our ability to see through the cover? The answer is “empathy.” Empathy is often misunderstood because it’s a nebulous cognition. According to scientists, there are four types of empathy: cognitive empathy, affective empathy, somatic empathy, and spiritual empathy.
Another problem is that those who don’t have empathy cannot make sense of it. Even if you have it, you could lose it due to some life changes. Some people lose empathy due to a traumatic experience, some become too wealthy and lose empathy, and some rise to a high social status and lose empathy with commoners.
For example, in the story, the monk loses his empathy because he is of honorable status. He thinks he holds the moral high ground and gains the right to judge those of the lower class.
In the Bible, we see similar conditions among the Pharisees and scribes who had lost their empathy for the prostitutes, tax collectors, cripples, and other so-called sinners. The brother of the Prodigal Son cannot empathize with his younger brother because of his moral high ground.
The Greek word “σπλαγχνίζομαι” (splagchnizomai) is often translated as “compassion” or “mercy” because there is no equivalent English word for it. After some reseach, I discovered “empathy” a more precise translation. That open our mind’s eye to understand Jesus and his teaching more profoundly.
Over and over again, Jesus warned the religious elites about their lack of empathy. In recent weeks, we have covered several parables of Jesus warning us of the danger of apathy. Apathy is the opposite of empathy. Most importantly, the lack of empathy could lock us out of heaven.
Money and wealth can also make us lose our empathy. In today’s scripture lesson, Jesus tells the “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.” Many people get confused by this parable because the rich man did nothing wrong but ended up in Hades, or hell. The context reveals why he was in hell: apathy.
Based on this story, it’s vital to rejuvenate our empathy, exercise it, and grow it like a spiritual muscle. Having empathy will keep your heart warm and happy. You will win friends and influence people. Most importantly, you will become Christlike because Jesus came on earth to show us the empathy of God.
Empathy will be like a set of wings, allowing you to fly like an eagle in the sky instead of running like a turkey on the ground. No offense to the turkeys; we need them for Thanksgiving. Let’s begin!

A native American village has a tradition of sending young adults, at about twenty years old, out to the world to fulfill their vocation and return to the village to retire when they are old, maybe around sixty. Every spring, a new batch of energetic young villagers gather at the chief’s tent and receive his blessing to enter the world to make their dreams come true.
The chief gives them a piece of paper and asks them to hang it on the wall wherever they go. The young people will go to the towns and cities based on their interests and ambition. They unfold the paper and hang it on the wall. It has only two words, “Fear Not!”
The young people take their chief’s advice and bravely pursue their dreams. They have successes and failures and learn their lessons. Some make a lot of money, and some don’t. However, as instructed, they all return to their home village to retire when they are old.
Soon after they arrive at their village, they visit the chief to receive his instruction for their next phase of life. The chief gives them another piece of paper to hang on their wall. It also has two words, “Regret Not!” (End of Story.)
The moral of the story is that, when we are young, our biggest obstacle is fear. That’s why the chief reminds the young people to “Fear Not!”
However, life is complicated! When we get old, many people regret the mistakes they have made and the risk they failed to take. Consciously or unconsciously, they spend the rest of their life guilt-ridden. Since we can’t change the past, the chief charges them with two words, “Regret Not!”
The problem is, how do you regret not? It’s easier said than done. You cannot just sweep your guilts under the rug as if they had never happened. Psychologists say that suppressed memories can harm your mental and emotional health. We cannot just brush off the past.
As I am approaching sixty, sometimes I review my life and ask myself to see if I have any regret about my life. Of course, like everyone, I have done many regretful things. “To err is human!” and I am human. The good news is, as Christians, we are forgiven people, and we can live a genuine “Regret Not” life without having to sweep our guilts under the rug because Jesus has paid the price for us on the cross.
I also enjoy seeing many people among Christians who have “peace like a river, love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain.” They live a “Regret Not” life without getting haunted by their past.
In fact, if I were the chief, I would not give two pieces of paper to them but just one piece. I would give them all “Regret Not!” from the beginning because it will stimulate more profound wisdom and lift them to a higher level of consciousness. They will make better decisions.
Jesus reveals to us that our “Regret Not” life is enriched by the friends we make, particularly eternal friends—literally best friends forever. In today’s scripture lesson, Jesus shows us two ways to recover from regret—the way of the “children of this age” and the way of the “children of light.”
Children of this age make transactional friends, but children of light make transformational friends. Jesus wants us to make transformational friends that will last for eternity. They will be your true BFFs—Best Friends Forever. So, let’s begin.

If you love Chinse food, you must know a popular dish called “Dongopo Rou,” or “Dongpo Meat.” It’s a sweet, savory, flavorful, and delicious dish named after its inventor Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo was the Benjamin Franklin of 11th Century China during Song Dynasty. Like Franklin, he was multitalented. He had many inventions and was a statesman, poet, chemist, and military strategist.
Due to his popularity as a statesman, Su Dongpo was exiled several times by the king, not because he committed any crime, but to protect him from getting sabotaged by other jealous politicians. He survived three kings, and all three queens loved him. Each time he was exiled, the queen of the time would beg the king to bring him back to the palace. You can imagine how handsome he was.
Unlike Franklin, however, Su Dongpo was not a womanizer. He survived four wives. Each of them died due to the hardship of the exiles or supporting him to fulfill his calling. They were all highly intelligent women who loved him to death, as he loved them the same way.
Like all of us, he had done mischievous things in his youthful years. His best childhood friend, Fo Yin, became a Zen monk. So he visited the monastery often to see his friend. One day, the monk taught him how to meditate. They sat face to face with their eyes slightly close.
Su Dongpo found it amusing to see his friend sitting in his brown robe and got the idea of pulling a prank. He asked, “Fo Yin, what do I look like?” The monk said, “You look like a saint.” Su Dongpo laughed and said, “Do you know what you look like in my partially close eyes.” “Tell me,” the monk asked. “Well, you look like a pile of bull dung. Ha, ha, ha!” The monk stayed quiet.
Su Dongpo went home gleefully, proud of his prank. His sister asked, “What makes you so happy today?” Su Dongpo replied with a big bragging smile, “Well, I got the monk,” and told her the story. His sister said, “Loser! You don’t even know you lost, and he won?” “Why?” Su Dong Po asked.
“Why? Don’t you know, spiritually speaking, you see who you are in others? He sees you as a saint because he is a saint in his heart. You see him as a pile of bull dung because your heart is full of bull dung.” (End of story.)
This story is an excellent parable for me to check my heart and spirit when I see bull dung in people. As an ESTJ, I see bull dung in people more often than I like to. Stories like this keep me in check.
How often do you see bull dung in people? I understand that even though we know enough not to judge people by the color of their skin, we think it’s okay to do so by the content of their character. This story warns us that our judgment could reflect the content of our own character.
We often read in the Bible how the Pharisees and scribes tended to see the tax collectors and many others as sinners and even judged Jesus as the Beelzebub, the head of the devil. That actually reveals their hearts. Jesus warned them bout their rotten hearts,
“For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” (Mt 15:19).
King David asked God to give him a clean heart and the right spirit. Without a clean heart, we keep heaven divided and perpetuate suffering in this fallen world. When you have a clean heart, you experience freedom, and you complete heaven.
In today’s scripture lesson, Jesus teaches us how to see people as God sees them. That is very important teaching because unless we see people the way God sees them, we will not see the kingdom at all. So, let’s begin!