Where is my joy Oh Lord?

Has my flesh consumed it?

Has the world exhausted it?

Or the enemy stole it in the night?

Where is my joy Oh Lord?

For I know it is not of the flesh!

For the flesh ages and decomposes

And this joy turns to dust

Where is my joy Oh Lord?

Is it from the world?

Filled with empty dreams and promises!

So easily shatters like a piece of glass

Where is my joy Oh Lord?

The enemy offers it to me!

Sugar coated and filled with false delight

What genius! What lies!

My joy rests in thee my Lord!

But my eyes cannot see you

My fingers touch you

My senses cannot grasp you my Lord!

My joy rests in thee my Lord!

For your grace have opened up my eyes

Faith slowly reveals me to you!

How beautiful you are my Lord!

My joy rests in thee my Lord!

For your mercy is an ocean

You have save this fool time and time again

Your mercy is stronger than my weakness!

My joy rests in thee my Lord!

What love do you have?
For the almighty who created the universe

Chose dwell inside this broken and sinful man

Let my heart rejoice my Lord!

For my joy is your Love!

An unimaginable and unfailing Love

For you are love itself!

Autobiography in Five Short chapters

by Portia Nelson

1.  I walk, down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.

I'm lost... I am helpless It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

2. I walk down the same street.

    & nbsp;   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

    & nbsp;   I pretend I don't see it.

    & nbsp;   &n bsp; I fall in again.

    & nbsp;   I can't believe I am in the same place. But, it isn't my fault.

    & nbsp;   It still takes a long time to get out.

3. I walk down the same street.
    & nbsp;  
    & nbsp;    There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

    & nbsp;    I still fall in . . . It's a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

4. I walk down the same street.

    & nbsp;   There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
  
    & nbsp;   I walk around it.

5. I walk down another street

Growing up as an adolescent, I had many longing and desires as like many of my peers. These desires were basically worldly. Desires which the media have conditioned me to see them as vital for living the good life. The good life? Being young, I was easily brainwashed to what this good life was supposed to be. It was just lately that I realized that this good life means being self-centered and self-gratifying. But most of all, it meant putting God on the sidelines.

Striving for this false good life, I found myself frustrated. I was longing for material stuffs that I did not needed. I was aching to be in a romantic relationship which I had little idea about and even misunderstood. And I was striving for success blindly. I found myself frustrated because I prayed for these things to be granted by God. I sincerely prayed to God for these things thinking it would bring me happiness, or at least contentment. But God was a good and all knowing God for he did not grant me my desires. If God have granted me my prayers, I would have strayed away from him for sure. I know myself; I get easily distracted by the world. I thank the Lord that I was not given the desires that I could not have handled then; and maybe still now.

God answered my prayers with a big “NO”. A “NO” that was out of love. His denial of my false desires was the very same thing that preserved me from committing more grievous sins. God’s “NO” to me meant two things. First it meant that the things I was praying for would only make me worldlier, and not holy. He answered me with a “NO” to preserve our relationship with each other. I have already strayed away from him during these times. If he had given me my prayers, it might have jeopardized our relationship more. The second meant “NO”, you are not ready yet or it is not for you. This applies for my longing to be in a romantic relationship. Until now I have little clue to what my vocation is, am I to be single or be married. God never really gave me the kind of romantic relationship I was looking for. For years I have tried to be in a romantic relationship, and every time it failed. There was a point that I was examining myself what was wrong with me. Those were tough times filled with insecurities and loneliness. But again God acted in his infinite goodness by not granting my desires. Looking back, I did not really know what I was asking for. I had a misunderstanding about relationships then, and I must admit some of my intentions were not pure as well. Romantic relationship to me then was more on a fad. Most of my friends were in a relationship and I was the “odd man out”. Sacredness was not anywhere in my definition of a romantic relationship, premarital sex maybe somewhere there.

Reflecting now, I see that God’s silent response to my prayers was out of love. He did not give me what I desired for it would have made me more of a sinner than a repentant Christian. His “NO” preserved me from committing more sin. He also preserved me from more suffering. Not just physical or mental suffering, but most of spiritual suffering and confusion.

At this moment I am writing this, I am very much single and I have little material security. Believe it or not I am enjoying life. Little has change on the things around me. I still have the same problems of everyday survival, but I have changed. These days I find myself enjoying solitude and silence. The loud and crowded places I used to love hanging out has lost its glitter. I now enjoy a “peace” that only can be found in God.

I found hope in life again, knowing that God has always preserved me since the day I was born. And he will continue to do so till my last breathe. All he asks of me is to be obedient to his divine will. To have faith in Him and in His response to my prayers, weather it is a “YES”, “NO” or “WAIT”.

He is my savior.

I call Him Jesus.

Abortion is unacceptable even in a non-religious arena. It is plain murder of an infant, even how small it is. It goes to the basic moral principle, do not do to others what you do not want be done to you. If someone justifies abortion to you, simply ask him “do you want to be aborted?” “How would you feel if your mother aborted you?” Or “who wants to get aborted first?”

If a pro abortionist goes to saying that that unborn infant is not yet alive, it is not true. Once the egg cell and the sperm cell join together or on conception, life has stared. Even though how small the fetus is, it is already a human being. At 12 weeks the fetus already moves. That small fetus has the same potential as you and I have when it comes out in the world. In that way that unborn infant should be given the same respect and dignity in life as we give ourselves. The unborn should be given the same right to live life. We ourselves also started as a fetus in our mother’s womb.

Many pro abortionists say that abortion is justifiable for social, economic and population issues. They say it is better for the child to be killed before it is born to prevent future suffering, like poverty. Well, it is still not morally acceptable to murder a child in that premise. What if you got a terminal cancer at a young age of twenty years old, and you got no money to pay for the hospital bills. To prevent you from further suffering in the future, I will just murder you. I don’t think its good logic. Again, do not do to others what you do not want be done to you. No amount of reason or law to make abortion acceptable. We might as well set all the murderers free from prison then.

On the matter of the woman’s choice to do what she wants with her body, I am all for that. She can jump of the bridge if she likes, but after her infant is born. For she shares her body with her infant, and that infant’s life should be respected and preserved. Would a sane mother kill her born child? It goes the same for the unborn. No amount of poverty or decease can justify a single abortion. It goes to the basic human principle of respect for the lives of others. We do not decide who lives and who does not. It is one thing to commit suicide, it a whole different thing to commit murder.

In the celebration of the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II calls us to be witness in Jesus Christ, especially through charity.

"May this invocation resound in every Christian community: that in recognizing the resurrected Christ 'in the breaking of the bread,' the faithful will witness to him with concrete charity," the Pope said when addressing the crowd in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope unites the celebration of the Eucharist with our mission to help the needy. This celebration of the Eucharistic Year asks us to put Jesus Christ in the center of our lives.

Following Jesus' life and teachings means being servant of God. Jesus himself told us, “I came here to serve, not to be served.” This is what Jesus tells us.

Charity is one great way of serving others. Through charity we can not only help others but offer ourselves to them as well. It is not only money we can offer to the needy, also love. Money can be earned, love can only be given.

The Pope tells us “to continue with the work of formation and with activities in the service of the poor and needy.”

Let us celebrate this Eucharistic Year with faith, hope and charity. And Jesus being at the center of everything we do.

I have just finished reading Father Groeschel's book “Healing the Original Wound.” I recommend this book for those people who is searching some meaning in life or looking for some conversion. I like to share to you his thoughts on modern day paganism or neo-paganism

For us Catholics, paganism is worshiping a person or thing other than God (Holy Trinity).

In this modern age of information and technology we have been distracted from our God. We have come to give more time acquiring wealth and power for ourselves. This is what Fr. Groeschel warns us. Every time we put the pursuit of wealth and power as the center of our life, we practice neo-paganism. We have the tendency to put ourselves in the center of the world. We become fanatics of ourselves, giving ourselves gratification and glory. Every time we take Jesus out of the center and priorities ourselves and our desires, we become pagans. We are often guilty of these, consciously and unconsciously. If we took advantage of others for our own interest, we become pagans. If we twist and distort the rules of the church for our own sake, we become pagans. If become self centered, we become pagans.

What I have observed today is the more technology moves forward, God is left behind. In this age of information and technology, we have lost the TRUTH about God. We have come to worshipers of ourselves.

ACTS, ENDS, AND MEANS IN STOPPING ABORTION

A brief reflection by Fr. Frank A. Pavone

A discussion on the use of "force" and "violence" in the pro-life movement involves a discussion of the use of certain means to achieve an end, and a determination as to whether choosing those specific means constitutes a morally good act.

It is necessary, then, to comment on the elements of the morality of an action, and the relationship between ends and means.

A fundamental axiom of Catholic moral theology is that an action is not simply good unless it is good under all aspects, whereas it is evil if any one aspect is evil. In this sense, it is like a telephone number. If all the numbers are correct except one, you still get a wrong number.

The three basic aspects (or "fonts") of any action are its "object", "end", and "circumstances."

"Object" refers NOT to "motive" but rather to what the act is. This does not simply mean the physical nature of the act, but the primary moral significance of it. For example, a picture of someone taking a TV set out of an apartment does not yet tell us what the act is. It could be moving a TV which one legitimately owns to another location, or taking it to a friend as a gift, or bringing it to be repaired, or stealing it. The "object" of the act identifies the act in its most basic relationship to the moral law. If the act is chosen, its "object" is necessarily chosen. It can be chosen for different reasons and surrounded by different circumstances, but the person doing it cannot "jump over" the "object", because the "object" is precisely what he/she is doing.

The "circumstances" of an act are elements of the moral order which qualify an act already rendered good or bad by the object. Some circumstances will change the nature of an act, while others will render it better or worse. Stealing from a blind man aggravates the evil of the act of stealing. Circumstances are "who, when, where, and by what means".

The "end" of an action is the motive or purpose for which it is performed. Sometimes an action is performed for its own purpose. Here the "end" and "object" would coincide. I may drive through the mountains just for the sake of taking a drive. But an action can also be used to accomplish another purpose, in which case the action chosen is a means to an end. The "end" or goal can then render an otherwise good or indifferent act (according to its object) into an evil act. If I drive through the mountains in order to help a bank robber escape justice, my driving has become an evil act.

The end or motive cannot make an act whose object is evil into a good act. We can see this clearly in abortion itself. The object is the destruction of innocent life. No matter how good the motive or purpose may be (solving a social or financial problem, eliminating mental or physical distress, or even saving life), the object of the act remains unchanged and unmitigated in its evil.

Here we reach a crucial principle. The person performing the act cannot jump over or absorb the object (nature) of the act into its end or purpose. If I choose a means to an end, I necessarily intend the means. I cannot say I am choosing only the purpose, and hence ignore the evil of the means. This principle is behind Paul's assertion in Romans 3:8 that it is wrong to say, "Let us do evil that good may result."

It can be very tempting to absorb an evil act into a good motive or result. If I could save the whole world from being blown up by killing one baby, would I be morally justified to kill the baby? No. It is never justified. The morality of an act is not determined solely by its consequences. Consequences deal with what I bring about "on the outside", what changes I introduce in the world. But the action also determines me morally. The question I need to consider is not only, "What will my action accomplish?", but "What will I become by choosing it?" If I kill a baby to save the world, I have become a murderer.

The point that one who chooses a good end cannot thereby consider the evil means "not intended" is crucial in the determination of what means to use to end abortion. This principle does not in itself, of course, clarify which means are good or evil, but it does help us avoid a serious pitfall in moral reasoning. It helps clarify the difference between tolerating an evil consequence of an act (whose object is good or indifferent) and choosing an evil means to a good end. The difference here is the difference between doing good and doing evil.

An application to the specific case of shooting an abortionist causes us to ask, "Is defense of the unborn the object of the act, or a consequence which I choose as my goal and motive? Furthermore, is the death of the abortionist the means through which I achieve my good purpose, or is it an unintended consequence of a good act?" Note that if the goal is achieved by means of the harm inflicted, I cannot say that I did not intend the harm (or death). I cannot not will the means, I cannot not will the object of the act, jumping over it and calling the act by the name of the motive (defense). Any justification of harm or death inflicted as a result of an act of defense requires that I NOT intend that death or harm (and this includes that the harm not be the means to the end) but rather that such harm be an unintended consequence tolerated for the sake of a proportionate good that I do choose.

In summary of this rather technical point of moral reasoning, the evaluation of how much "force" or "violence" is justified in fighting abortion is not made by a mere "physical" analysis of acts ("photographing" the act, such as a person taking a TV out of a room). The (sometimes subtle) relationship of the elements of an act in itself (object, end, and circumstances) and the relationship of the elements of one act to another (means to end; act of killing or act of defense) need analysis in light of the principles that the intended destruction of human life is evil and that we may not do evil even to achieve great good.

Priests for Life Condemns All Violence

"www.priestsforlife.org"

I would like to share my humbling experiences with the poor.

The Three Elderly Women

Every Sunday I often see these three elderly women who beg outside the church. These three women are often beside each other. One Sunday on the way to mass, I saw the two of them sharing their alms to the oldest woman. I saw it was just coins the two gave. I was so humbled by the scene when I saw it. These poor ladies were being charitable to each other even though they have so very little. I remember the saying “no one is to poor to share.” These ladies showed it to me first hand.

The orphan boy

Another story happened while I was playing with the kids in the orphanage. I was playing with this one child who cannot use his arms or legs. He just lies there in his crib. An orphan boy came to me to open his little jelly candy. I thought he was going to eat it for himself, but I was wrong. After I opened his candy, he came near the boy who cannot use his arms and legs, and he placed the jelly in his mouth. I was so touched by the scene. These kids are just 4 years old below, not to mention they are poor and sick. But this little boy showed unselfishness and love for his fellow orphan. I then remember what Christ said, we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we become like children. I now understand why.

Both experiences left me humbled. I thought I gave enough. I thought I was a charitable person. These poor have showed me that I am a long way in practicing the virtue of CHARITY. Like many of you, I only give what is excess. There is little sacrifice to the things or money I give to the poor. I like what Mother Teresa says, “Give until it hurts.” I also examined my conscience, being more “well to do” than this poor, have I been really charitable?  Or do I hold money as tight as I can? Have I shared enough to what God gave me? Can I practice the same charity these poor people do? Well I am still examining my conscience. But I hope in the future I could be like this poor people. Sacrificing what little they have to help their fellow men. Then, maybe then I can be as beautiful as them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I just reached my 26^th birthday today. Last night I was contemplating what to celebrate about being 26 years old. Well my realization came just a few hours ago going to the office. I started to be grateful for my conversion towards God. Like most any 25 year old person, I suffered the so called “quarter life crisis.” For the last year I have questioned myself where my life was headed. Was I just walking this world and not living?

Thank God that a few months ago God began his work for my conversion. Slowly, day by day he patiently worked his way in my heart. He patiently healed all my pains and sufferings and I did not even notice it. He opened my eyes to the truth and showed what life was all about. God gave me the most beautiful gift, “PEACE.” His grace of peace filled my whole being, gave me a peace of mind, heart and soul. For a very emotional and easily irritated person like me, such gift is what I call a “saving grace.” For that is what it did you me, it save me from my self destructive emotional self.

As for my question where my life is headed? Well God made me realizes that my life should lead up to Him, and only Him.

I am also thankful for my 26^th birthday because God answered my prayer. For a long time I felt out of place within my peers. Even though I love my friends very much and really enjoy my company, a part of me felt like a fish out of water. Today I got to join the “co-worker of Mother Teresa“, a volunteer group helping the Missionaries of Charity in helping the poorest of the poor. I always wanted to do some volunteer work, now I was blessed with an opportunity.  But what excites me the most is I found where “I belong.” It felt great to belong to a community dedicated to help the poor, materially and spiritually. I fill fulfilled every time I visit their orphanage on Sundays. Caring for the little blessed orphans, playing with them brings me such comfort and joy. It is my little haven away from the polluted (I’m not talking about air pollution) city I work from. Every time I go home from the orphanage I feel “joyfully exhausted.” It is one way I pray to my God, I get tired for him. The more I get exhausted for him, the more joyful I end up.  Caring for the needy is where I belong, and it feels good to be home with my God.

God gave me a great gift on my 26th birthday no man or money can buy... A NEW LIFE.

I often considered myself as a humble person and so does my friends. Well, all I can say is I am a good actor. Not only I have convinced my friends of my humility but I have made myself to believe it. You see this is my pathetic description of humility, it is hiding my arrogance with smiles and “oh its nothing.” It is keeping my arrogance in my head. This kind of humility is called “false humility.” And I have to admit I have been delusional for a long time about my humility. Again it was my profound ignorance about my God which cause of all this.

In my opinion that in order to be sincerely humble one must truly believe in God. You see for a long time I thought everything I accomplished was all based in my effort. I did it all! I came to believe that it was my hard work that earned my accomplishments. I saw God as a cheerleader in the sidelines. Only cheering and applauding me for what I was doing. That was my mistake.

It is only now that I came to realize that whatever I have and accomplished was all given to me by God. It was not my effort that I got my clients, but the opportunity God gave me in meeting them. How can I take credit for what I have? If God did not created me I, all these material possession won’t mean anything.  What I have is something God gave to me out of is love. I did not worked for it, earned it not even deserved it. It was given unconditionally. And I CANNOT take any credit for it. Knowing that I am solely dependent to God, I know my worth. I am worthless before God. I have nothing to be proud of, except that He loves me so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to save me from my sins.

This is how I see humility now. I am only a servant of God, doing what I am told. I cannot take credit for the works. It is the Master who deserves to be praised.

Living in these modern times, technological advancements have greatly affected our lives. In this hi-tech world, we find ourselves amidst the sea of materialism. Our standards of living seem to get higher and higher. We seem to want more and more as we progress. We are no longer contented with simple pleasures of life. For one to enjoy life, one needs a lot of material possession. To enjoy life these days one must be extravagant and wealthy. Contentment seems so hard to achieve. If we fail to get these things, we think that we are deprived of what we should have. Slowly discontent followed by the feeling of injustice fills us. And misery is not far behind.

One thing God made me realize, through reading the biography of Mother Teresa, is living a simple life can free you from all this miserable discontent. We have accustomed ourselves with so much that it became our daily need. We do not anymore consider how blessed we are for eating 3 meals a day, having clothes and having a house to live in. We fail to see that these 3 things are already a treasure for the poor and homeless. We seem to demand more and more from God without seeing what is in front of us. Our eyes are so far ahead with our materialistic desire that we overlooked what we have. We decide for ourselves what we actually deserve, and God is obligated to give it to us. I like a line “everything you want is not everything you need.”

A life of simplicity can help us detach from all these excess materialism in life. Simplicity can train us to live a “low cost life.” A life that is free from envy and greed. Free from problems that materialism brings us, like “I got no new clothes”, “I need a new car”, “I need money to go to that place” and all those “I want these stuffs.”   The virtue of simplicity can open our eyes to what we have, and thank God that He gave us “our daily bread.

Should I tell them

Walking with you is not without hazards
Trippings this traveler's curse
Price paid for falling is more than my stumble
In a world that is watching and waiting for words
But I listened when You said to go
And I set out in spite of my fears
About truth mixed with my imperfection
And the question of what to say when I got here
And now that I'm here

Should I tell them that
You are the one who has made me
And saved me and set up a home there inside
Should I tell them that I am a perfect example
Of all You can do with a life.
What should I say to them?
What if I'm failing them?
What should i tell the tonight?

Now don't get me wrong
I'm thankful to be here
With this song to sing and a spotlight on me,
But lately I'm wondering if you are mistaken,
If you're seeing all of me there is to see.
Cause on every face I detect
The same questions I've posed to you
Like do you speak through the imperfect
Are we too dirty for your light to get through?
I want your light to get through.

Should I tell them that
You are the one who has made me
And saved me and set up a home there inside
Should I tell them that I am a perfect example
Of all You can do with a life.
What should I say to them?
What if I'm failing them?
What should i tell the tonight?

They're thirsty Lord
My cup is empty Lord
Come and lead me here in this place
Cuz I'm unashamed, but I'm unprepared
And I'm just plain afraid

Should I tell them that
You are the one who has made me
And saved me and set up a home there inside
Should I tell them that I am a perfect example
Of all You can do with a life.
What should I say to them?
What if I'm failing them?
What should i tell the tonight?

The word “cool” as often fascinated me since I heard of it. People who are called “cool” are the ones most admired by society or their peers. Well I don’t know about you, but I always desired to be popular since I was young. I did try a lot of foolish things just to be admired or simply be socially accepted. In the end I realized I was misled.

My first mistake was how I defined being “cool.” I took my definitions from media, namely television, movies, magazines and internet. Unfortunately what I learned was this, to be cool means: being popular, attractive, having expensive clothes, driving extravagant cars, got money to burn, smooth talker, cosmetics (even for the males) and being seen in the places where “one need to be seen.” Having striving to achieve most of this, I can say this is a shallow pathetic list. Trying to be “cool” I ended up confused, disappointed and frustrated. I have centered my life with such temporal things that I thought would bring joy, I was wrong. Even inside a crowded club with my friends, I still felt lonely and meaningless. The question always pops up my mind “what am I doing here?” I should have had a clue there. I believe it was my selfishness and most of all my ignorance from seeing the truth of what being “cool” is.

I don’t know who started being “religious” is uncool. Even doing charity works becomes something we shy away from. We find it awkward to extend ourselves to the needy, all because it is not cool. It is not cool to be a good guy/girl these days. They find brand these people as “boring” or worst “holier than thou”, when all they want to do is help. But it is the religious who are most often perceive and persecuted as “uncool.” For the religious does not always conform with the society but by the church and its teachings. They answer to their God and not to society.

I find it sad that media has abused its powers. It has given us false sense of values. As I watch TV these days I observed the protagonist of the shows. Most often these are the trait of the protagonist; have an issue about himself  or simply have a bad attitude. They hold no morality or respect for human life and dignity. These characters define to us what a “cool” or hip attitude is by the eyes of society. Sadly we take their character and traits without even thinking about it. We just go with the flow, even if the flow is downward.

I have a new definition of “cool” now. Cool people are those who stand out. Who stand for what God has revealed to them, even if society goes against them. I  have a favorite line from one of Max Lucado’s book, it goes like this; The crowd commands us to fit in… Jesus calls us to stand out.

If you ask me I would like to stand out, that what is “coolness” is all about.

Love, everybody seems to be preoccupied by it. We have search for it time and time again, achieving and failing in the process. Some of us are left bitter, while others are ecstatic. But too most of us, we are just left confused.

But do we really know what we are looking for? We have defined love so much that it has lost its meaning. We use the word love so often that it is being “misused.” I have observed that we have defined love to our own comfort. Since there are so many definitions of love, we can shop for the definitions that suit us. Others are carried away by songs or movies; there they relate themselves to these love stories even if it is not applicable to them. And others have distorted love’s meaning to justify their selfish actions.

Speaking from a victim’s point of view I can relate very well with most of you when it comes to the topic of love. I have confused friendship and sexual desire with true love, which is also called agape. This confusion has leaded me to so many pains and rejections, still I did not learn. Like most of you, I too desire for that perfect love. That perfect love that would bring meaning to my existence.

But how do we define love? Being around people who live their life searching for love in all places, I can give some observations. My observation is; we define love to what the media or society dictates to us. Unfortunately the media distorts love’s meaning for their ratings. And we, the viewers, are left confused and sometimes mislead by what we see or hear. I know, because I have been there. I am a romantic fool.

These distortions made by our society and media have corrupted love’s meaning. It made jealousy, envy, possessiveness, pride and selfishness a part of love. Well I don’t know about you, but these things can cause anyone misery. Now I am just going to use logic here. I believe that “love” is God’s gift to us. Since God loves us, He only wants us only to be happy and not miserable. Now if jealousy is part of love, and jealousy causes misery, then God have contradicted himself. And I don’t think God would do that. God gave us a pure love, for He is pure. It is our human weakness that makes love lesser for what it is. Call me I idealistic for believing that jealousy, envy, possessiveness, pride and selfishness IS NOT part of love; frankly I don’t care what you say. I have looked to it in many angles and came out with the same conclusion. Love is a lot better than that.

Many of us twist and distort love’ meaning for our own pleasure. Some hide their fears and insecurities in the name of love. While others use love to justify their selfishness and weakness. And then, there are those who use love to get what they want. Amidst this information technology, love has lost its meaning.

This is my definition of love, and I have believed it since I was young.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish and does not get upset with others. Love does get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong.

1 Cor: 13:4-7

If we are looking for the “unfailing love”, we can only find it from its source. GOD.

good day world!

Finally found somewhere I can place a piece of mind. To be or not to be?, a famous line from Shakespeare, but is there more to this saying? Growing up from adolescence to manhood, I often plague by this question. To be myself or not to be myself sounds foolish eh? But it is all true; this is what society does and still doing to us all. Society dictates to us who we should be and not appreciate who we really are. Society togeth er with "media" has raised us as clones. Telling us what is acceptable and fashionable, society has molded us to its pleasure and away from who we really are. Society can judge us and even persecute us. The society that man created is now controlling him. How awfully sad.

We often become victims of society without knowing it, giving us subtle distractions thru media. Slowly we are drawn away from who we are and to “what” we should be. We strives so much so society to accept us. Even to the point of sacrificing our own identity. But have we asked ourselves, “Does society actually cares for us?” Trying to please people by means of our own demise does not sound logical to me.

We have become clones, walking this world and not living in it. Everyday we are lose ourselves more and more, until we, cannot even recognize ourselves. We have been mislead by society what would bring us joy and meaning in life. It has given us false values as well as false gods. Our lives have centered on FAME, MONEY, POWER and SEX. Everyday our hunger for these foolish things grow. One day we will be consumed by them and lose who we are. Then, our life will be one big confusion and disappointment, for we will always try to attain the unattainable.

To be or not to be? I ask that myself everyday. And I do have a choice. I have learned to see society for what it is. It is man made. And as a man, and having made it has little power over me. For the creation cannot be more powerful than the creator.

But there is still hope for our society. There are those still who are honest to themselves, who are trying with full effort to change our paganistic society. These are the people who have found happiness within themselves. But most important of all they have found meaning in their worthlessness thru the joy that GOD gives them.

Will you be yourself? nor NOT?

daxx!