CONTENTMENT

Have you ever, at any one time, had the feeling that life is bad, real bad,and you wish you were in another situation?

You find life make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks, everything seems to go wrong...

Read the following story... it may change your views about life:After a conversation with one of my friends, he told me despite taking 2jobs, he brings back barely above 1K per month, he is happy as he is.

I wonder how he can be as happy as he is considering he has to skimp hislife with the low pay to support a pair of old parents, in-laws, a wife, 2daughters and the many bills of a household.

He said that right in front of his very eyes he saw an Indian mother chopoff her child's right hand with a chopper. The helplessness in the mother's eyes, the scream of pain from the innocent 4-year-old childhaunted him until today.

The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped sothat the child could go out to the streets to beg.

Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a piece of bread he was eatinghalf-way. And almost instantly, a flock 5 or 6 children swamped towards this small piece of bread which was covered with sand, robbing bits fromone another. The natural reaction of hunger.

Stricken by the happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to thenearest bakery. He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf of bread he found in the bakeries. The owner was dumbfounded but willinglysold everything. He spent less than $100 to obtain about 400 loaves ofbread (this is less than $0..25 per loaf) and spent another $100 to get daily necessities.

Off he went in the truck full of bread into the streets. As he distributedthe bread and necessities to the children (mostly handicapped) and a fewadults, he received cheers and bows from these unfortunate. For the first time in his life he wondered how people can give up their dignity for aloaf of bread which cost less than $0.25.

He began to tell himself how fortunate he is. How fortunate he is to beable to have a complete body, have a job! , have a family, have the chance to complain what food is nice and what isn't nice, have the chance to beclothed, have the many things that these people in front of him aredeprived of...

Now I begin to think and feel it, too! Was my life really that bad?Perhaps... no, I should not feel bad at all... What about you? Maybe thenext time you think you are, think about the child who lost one hand to beg on the streets.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the realization of how much you already have."

BE FREE

Set Yourself Free
Edmund O'Neill


Set yourself free from anything that might hinder you in becoming the person you want to be. Free yourself from the uncertainties about your abilities or the worth of your dreams, from the fears that you may not be able to achieve them or that they won't be what you wanted.

Set yourself free from the past. The good things from yesterday are still yours in memory; the things you want to forget you will, for tomorrow is only a sunrise away. Free yourself from regret or guilt, and promise to live this day as fully as you can.

Set yourself free from the expectations of others, and never feel guilty or embarrassed if you do not live up to their standards. You are most important to yourself; live by what you feel is best and right for you. Others will come to respect your integrity and honesty.

Set yourself free to simply be yourself, and you will soar higher than you've ever dreamed.

FINDING AND KEEPING A LIFE PARTNER

When it comes to making the decision about choosing a life partner, no one wants to make a mistake. Yet, with a divorce rate of close to 50%, it appears that many are making serious mistakes in their approach to finding Mr./Miss. Right!

If you ask most couples who are engaged why they're getting married, they'll say: "We're in love"; I believe this is the #1 mistake people make when they date. Choosing a life partner should never be based on love. Though this may sound "not politically correct”, there’s a profound truth here. Love is not the basis for getting married. Rather, love is the result of a good marriage. When the other ingredients are right, then the love will come. Let me say it again:

"You can't build a lifetime relationship on love alone"; You need a lot more!!!

Here are five questions you must ask yourself if you're serious about finding and keeping a life partner.

QUESTION...1: Do we share a common life purpose?

Why is this so important? Let me put it this way: If you're married for20or 30 years, that's a long, time to live with someone. What do you plan to do with each other all that time? Travel, eat and jog together? You need to share something deeper and more meaningful. You need a common life purpose.
Two things can happen in a marriage:
(1) You can grow together, or
(2) You can grow apart. 50% of the people out there are growing apart. To make a marriage work, you need to know what you want out of life! Bottom line; and marry someone who wants the same thing.

QUESTION 2: Do I feel safe expressing my feelings and thoughts with this person?

This question goes to the core of the quality of your relationship.
Feeling safe means you can communicate openly with this person. The basis of having good communication is trust - i.e. trust that I won't get "punished”; or hurt for expressing my honest thoughts and feelings. A colleague of mine defines an abusive person as someone with whom you feel afraid to express your thoughts and feelings. Be honest with yourself on this one. Make sure you feel emotionally safe with the person you plan to marry.

QUESTION 3: Is he/she a mensch?

A mensch is someone who is a refined and sensitive person. How can you test? Here are some suggestions. Do they work on personal growth on a regular basis? Are they serious about improving themselves? A teacher of mine defines a good person as "someone who is always striving to be good and do the right ";.So ask about your Significant other What do they do with their time? Is this person materialistic?

Usually a materialistic person is not someone whose top priority is character refinement.
There are essentially two types of people in the world: (1) People who are dedicated to personal growth and (2) people who are dedicated to seeking comfort. Someone whose goal in life is to be comfortable will put personal comfort ahead of doing the right thing. You need to know that before walking down the aisle.

QUESTION 4: How does he/she treat other people?

The one most important thing that makes any relationship work is the ability to give. By giving,we mean the ability to give another person pleasure. Ask: Is this someone who enjoys giving pleasure to others or are they wrapped up in themselves and self-absorbed? To measure this, think about the following: How do they treat people whom they do not have to be nice to, such as waiters, bus boys, taxi drivers, etc. . . . How do they treat their parents and siblings? Do they have gratitude and appreciation? If they don't have gratitude for the people who have given them everything; Can you do nearly as much for them? You can be sure that someone who treats others poorly will eventually treat you poorly as well.

QUESTION 5: Is there anything I'm hoping to change about this person after we're married?

Too many people make the mistake of marrying someone with the intention of trying to "improve"; them after they're married. As a colleague of mine puts it: "You can probably expect someone to change after marriage for the worse" If you cannot fully accept this person the way they are now, then you are not ready to marry them.

In conclusion, dating doesn't have to be difficult and treacherous. The key is to try leading a little more with your head and less with your heart.
It pays to be as objective as possible when you are dating; to be sure to ask questions that will help you get to the key issues. Falling in love is a great feeling, but when you wake up with a ring on your finger, you don't want to find yourself in trouble because you didn't do your homework.
Another perspective. ...There are some people in your life that need to beloved from a distance.... It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going anywhere relationships. Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention....Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill? When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse? Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know, or appreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sitin the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of your life. An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye"; Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, pity, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren't really that important .Do you bring out the best in each other? Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare and control? What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

You can't take someone to the altar to alter them. You can't make someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and "a life"; you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain. Seeking status, sex, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.

WHAT KEEPS A RELATIONSHIP STRONG ARE:
1. TRUST
2. COMMUNICATION
3. INTIMACY
4. A SENSE OF HUMOR
5. SHARING TASKS
6. SOME GETAWAY TIME WITHOUT BUSINESS OR CHILDREN
7. DAILY EXCHANGES (meal, shared activity, hug, call, touch, notes)
8. SHARING COMMON GOALS AND INTERESTS
9. GIVING EACH OTHER SPACE TO GROW WITHOUT FEELING INSECURE
10. GIVING EACH OTHER A SENSE OF BELONGING AND ASSURANCES OF COMMITMENT

If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment withdrawal, abuse, neglect, and dishonesty; and pain will replace it.

Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keep You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But......... Only GOD KEEPS YOU GOING!

HANDLING LDR

I feel it necessary to share with you guys, my personal experience about handling a relationship. Here are some helpful tips about handling a relationship, particularly Long distance relationship which is the toughest one to handle.

Let me start it with the quote:

"And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." - Khalil Gibran -

Long distance relationships require a special willingness and understanding that can test love like no other type of relationship can. It requires constant communication and a desire to continually create your relationship, using the only real tool you have..WORDS and TRUST...

One of the most difficult parts of a long distance relationship is handling the fact that you are not physically there with your partner. This lack of physical presence can make the whole relationship seem like an illusion. Sometimes, almost every person in a long distance relationship has wondered at some point about whether the relationship was actually real or just wishful thinking. With this in mind, it is very important to create a presence of yourself in your partner's life to provide a stable reality that you are a couple and that you are a part of one another. Listed below are some ideas and resources to help you achieve this.

Communication

- Don't fall out of touch, even for a short time - Return all e-mails at the earliest opportunity If you are going out of town or are otherwise going to be unable to respond, let your partner know as soon as possible so they don't think something is wrong or start to have doubts.

- Keep an online dates. Talk regularly through voice chat or via the telephone Your voice adds that touch of reality to the relationship and makes you more than just text on a screen

- Video Chat if possible or at least send pictures regularly Can you imagine how differently you would feel if you could actually see your partner when you talk to them? You can bet that they would feel the same. Rather than having to imagine how you looked when you laughed or smiled, they could actually see it. It nullify's any of those doubts you have about whether they will like the way you look.

- Get to know as much as you can about each other Tell your partner about your day to day life, your friends, your relatives, your job etc. Make them feel like they are an integral part of your life. At the same time, find out as much as you can about them too

- Be there when needed One of the worst mistakes you can make in any relationship is to not be there for your partner when they need you. This is especially true of a long distance relationship as there are already inherent doubts and this will just reinforce those doubts. Seek your partner's advice, listen to what they say and make them feel special and important to you.

Love Love is the backbone of any relationship. As long as the other partner feels that you completely and unconditionally love them, those doubts will not have a chance to creep in. It is up to you to make sure they know exactly how you feel about them. Some ideas include:

Reinforce your affection with poems, stories and love letters Send them care packages, postcards and gifts Create a personalized love craft and send it to them

Presence Make sure you have a presence in your partner's life. Continually reinforce the fact that you are there, that this relationship is real and there is no way that you are going to let a little thing like distance get in your way.

(ronald rafer - asmsi.org.ph)

USE TO HOPE

There's something thrilling about attending a wedding, a baptism, or a graduation. All of life's possibilities seem stretched out before us, and most of their costs are still hidden from view. It's so much like the beginning of a summer day: soft breezes, sweet smells, lush lawns and flowers. And then before you know it, it's fall and time to prepare for the siege of winter.

If we're working hard to be faithful to God and to one another, to do our best and to share our gifts, we get tired. And sometimes after a while, things that used to be easy and even a joy become a burden instead. Somewhere along the line, we lose the joy and we find ourselves echoing those two apostles in todays gospel, "We used to hope, but not anymore."

How does that happen? Is it simply a matter of working too hard and getting tired? Not really. The real problem is losing our vision, our sense of purpose, which can come only from a trust-connection with the Lord.

If you find yourself burning out and finding life burdensome, spend some time renewing your vision and remembering where you're going. And the only place to do that is in His presence.
He'll help you remember, and He'll give you back your joy.

EMPTY SPACE

'''There's an empty spaceIn your distant dazeAnd you may look awayThat void still stays'''

there are times when we feel life is boring, and our negativism takesthe better part of us, even at times it becomes so depressing that wefeel the future is bleak. everything we hear is bad, no matter how much we condition our minds that things would be better, we always end upwith the same feeling- even worse...

'''There's a hollow pointIn your weary heart And through you try againNo smile can hide your pain'''

in our hearts we feel that void, that emptiness, no matter how much wehide that pain and that emptiness that void remains....we put up masks but inside our masks are so much pain..

'''Fear not the night withinThat's were My light beginsSo you can may one day see My face Only I can fill your days'''

only through HIM can we fill that emptiness... that light at the end ofthe tunnel...and no matter what our feelings are, or whatever we feelof the future, we will one day come face to face with HIM, perhaps in our lifetime, perhaps not. but HE promises to fill our emptiness withhappiness for eternity....

'''There's a raging stormIn your broken soul And how you wish awayYour troubled daysThere's an open doorAt your deepest coreAnd through you lose your wayYou'll still come home someday'''

storm rages on our souls, the battle between good and evil..the worldly ways are always more attractive, the promises of heaven remainas mere promises..and as we take on the worlds ways we also lose partof our souls to the temptations that come about...but THAT door remains open for us- that door of forgiveness- no matter the number of times wefall and fail, no matter the number of times we fall into sin, THATdoor remains for us...to pick up the pieces all over again, and to behome with HIM Someday....

'''Fear not the noise withinThat's where My voice beginsSo you may one day hear My song Only I can still your storms'''

no matter the situation, no matter how things are bad, we should digdeep into our hearts, and listen to the VOICE that calls, in thestillness of our hearts, we listen to HIS song that echoes through it, as we are comforted by HIS presence, as we feel the peace that weseek...with HIM... but only after we EMPTY ourselves, can we seek HIM,in that EMPTY SPACE called HOME.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom. Make me a servant ofyour love, that I may seek to serve rather than be served.

REMEMBER THE DUCK

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. Hewas given a slingshot to play with, out in the woods. He practicedin the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out ofimpulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it.He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all,but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."

But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him,"Remember, the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, andGrandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."

But Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Johnnytold me he wanted to help." And she whispered again, "Remember, theduck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, hefinally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma andconfessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug,and said,"Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you.But I was just wondering how long would you let Sally make a slaveof you."

I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want youto know something. Jesus Christ was standing at the window and Hesaw the whole thing. But because He loves you, He is ready toforgive you. Perhaps He's wondering how long you'll let the enemymake a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that He notonly forgives, but He forgets.

FACTS OF LIFE

At least two people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

At least fifteen people in this world love you in some way.

The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

You mean the world to someone.

If not for you, someone may not be living. You are special and unique.

There is someone that you don't even know exists, who loves you.

When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.

When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.

Always remember the compliments you received.

Forget about the rude remarks.

Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.

DIFFERENT APPROACH TO FASTING

Fasts have a tendency to be oriented toward things like giving up food or television. But there are many other creative ways we can welcome Jesus' healing touch. Here are suggestions you may want to consider.

1. Fast from anger and hatred.

Give your family an extra dose of loveeach day.

2. Fast from judging others.

Before making any judgments, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults.

3. Fast from discouragement.

Hold on to Jesus' promise that He has a perfect plan for your life.

4. Fast from complaining.

When you find yourself about to complain, close your eyes and recall some of the little moments of joy Jesus has given you.

5. Fast from resentment or bitterness!.

Work on forgiving those who may have hurt you.

6. Fast from spending too much money.

Try to reduce your spending by ten percent and give those savings to the poor

‘ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMY IS THIS:

"When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy,

that is the time which you must not do it.

There will come a time,

in many instances,

when the person who hates you most,

the person who has misused you most,

the person who has gossiped about you most,

the person who has spread false rumors about you most,

there will come a time whenyou will have an opportunity to defeat that person.

It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job;

it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life.

That's the time you must do it.

That is the meaning of love.

In the final analysis,

love is not this sentimental something that we talk about.

It's not merely an emotional something.

Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men.

It is the refusal to defeat any individual.

When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power,you seek only to defeat evil systems.

Individuals who happen to be caught up in that system,

you love,but you seek to defeat the system.”

-- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO

One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. .... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".
He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.
In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit."
He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.
B ut just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."
He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come, "God said to me." You will rise high!"
"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can." I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you........

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you Happiness.

Bad days give you Experiences.

Both are essential to life.

Keep going...

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only God keeps You Going

WILL I LOSE YOU?

It was a gloomy Saturday afternoon. A flock of birds were having great time searching for food and playing on the main road. Suddenly, a big truck sped through...a sad thing had happened ...

Birds can feel too. Although this bird had already died, another bird flew over to her immediately, just like a family member, unable to accept the truth.

Not long after that, another car stormed in causing the dead bird's body to whirl with the wind. The spouse noticed the movement. As if she was still alive, he quickly flew beside her again.

He stayed beside her and yelled ... "WHY ARE YOU NOT GETTING UP!?"

Unfortunately, she was no longer able to hear him. In the meantime, he was trying to lift her up.

He, of course, was unable to bear the burden. Another car soon passed by. He quickly flew off. Once the car had gone, he came down again.

Although the other birds told him its useles, he never gave up. He was trying his best to lift her up to see her flying again. Another car passed by, her dead body whirled again as if still alive and trying to fly.

He had used all of his energy, however...A photographer, who was watching all this said, he couldn't shoot any longer.

The photographer was so worried that the living bird was going to get hurt by passing cars. So he picked up the dead bird and left it at the roadside. The live one still lingered at a nearby tree as if crying with his singing and refused to leave.


Do humans have the same feelings nowadays? I wonder.Really wonder...

LIFE IS A BAG OF BROKEN PEAS

When life gets you down; when everything you know comes apart; when you think you can never get through the tough times, remember, it is just a bag of scattered, frozen peas. The peas can be collected and life will move on. You will find all the peas. First the easy peas come together in a pile. You pick them up and start to move on. Later you will find the bigger and harder to find peas. When you pull all the peas together, life will be whole again.

BY MTS

THE STORY OF LIFE

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out whom you are or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be (possibly) your roommate, neighbor, coworker, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger), but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.
And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless. The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.
Make everyday count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.
Most importantly!!!, If you LOVE someone tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store. And learn. I thought this was good. Hope you all like it the world would be a better palace if we all practiced it.... A lesson in life each day that you live.

THAT’S THE STORY OF LIFE ....
Author Unknown

MY SWEETEST FRIEND

I started my day with the usual thoughts...questions and dialogues plagued my mind. I was acting as if this day was just an ordinary day. But it proved to be a special one.

Here I was, smiling alone while remembering old conversations, wondering at the mysteries of life...totally unaware of the magic happening around me.

Then, there You are, as sweet as You've always been...has chosen to shower me with those pink petals, carried by the gentlest of wind...just to wake me up from my reverie...to remind me of Your love for me...just for me.

And yes, I was reminded...I was touched...and my heart burst with joy when I realized that everywhere I look I see Your smile...hidden behind those pink petals...beneath those lovely blooms.

And I love You...for all eternity, my sweetest Friend...my dearest God.
(ASMSI FORUM - What ur heart say - babyjeanelle)