Endure and be Happy

"Happy the man who can endure the highest and the lowest fortune. He, who has endured such vicissitudes with equanimity, has deprived misfortune of its power." 

Seneca, philosopher

Only with the Heart

One of those parts in the book "The Prince" I truly love . . . 
hmmmm . . .

And he went back to meet the fox. "Goodbye," he said. "Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." "What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember. "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." "It is the time I have wasted for my rose--" said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember. "Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . ." "I am responsible for my rose," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

Our Good Shepherd

Psalm 23

A psalm of David

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

Just Do It

"If you have faith that you you will be able to accomplish something, you will."

Mark Fisher

Cheer Up

The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness. 

Michel de Montaigne

He is Good

I am happy knowing I have a God who cares for me.

Be happy as well. 

The Lord is good; He protects His people in times of trouble; He takes care of those who turn to Him.
Nahum 1:7

Letting Go

Sharing an excerpt from a year-old blog post of my son on "letting go" . . .

Bitaw 2011

Bitaw has been a word I fell in love with ever since Sir Bob used it in Th141 class. It captures within its one word such depth and clarity. It refuses to be vague or unsure, but exerts such a persuasive force that reminds us that life is not just about the things we hold on to, but the things we let go as well.

Funny how the first thing I think of when I was writing the previous sentence was the song, "Love is like a magic penny. Hold on tight and you won't have any." but if you "lend it, spend it, give it away, it comes right back to you."



I've held on to a lot of things for far too long I guess. And 2011 was actually my chance to truly let go. But I didn't take that opportunity at all. Rather, I spent most of 2011 holding on to most things that I should have moved on from a long time ago.

And it's the same with love. Falling in and out of love for a couple of years with practically the same person made me realize that maybe you really just have to quit it sooner or later. There is such a thing as a hopeless case, and this year, I've begun to accept that. I'm been in withdrawal ever since, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I am really happy to have come to terms with it as well. Tsuruko, from the anime Ano Hana, was right all along. "I love Yukiatsu, but Yukiatsu would never choose me."

 I learned this year about a lot of things about letting go that I think I am a stronger person coming into a new year. I've grown as a person who is able to let go finally. I can finally be at peace, not so much in giving up on the various attachments I have, but reminding myself that those attachments were a part of me, and they are still somewhere in my heart, but at this point, I can't let these things anchor me down. It's good to know where I've been, but that's not really a nice place to stay in.

Not just that, I felt like I'm starting to finally establish myself as the person I really want to be. I'm becoming more sure of myself as a theologian and as a teacher. I've also started a new hobby, cooking and baking (I do make a pretty mean rhum cake. And don't get me started about my Shepherd's Pie).

So I guess, all I can say to 2011 is... handa na ako bumitaw. Here's to letting go and letting God. Happy New Year and God Bless!