JB Lifestyle

In society, there are always people who are looked down on , ignored and even despised because of their social standing or unfortunate circumstances that they have been through in life! Sometimes its not even their fault, like in the case of some physical disability or disorder! Some people are born into a cycle of poverty and are trying to get out of it but everyone needs help now and then! How many of us actually have the courage to reach out to those whom society deems outcasts? Sometimes we have what i would call "useless pity", where we feel sorry for them but wont do anything to help them. I mean too bad for them but its not happening to me so i will just shrug it off and say "that's life!"  Yes life is that way sometimes but its not meant to be like that! You should make an effort to help people in difficult situations starting with your own family but also people you do not know, absolute strangers. Sometimes even a smile or an encouraging wor...

St. Theresa of Avila is quoted as saying " Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee: All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." I am always amazed at the lives of the saints because they had to go through several trials and intense difficulties and suffering but they remained faithful and trusted in God's love and mercy. She is also quoted as saying " To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.". These are words of wisdom to live by people! Often times i am stressed and troubled and worried over so many things, some frivolous indeed! I worry about the rain, the heat, how much money i have, how many clothes i have....some are not even problems really! Or sometimes someone is mean to me or things are not going the way they are supposed to at work and this stresses me. We need to face life's challe...

Yesterday was father's day and i was listening to some "cheesy" songs on the radio and two songs caught my attention, "butterfly kisses" and "daddy's little girl". In one of the song's the lyrics have a line that goes "daddy , daddy don't leave". I was imagining a little child saying to his father , please don't leave. Its heartbreaking that some children actually go through that experience. In my opinion, a father is supposed to be the protector and provider of the family. By provider ,  i don't mean just financially but also contributing to the upbringing of the child and making time for your children. I was eavesdropping ("not intentionally") on a conversation between two mother's about how stressful and emotionally draining it is to care for a sick child. One of the mother's was saying that the father just sleeps soundly , but as a mother she could not get peace of mind knowing that her child wa...

ISIS has made quite a name for themselves as murderers of innocent people including children, and claimed territory for themselves by forcing Christians to flee their homes. Apparently, ISIS believes in their own messiah, the so called "mahdi", who will usher in the apocalypse or end of the world! We have had a couple of men with a "god" complex over the years for example Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin to mention a few. Human pride knows no limits and power is seductive! Sometimes i wonder how people can allow themselves to follow a leader whose ideals are torture and murder! How do people get "brainwashed" to that extent? We need to take a closer look at our leaders and consider what they stand for. No matter how good or charismatic a leader is, he or she is not God! Sometimes we follow leaders blindly and they lead us into destruction and death! There are just some things we cannot agree to go along with and the murder of innocents is one of them. Ther...

Oh to be young and in love! Is there anything more wonderful or more terrifying? ("yes falling in love can be scary") I really loved that movie by the way! I personally believe you can have the experience of meeting someone and have a "feeling" about that person, that maybe this could be the one you have been searching for all your life, which some people call "love at first sight". In my honest opinion, love is supposed to bloom like a flower or grow not just suddenly happen! We should never trust those first feelings of attraction and "lust" when meeting someone new. Don't rely so much on your chemistry and feelings of attraction, it might just be a crush. Get to know the person and let them get to know you! So many people have had their hearts broken because of what i refer to as "foolish love" especially young people! Some people actually confuse obsession with love! I personally think you need to have some time to y...

I was reading an article yesterday about how we are sometimes self righteous when reproaching people for certain actions and poor choices  or mistakes especially people we love. I do understand "tough love" because sometimes people need a kick in the butt to get moving after making some bad choices but we have to be careful not to compare ourselves and think we are better than that! We all make mistakes, lets not pretend we are perfect. Sometimes we say or do things that cross some or all the lines of morality. We justify our actions by convincing ourselves that life is not black and white and certain circumstances force us to act a certain way. While our actions are shaped by our circumstances, we must try to control our impulses as they often lead us into making bad choices! Whenever you encounter someone who has made a bad choice and are disappointed, remember that you have made some bad choices yourself and try to understand the circumstances of their actions....

I flew in an airplane for the first time last week and was kind of excited before the flight. Yes, it is a different experience soaring above the clouds. I was awed but also nervous and a little scared. I know understand why some people have a fear of flying. its not for the faint hearted!  There was some turbulence at some point in the journey and the plane dropped for around 5 seconds and you could feel your heart drop! That was not a nice feeling at all. Then there were the beautiful landscapes from the air and the wonderful view of the lake from the sky. Flying is scary yes but it is also an awesome experience so for those out there with a fear for flying, i understand your fear now but you have to face your fears otherwise you are not really living!

I read an interesting spiritual article about self love as the root of man's inclination to sin. The writer made reference to the ancient myth about Narcissus who fell in love with his own refection and drowned in a pool as a result! (What a shame!) The writer thinks that the reason for the fall of man was that he loved himself more than he loved God. Reminds me of a certain fallen angel , Lucifer who did the same. He was so filled with pride and self love that he dared to challenge his creator and we all know what happened next. He fell from grace forever to be damned! It is healthy to love yourself up to a certain point. Yes, you are a dignified, beautiful, capable being but you are not perfect. Always remember that you are flawed and must maintain a balance between healthy self esteem and prideful self love! There are limits to what you can achieve and your wisdom is not perfect! Sometimes scientists say the sky is the limit and look at what we have achieved and think of w...