JB Lifestyle

I recently got an inspirational post that puts our life here in perspective. It is good food for thought. To summarize, in that post was a story about how a lady on a journey is inconvenienced by the passenger next to her who is rude and inconsiderate. The passenger next to her is annoyed on her behalf and asks why she didn't speak up and she replies it is not worth it to fight as "our journey together is so short" In life, you have to pick and choose your battles carefully. I live near the land of an apparently "wealthy" man who according to the care takers of the land, does not even want people to walk on the road adjacent to his plot. His workers went so far as to dig up the drainage trench and in the rainy season, the water flows down to the houses in the valley, flooding them and the road has become somewhat impassable! To be honest, when i first learned of this i was very angry and i thought to myself, how can people be so arrogant and so concei...

In our times, it is no longer taboo to talk about sex especially since we are growing up in a hyper sexualized world today but do we stop to ponder about the destruction of the innocence of our children? Some schools are even including a sex education class but what are they really teaching our children? They have no care and expose them to all kinds of information (like bondage) that ends up corrupting them instead of helping! Last week, i was reading an article online about how some schools in the United states are including a sex education class to their students. I am not against sex education but there has to be some boundaries about it and children need to be instilled with a sense of morality by those entrusted to their care. Sexual violence seems to be on the rise today and according to a study, sex and violence trigger the same part of our brains. Is it any wonder that many young people have no respect for their partners or that they view them as nothing more than pleasur...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven!" Oh how i wish we would all be poor in spirit and empty ourselves of all worldliness so we could receive the graces God longs to give us  to overflowing! The Assumption of Mary is one of the greatest Marian feasts and on this day (celebrated annually on the 15th of August), i reflect on the words of the Magnificat! Mary is the greatest of all God's creation, she is truly God's masterpiece and all because she humbled herself before God and men! Mary was blessed from the moment of her conception (immaculate) and filled with supernatural grace. Mary is also created with bodily perfection (i believe) and is the most beautiful of creation. However Mary remains humble throughout her life, at the words of archangel Gabriel, she replies "I am the handmaid of the lord"....and thus she remains throughout her earthly life even though she was the daughter of the Father, Mother of the word and chas...

Last Sunday, the Gospel reading centered on a parable by Jesus of an avaricious man who feels falsely secure because of his great wealth! In the world we live in today, we think that great wealth equals security. People fawn over you and you can buy anything and everything you want. Anything you desire, you can attain and the world seems to be at your finger tips! The rich man in the parable is very relatable to many of the wealthy people we have today. Just yesterday, i was watching a video about the difference between wealthy people and everyone else! Apparently "poor" people believe that money is the root of all evil and rich people believe that poverty is the root of all evil. He had some good points but i disagree with him on that point! How many wealthy people have acquired their wealth by breaking the backs of others? How many have taken what belonged to others by exploiting their weaknesses? Wealth at any cost is not worth it and recently i read an article that ...

Did you ever notice that if you rush through some thing, you miss certain things about it? Lets take the example of a meal, when your rush through it, you miss the flavors and even end up with indigestion? Ask yourself what you are rushing for or to? There is a famous quote that says Dance like no one is watching, Sing like no one is listening, Love as though you have never been hurt, Live each day like its your last! Everyday we put off doing things until a later time. I will take that trip when am retired, i will visit that friend sometime soon or call them up soon and we end up never doing it! Someone once put off meeting a friend and was too late because the friend died before they could meet up. There is nothing worse than living a life of regret! In life, we need to take the time to enjoy each day! Do not rush even though we live in a world that seems to push us to an unrealistic pace! The virtue of patience is getting more and more scarce. Lets all take a moment to...

I like the story about Joseph in the Bible and how the Israelites came to settle in Egypt. Joseph was dumped in a pit by his brothers and left to die due to their jealousy. He is rescued and becomes a servant in Egypt. Falsely accused by the wife of his employer, he is imprisoned until his God given gift of interpreting dreams brings about his rise in society to the rank of Governor of Egypt! Storms in our life are sometimes there to awaken in us our full potential! We often get too comfortable and settle for less than what we can achieve. We are all capable of doing great things depending on our approach to adversity. Life throws your curve balls often but that doesn't mean you bury your head in the sand and give up. The truth is you never know how to strong you are until your back is against the wall! When you face challenges and go through them, you may not know how you will survive but you do! You survive and you only become a stronger person for it. We sometimes lo...

Today is the Catholic feast of the Sacred heart of Jesus. It was revealed to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a french nun in the 1600's. Our lord himself called us to practice this devotion to the sacred heart which has loved men so much and yet has received so much scorn from mankind in return! It is a sad world we live in today indeed! Jesus became man and accepted all the humiliations that come with being human. He shed his blood till the very last drop, all so that we could have salvation. His heart was and is on fire for us, consumed by love! He could not bare to be away from us and even made himself a prisoner for love in the blessed sacrament! Oh What love! I cannot even begin to comprehend when i think of his sacrifice. And for what? We are nothing without him and yet he who is everything love us? Who am i indeed? (i love this song by casting crowns) Lord Jesus, i can never be worthy of that love that you have shown me and still continue to show me! I pray that i...