Holding on has always been considered as the character of strength and
endurance. But not all are. We’ve been holding on to our wealth because world has
set the standard that wealth is a symbol of success. We’ve been holding on to our
property and assets because the world values those who possess properties and
valuable assets. We’ve been holding on to the fake relationships because the world
told that we are not enough alone. We’ve been holding on to the fame and popularity
because the world esteems the those who are popular. We’ve been holding on our
painful pasts and grudges on those who hurt us because the world has taught us that
we are coward if we don’t take revenge. We’ve been holding on many other things
like our career, our unrealistic dreams and ambitions our desires etc.
So much to hold on! It has inserted more tension to our poor souls and we’re
broken and we’ve hiding our brokenness by wearing different masks. And most of us
are successful in doing it. No one knows us and our dying soul.
And here Jesus asks, what is it good for someone to gain the whole world yet
forfeit their soul? Mark 8:36. This question informs us that soul of each individual
is more valuable than the whole world and its systems.
How can we save our souls? Can we detach ourselves from the world?
Well, that’s what many Eastern religions and philosophies teaches so. But no
detachment is possible if we don’t replace it with another stronger force. Freedom
for our souls come from becoming a slave of a master who is good. This good master
calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him and he assures us that
His yoke is easy and his burden in light.
Christer.S
Hey you! Beautiful ladies and Handsome gentlemen. I admire for who you are and what you do. Thanks for accepting me as your son, brother, friend and partner. I feel secure around you as I knew you care for me. A glance of your beautiful faces gives me hope and makes me feel that I am not alone. You all are the answers for my prayers! I took the opportunity to say these words about you and these are true about you.
Appreciation!
Appreciation is one of the qualities which we human beings alone possess. This
quality is a response of seeing or experiencing the goodness from others or finding something good in this world. There are times we appreciate the nature, artistic, engineering and noble works of human being. However, by the passing of time we have missed this quality. It doesn’t mean that we had lost this quality but we find it still existing in us when we come across someone or something magnificent beyond our reach. Some of us find ourselves appreciating an actor, a political or a noble prize winner. It is strange that I found a dead man gets appreciation for his life but still he is beyond our reach.Have you ever felt that it has been easy for us to appreciate the people not known to us rather than those who spend most of their lifetime with us? This powerful tool we possess are to be exchanged with the people who are close to us such as our spouses, parents, children, siblings, friends and the people whom we meet daily such as servants, neighbor, shopkeeper and others who we meet in our daily life. The best part is that everyone has got something and that needs to be appreciated. Appreciation enhances the goodness in others. our small words of appreciation can make others feel good and help them to improve and also enriches our relationship with others and they may become more open to you. Appreciation begins with giving your attention to your closed ones. Attention is proportional to time. The more time we spend with our loved ones the more we will be attentive to them. Next is observation which is the information we take from them. As human beings we are tuned to spot out the black spots. We all remember the negatives and weakness of others but often we never observe the goodness in them. Sometimes we end up flattering others without proper observation. “An appreciation without a good observation is flattery”. Appreciation passes the two stages of attention and observation and it enhances the goodness in them as well as enriches our relationship.
Christer. S
