A Prayer of Thanksgiving

         As we end this year 2019, let us express our thanksgiving to God for all the blessings that we have received this year. In spite of all the challenges that come along the way, we could still say that life indeed is such a wonderful gift for us.

         Let us be grateful for the gift of life that we cherish....for with it we are also able to share with others the real meaning of unconditional love.

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That with our life, we continue to fulfil our responsibilities as models of good deeds to our children and to others;

         Let us be grateful to our good health and we pray for those who are suffering from any form of illness. With our good health, we are able to perform our responsibilities towards our workplace and we are able to mingle with others and promote camaraderie among ourselves; 

         Let us also be grateful for the gift of talents, skills, capabilities etc that we have acquired and developed in our life for with them, we are able to become positive members of our society and be examples of good deeds to others.

Being Grateful in Life

          As we are nearing to the end of January, allow ourselves a space and then let us try to recall all our activities for this month. Even when we started this month, we already received wonderful things day in and day out. In fact, all the bountiful blessings that we treasured are beyond any price for they are so worthwhile and precious. And as we continue with our journey, they will also become a special part of our book of life that no matter what will happen in the near future, we always have something to look back and say to ourselves, " How lucky we are to have received such blessings....." 

          Consequently, it is also but fitting for all of us to be thankful for everything that we have enjoyed this month. In those busy events in our life, it is beneficial if we can find time to look back all those past events and also have time to be grateful to those people who have, in one way or the other, journeyed with us tirelessly during the month.

imagecredit: https://pixabay.com/en/green-park-season-nature-outdoor-1072828/

          As they said, life is a give and take process thus telling us that we need each other and that no one among us can live alone. I pity those who are so boastful among themselves and allow pride to ruin their lives and their relationships with others. Time will come that they will realise that not all in life is about money and fame. These things are important but they are not the ideal ones which could give us real happiness. 

         Hence, as we end this month, let us spend some time to thank those people who have shared their lives with us.  

Outcome of Parents' Separation

          Nowadays it is undeniable that parents of certain families separate due to several factors. Even when I was still handling retreats and recollections both to high school and college students, I have heard of sad stories of my students that at times, I was in the middle of my sharing then suddenly, a student cried heavily for she remembered the separation of her parents and its painful effects on her and her siblings.

imagecredit: Erwin Doriman-Australia

          I'm not in the position to judge them especially the parents but somehow, I pity those innocent children who become the ones severely and harshly affected by the event. Of course, no one can deny that in any marriage or relationship of similar attributes, challenges and trials are present but the matter should be brought to harmony for the sake of the children. 

          To this effect, the children become lost and what is worse is when they will also grow without learning how to love genuinely. At times, they grow as problematic kids then later on as adults but who can blame them if on this ordeal, they have nobody to guide and accompany them. Most of the time, parents' separation result to negative effects on the children and everyone should try to prevent this sad reality to happen for the sake, wellbeing and future of the children.  

Learning to Gamble in Life

          Just recently, I made some discussions with good friends (Rod, Den and Jen) about various investments that we can make so as to be more productive in the near future. They told me and my wife that today's investment possibilities are plenty and to name a few, they mentioned about stocks investing as well as mutual fund. Beforehand, a friend of mine shared with me his blog on stocks but due to my other interests plus other commitments, I did not take a serious look on this one.

          Meanwhile, as the days went by, I pondered on this topic and thought that maybe, I could give myself a try on this venture. Thus, I am starting to read and read more on stocks with the aim of having more knowledge on this.  The more that I read, the more complications like terminologies and systems that came to me. However, I told myself that all these complications are but  simply part of the process of learning.

         Then, I tried to compare this new venture now to life. That as we go on our individual journeys, we also pass by different situations some more complex than others. However at the end of the day, everything boils down then to our ability to make decisions. We either can accept the complications in life or not. And as I constantly mentioned in my posts, we should always be ready to face the consequences of our daily choices may they be positive or not.