On blogging

Blogging or writing a “blog” on the Net is fun but it can be stressful too.

When you open up your “blog” and you have nothing to write or say the fun can suddenly stop short.

It’s quite a common experience, an affliction which is known as “writers’ block”. Once afflicted you can’t write. It smacks at you literally in the face and it won’t go away.

What do you do? What else could you do but to take five? Do a walkabout even if it’s around the house or go read a book or something.

If the thoughts do come back in a flash, the key is to jolt them down quickly before they disappear.

One or two key words at a time or a phrase in broken English perhaps but that don’t matter as you can always edit and/or modify them later.

You’ll be surprised how quickly words become lines and lines become paragraphs and the story slowly unfolds before your very eyes.

It’s really fun to capture your thoughts and to write them down.

I totally agree with what one William Makepeace Thackeray had said and it is this, “There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes”.

What I like best about blogging (or any form of writing for that matter) is expounded by Norbet Platt. This is what he had said, “The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium.”

On another occasion someone had this to say, “The wastebasket is a writer's best friend.” Unfortunately, this may be true for many a budding writer or would-be blogger. The hand is willing but too often the mind is weak.

You try and try but somehow you just couldn’t get the hank of it but for heaven’s sake don’t give up!

Come to think about it, it’s not just on blogging. I would say the stress of “a thousand attempts” also goes for almost anything in life that has value or of significance that’s worth pursuing, isn’t it?

They say whatever is worth doing is worth doing it well and you really can’t deny the truth of the often quoted saying, “no pain, no gain”, can you?

On writing, Enrique Jardiel Poncela had put it this way, “When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.”

And I’ll say it again echoing the words of Nathaniel Hawthorne which are these, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

I know because I have gone down that road but I tell you fellows that keeping this blog alive and interesting has been an exhilarating experience both to my body, soul and spirit.

Somehow you’ll feel good when you see your piece (of writing) finally in print and is posted for the world to see. Try it yourselves some day and you’ll see what I mean.

I think a regular exercise of the brain cells isn’t going to hurt anyone. In fact the “stress” which if I may call it, is good for everyone young or old.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope I’ll see you back soon. You light up my life!

Cheers!

Here's a lovely song for you entitled "Let's keep it that way" by Anne Murray. It's one of my favorites. Thanks to "elitewowmacho69" for sharing. Enjoy.

On feeling grumpy

Hi folks, can feeling grumpy be good for you? Yes it can says a BBC report.

Believe it or not but in every negative there can be some good, even if that negative is "feeling grumpy".

You can actually think better in a bad mood than in a good one. I don't know about you, but that beats me!

Quote from a BBC report.

"An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly. In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed."

Unquote.

If you want to read more of this rather extraordinary article, click here.

So the next time you're down in a bad mood, don't worry you can actually articulate better in such a situation than when you're not!

Cheers!

On friendship

When we were young we had many friends, in fact too many to count but as we grow older and moved on in life I find that the number of our friends has actually shrunk, dwindled to be exact. Wonder why?

And for those who have retired the number of friends you have is probably less than a handful.

The irony seems to me is that when you were busy crafting out a career, friends of all kinds flock to you like bees to flowers in bloom but now when you have plenty of time on your hands (in retirement), how come you have so few friends to spare?

I guess when we retire we retreat from the social circle of life. For many of us, we shied away from the public life that we once had.

We spend our days with family more than anything else and I would say like it or not, the time may have come when our spouse has actually become our best friend.

Henry Brooks Adams said this a long time ago and it’s probably still true even today, “One friend in a lifetime is much, two are many, and three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life, a community of thought, and a rivalry of aim.”

If I might say most of our friends are superficial; they all put on a mask of some sort and often are not there for you when you needed them most. I dare say that there are a few who will even take advantage of you if you are “not looking”. So be warned.

Now I can see why Charles de Gaulle, the great French general (who later on became President of France) had this to say about men and friendship, “The better I know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” How pathetic?

But as we grow older we actually need friends more than anything else. Honest and sincere friends to spend time with, to roam together and to talk about almost anything under the sun. Indeed friends that we will not be bored with one another even until the cows come home. Is that too much to ask?

The famous modern day English philosopher C S Lewis had this to say, “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” I wonder what he really meant.

Can we survive without it (i.e. friendship)? Of course we can if we must but I like what Lois Wyse had advised which is this, “A good friend is a connection to life, a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”

Question is this, how do you find a good friend if you have not found one already in your senior years?

Well, an easier way out is that there’s no need to go about finding it, just be one and you could be surprised by what you’ll get.

To tell you the truth probably no man ever had a friend that he did not dislike a little. It’s a fact of life.

But that doesn’t mean friendship has no meaning or value.

Now, let me ask you this, if you were to sum up friendship in one word, what would that be? Think on it.

To all my friends out there I have this to say, thank you for being my friend. You’re simply the best!

Here's a lovely song entitled "The Friendship Song" or more aptly put "Friends are quiet angels" sung by Molly Pasutti, the music-video courtesy of "Musiconcepts". TQ for sharing. Enjoy.

Temptations Men Face - A Christian Perspective

I have put together this piece for delivery to my cell group which meets on Friday 21st May 2010.

Tonight’s lesson is based on a book written by Tom L. Eisenman.

“Temptations Men Face”

A Straightforward Talk on Power, Money, Affairs, Perfectionism, Insensitivity
(Available in paperback)

By Tom L. Eisenman

Contents
Preface
1. Set Free
2. The Temptation to be Macho
3. The Temptation of Sexual Lust
4. The Temptation to Have an Affair
5. The Temptation to Wield Power
6. The Temptation to Love Money
7. The Temptation to Be Perfect
8. Deliverance
9. How Can I Help My Man? A Chapter for Women.

In his book, Eisenman offers general strategies for all of us on how to oppose temptations and find freedom from the evil that binds us. He even has a chapter for women entitled “How can I help my man?” presumably to do just that. A good book to read, try it.

Before I dwell on the text given in our study let’s take a hard look at “Temptations” in general and if we could take some time to try to genuinely understand them; what they are, where they come from, who are affected and are there practical ways to overcome them? Let’s see.

What they are:
In his book, Eisenman listed at least 6 major temptations that men generally face. What are these? (See above). But of course there are in reality much more temptations in this world than one would care to list.

Where they come from:
There are three primary sources of temptation:
The world, the flesh and the devil.

First of all, temptation is precipitated by the world. What I mean here is that the world albeit in all its splendor is a major cause of our temptation. The love of Mammon and the love of the World as a whole versus the love of God, now who do you think wins? What does the Bible say?

Second, temptation is rooted in the nature of man. Consider the temptation of David /Bathsheba, Samson /Delilah, Judas who betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver (?), Ananias and Sapphira (?) The weakness of man is evident in everyone. When tested, we often succumb to this weakness. Without the help of God we really cannot overcome temptations, can we?

Paul’s advice to Timothy is highly relevant even today and it is this: “But you, O man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (I Tim. 6:11).

The third source is the devil (Satan himself), dubbed the Greatest Tempter. Consider the 2 most outstanding temptations the world had ever known, the temptation of Eve (in the Garden of Eden) and the temptation of Christ (in the desert). We all know what happened in each of these cases, don’t we?

A common question is “Why doesn’t God just kill the devil and remove the attraction for sin?”

But if that were to happen, then you and I would lose the ability to be over-comers in Jesus. Without opposition, there is no victory! God has not called us to a life of ease, but to one of victory, a victory that we cannot enjoy until we have faced evil and overcome it.

Notice that when temptation came to Christ, he met every temptation head-on by quoting from the Scriptures. After that the devil fled. Truly then the word of God is a very powerful weapon against the devil. The advice is to use it often.

Who exactly is affected?
THE SUBJECT OF TEMPTATION,
All humans are subject to temptation.

Man is made in the image of the triune God. Man is a triune being, he possesses body, soul and spirit. When you are tempted, it will always be in one of these three areas.

Body is the “flesh” the physical being, temptations of the flesh (laziness, lust, over-indulgence, sexual sin, etc.);

Soul speaks of your mind, your will and your emotions (The world always appeals to the ego, or pride. A worldly person is one who is given over to the pleasures of the world, sin of selfishness, greed, etc and a host of temptations associated with that);

Spirit: If the soul is our self-consciousness, then the spirit is our God-consciousness. Our spirit is what sets us apart from the animals. Man alone can know God! It is in the spirit that we can know God. The spirit is the realm of worship, and it is our spirit that worships and communicates with God. (John 4:24 says: “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth”)

Temptation can strike any person, at any place and at any time.

Sometimes temptation comes just after graduation or after some other notable achievement, while man is enjoying his new triumph. At other times it comes when man has just faced failure or disappointment and capitalizes upon man’s weakness and discouragement. Satan comes at moments of indecision, influencing the decision his way.

How to overcome?
OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. After he had poured out his heart in prayer to God, he returned to his disciples and said, “Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41).

2 Peter 2:9 says, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation.”(KJV)

“…And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13)(NIV).

DELIVERANCE
There are three words to remember when facing temptation: (1) Flight, (2) Faith, and (3) Fight.

To Overcome The Flesh We Need Flight - The key to defeating fleshly temptations is to flee from them. (see 1 Cor. 6:18 - “flee fornication” i.e. flee from sexual immorality; 1 Cor. 10:14 - “flee idolatry”; 2 Tim. 2:22 - “flee youthful lusts” or flee from evil desires of youth).

To Overcome The World We Need Faith - Faith that Jesus will take care of us when we willingly give up the attachment to worldly things. If we are “loving the world”, we are not loving God (1 John 2:15; James 4:4). Worldly pursuits and godly ones generally don’t mix.

If you really want victory over the world, then love Jesus more, “let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). It is our faith in him that offers us the victory (1 John 5:4) (“for everyone born of God overcomes the world”).

To Overcome The Devil We Must Fight - If we stand up to him and fight, he will flee - James 4:7 (“Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”). You cannot run away from him, but you can drive him away from you. You must face him in the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t fear you, but he trembles before the blood of the Lamb! Fight Satan and he will flee! (Eph. 4:27 “and do not give the devil a foothold”; 1 Pet. 5:8 “resist the devil, stand firm in the faith”).

NOW let’s get back to our Study Text, specifically the one on “Temptations that Fathers Face” and take a look in the area on “Deliverance” as suggested by Eisenman; a method Eisenman endorsed using the acronym “HEALED” which application I am told was quite successful with Alcoholics Anonymous.

First, what are the 6 Top Temptations that fathers will face which this Study has revealed? Go read Tom Eisenman's book "Temptations Men Face". See contents in brief on top.

In this respect what are the FEARS, EXPECTATIONS and REALITIES of the fathers’ and of Society at large?

Are they legitimate? What goals are we seeking? Are we realistic? Question: Can one size fit all?

Is this achievable: a family life that’s united, responsible and balanced? Can we free ourselves, i.e. our body, soul and spirit from all worldly and evil addictions? What must we do?

The Apostle Paul tells us that with God’s help we can be OVERCOMERS, Amen?

Discuss H.E.A.L.E.D. What it is and how can it help us? Refer to Pages 39-41 of the Bible Study.

Be encouraged by what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

As Christians we are repeatedly told to live as Children of Light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth), be imitators of God and live a life of love, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. Chapter 5). Let’s keep on doing that, Amen?

In conclusion I urge you to:
“Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41); And put on the Armor of God as described in Ephesians Chapter 6:10-18.

God bless.

About retirement

My advice to young people who have just entered the work force has often been this i.e. to plan for your retirement at an early age because financial security at retirement which is inescapable is so crucial in this modern time and age.

The financial status and security of seniors in retirement can significantly influence the success or enjoyment of the retirement experience.

First, those with higher incomes are likely to have more opportunity to pursue recreational and leisure activities, provided they are in good physical health.

Second, being financially secure increases the likelihood of a comfortable, safe, and accessible housing.

Finally, receiving quality healthcare and support services is more likely for those from higher income brackets.

It is important to note, however, that financial affluence does not guarantee an enjoyable retirement experience AND is not required in order to be happy in retirement.

Because the average life expectancy in our country is about 78 years, those retiring at age 60 on averages can now expect to spend some 18 to 20 years maybe more in the role of a
Retiree!

Just how much does one need in those retirement years to live that seemingly possible comfortable and enjoyable life is something that one has to work out on one’s own self and in one’s own time?

Of course the merits are that the earlier the homework is done the better. I think the longer the span of time that we allow ourselves to achieving our retirement goal (in pecuniary terms) the easier it will be in our arriving at it.

I am afraid just like success in life, in this pursuit there are no short cuts either.

But don’t despair if you couldn’t make it even with all of your planning. You are probably not the only ones. Life will go on regardless but I guess without the frills.

Adjusting to retirement is a process that is not always completed immediately after leaving the work place.

In essence, it takes courage and humility to accept what it is indeed your lot in life.

As someone had put it, “Once a peacock but now (literally) a feather-duster!” and if that’s what you were or have been you should now accept the regression with grace.

Once the reality of retirement has set in, it is important to remember to set goals for yourself or find activities that provide a sense of purpose and meaning to your days.

Whether it's working in the wood-shop or on the computer, setting out a garden, or spending more time with grandchildren, it is important to feel useful and productive.

As the saying goes, a man’s got to do what he has to do. Indeed, he must even in retirement.

And while at it my advice is now is a good time to seek after God and make peace with your Creator if you have not already done so. Not only for your body and mind but your soul needs nourishment too.

Go to a church and find new friends, honest friends that you can relate to and fellowship with.

It has been said, “Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul,” (quote attributed to Henry David Thoreau). That’s very true but you’ll have to make the time and the effort to go after it.

It is also good to have your regular walks in the park and coffee-shop talk with your peers; travel with your spouse and see places especially those you have never seen before or indulge in food adventures as you like it.

Now who says there isn’t a life after retirement? I am quite certain there is but you’ve got go find it.

I guess the best part of retirement is often doing nothing and not worrying about being caught at it! No pressure, no stress, no heartache except and unless as one fellow had put it, you play golf!

Did you know that golf is played by some twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out there having fun? Are they really, you tell me?

By all means if you can afford it and had enough, retire from work but remember not ever from life.

It’s my belief that in one’s retirement years the best of life is yet to come. I like to think that life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth and if I might add to that which is this, you ain’t seen anything yet!

Cheers!

Let's listen to Ricky Nelson sing this beautiful old favorite entitled "A Wonder Like You". Thanks to "marieren" for sharing.

Is computer technology our slave or master?

Nowadays we have the Internet, knowledge for whatever its worth has by and large been digitalized and millions if not billions of people are hooked onto the “Net” on a daily basis!

We have become a people very much dependent on information technology for our almost everything.

Indeed, someone had said that the “Internet” has become the world’s largest library and very soon, the largest shopping centre too.

Imagine, you sit at home, lock onto a computer and you can search or buy almost anything under the sun with just a click of a mouse, which was not possible at all less than thirty years ago.

Even the old-timers are doing what most people say, just yahoo or goggle it but you could be surprised by what you’ll find.

The data-base is incredible! Ever wonder how they are able to put up so much stuff in there?

You can’t help but think that when something can be used so effortlessly, surely great effort must have gone into its making. It’s incredible but true, man’s genius knows no bounds!

The power of technology is sweeping the globe and like time and the river it waits for no man.

Either you tame it and make it your slave or it traps and enslaves you. I think the power that’s been unleashed by computer technology has gone beyond even its creators’ wildest dreams.

Questions that come to mind are: Can we live without computers? Are we enslaved by this technology or not? Can business move, can the world tick without it?

Someone once said, “Technology is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand and it stabs you in the back with the other.”

Karl Marx had this observation and said, “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”

Indeed, now we have machines to work for us literally at the push of a button.

It’s no wonder our working week is shrinking and very soon it might be down to a 4-day working week instead of 5! But is that good for us or not?

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom”, so said the famed social scientist Issac Asimov in 1998. And I think he isn’t wrong at all.

Indeed as Albert Einstein had put it, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

If it keeps up, man could be endangering the very Earth he calls home.

You know one guy puts it this way, “The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.”

And if we are not careful that day may come sooner than we think. How pathetic!

I will close with this thought.

Buckminister Fuller, the founder of the Geodesic Doom, an architect by profession and a renowned 21st century thinker had posed this challenge some years back which I think is still relevant today.

The question he had asked is this: “Does humanity have a chance to survive lastingly and successfully on planet Earth and if so, how?”

Is computer technology our slave or our master? Will it kill us or can it save us from impending disaster? Think on it.

While doing that let’s listen to Slim Whitman sing “North Wind” (live concert) a rare oldie (not often heard) of the sixties brought to us courtesy of “mgbay”. TQ.

Happiness is when Irish eyes are smiling…

You know someone once said, “Happiness and sadness run parallel to each other. When one takes a rest, the other one tends to take up the slack.”

About unhappiness one Don Herold had this to say, “Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it.” I find that very true even today.

We generally know what brings on unhappiness but it's pretty hard to tell what actually does bring happiness. I think poverty and wealth have both failed.

To paraphrase John Barrymore, “Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open.”

Every day may not be good, but there's always something good in every day. The secret is to find it and you’ll be happy.

Mark Twain had put it this way, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” And that’s what I am trying hard to do here.

When I am sad or angry, I take a break and listen to my collection of old hits. They not only bring back memories but they cheer me up quite a lot.

This one in particular by Joni James entitled “When Irish eyes are smiling” is very mind-soothing and heart-warming to listen to.

Here it is courtesy of “itscalang”. The advice is: "Smile always, laugh often and much and why not just be happy." Enjoy.

Library, a great place to go

Library, a place for mind enrichment & scholarship? And books are like windmills of your mind? Yes, indeed.

A public library is very much like a big bookshop. On the outside it seems cold and dreary but you might be surprised by what you’ll find going on inside.

Inside, you will of course find books of many kinds; little books on life’s instructions and big books about successful men, politics, philosophy and economics.

Books of history and the sciences, of human relationships and novels; indeed the variety is as many and as endless as the length and breath of human endeavors!

There is a quietness and an air of “scholarship” in a library which you will probably not find in any other place.

The view is serene. You’ll find that all the books are nicely stacked up in their proper places and each has been sorted out according to its category.

Indeed, there is harmony in variety and beauty in simplicity! I wish that our world could be like that.

Yet a library is more than just a serene place to keep books and records of all kinds. It does more.

For instance, we all know it facilitates reading and teaching; it promotes knowledge of many kinds and not forgetting, the enrichment of minds as well.

Perhaps what we don’t know is this that it is also a place that enriches world class scholarship thru’ the pursuit of definitive learning, serious study and deliberate research.

I dread to think where humanity would be today if not for libraries? Indeed, knowledge seekers cannot do without them.

When was the last time you paid a visit to a library? If you haven’t done it, isn’t it about time you visited one?

Believe me the time spent browsing inside a library (or a bookshop for that matter) is never wasted. Try it otherwise you’ll never know what you have missed!

Thanks to "lettermen1" for sharing this beautiful song entitled " The windmills of your mind" with us.

Beautiful Ireland – A call to Galway Bay

I haven’t been to Ireland which country I have been told is well-known for its natural beauty, rustic charm and interesting people.

However I just love Irish songs and this one in particular which you’re going to hear is entitled “Galway Bay”. If you’re of the baby boomers’ generation, most probably you would have heard it in your childhood years.

It has a nostalgic appeal and to me the melody lingers long after the song is sung.

There are many versions of it but the one I have for you is sung by Joni James. She has a beautiful voice and the pictures shown in the accompanying video depict just a touch of Ireland in its natural beauty.

When you have the lyrics it's quite easy to sing along with the song; so here it is. The tempo is Celtic and typically Irish folk. Try it.

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Then maybe at the closing of your day,
You will sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh,
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay.
Just to hear again the ripple of the trout stream,
The women in the meadow making hay.
Just to sit beside a turf fire in the cabin,
And watch the barefoot gosoons at their play.

For the breezes blowin' o'er the sea from Ireland
Are perfumed by the heather as they blow
And the women in the uplands diggin' praties
Speak a language that the strangers do not know.

And if there's is going to be a life hereafter,
And somehow I am sure there's going to be,
I will ask my God to let me make my heaven,
In that dear land across the Irish sea.

Yet the stangers came and tried to teach us their way.
They scorned us just for bein' what we are.
But they might as well go chasing after moon beams,
Or light a penny candle from a star.

Thanks to "itscalang" for sharing this video-clip with us.

Cheers!

Old age ain't no place for sissies

There is an old song called STONEY made famous by a guy named LOBO. When it was released it was a big hit with people of my generation! You know good old songs have a knack of bringing back happy memories of the past.

For instance I grew up in the country and I remember that my teenage years were wonderful and happy.

I bicycled all over in the country-side and chased the wind; caught “fighting spiders” and flew kites; went fishing even when I didn’t catch any and spend much of my leisure on my stamp collection and would you believe it, writing to pen-pals all over the world.

As I grew up and fell in love, memories like the time of our first date, our first kiss; the strolls we took in the park, the little crabs we dug up on the beach, and all the silly things we did, they all keep coming back. And you feel good as you recall your past.

How true is the saying (attributed to Nikita Ivanovich Panin), “In youth the days are short and the years are long; and now in old age the years are short and the days long?”

Victor Hugo was reputed to have said, “Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age.” I wish it were so.

I would like to think that age is all in the mind. Someone did say that one is as old as one’s heart is and not on how one looks, didn't he?

Isn’t it true that no matter how old we are, we are always the same age inside?

However, I would like to think that old age is at least 15 years older than what I really am.

Nonetheless for most of us I think with age comes wisdom and wealth, well at least a good measure of each.

I hope by the time we have money to burn, our fire inside would not have burnt out.

As Mark Twain had put it a long time ago, “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.” What an ingenious thought! Think on it.

I will close with this quip, “A woman is as old as she looks, but a man is old when he stops looking.” Believe it or not is up to you.

Cheers!

Here’s the song STONEY from a music-video courtesy of “kingduplicate”. If you will, sing along with it in karaoke fashion. Hope you like it too.