secretbouquetpen-blog

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“He knows what I Need”

I barely ask the Lord to give me what I needed. Just like today, I feel frustrated, stressed and depressed about everything since early this morning. With the world full of toxic people, different challenges and hardships to face in every moment, I thought of giving up and hoped this day would end so fast. Little did I know, God came before me and whispered “Don’t You worry my Child, I’m here. I can pull you up out there. Let me help you solve your Burdens.” At that very moment I felt excited, happy and worry-free. He gives me hope as He teach me not to care anymore about this worldly life. Nothing is impossible to God. Through Him I can do anything and I can do everything. For He is the Lord, My God, My King and My Savior.. Thank You Father God. 

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LIFE AWARENESS: Reveal my untold questions about our existence.

What is life?

 Hindi ko matandaan kung pang-ilang beses ko na 'tong naitanong sa sarili ko. I doubt if you say na ni-isang beses sa buhay mo ay hindi mo rin nagawang maitanong ito kahit sa sarili mo. No one have ever found the answer on it. If you are such like me who did an attempt on google, mapapansin mo kung gaano karaming sagot ang lumalabas. Most searched questions says like this: "What is life according to science?, What is life according to Socrates? What is life according to Philosophy?, What is life according to Augustine? and What is life according to Bible?"

Aren't you curious why lots of people are trying to look for an answer kahit ang totoo, the actual happenings in your life had already defined what is life?

From the our struggles, we learn life.

It all begins when you wake up in awareness of your surrounding.

To make a definite explanation, lets see kung paano nila ito ipinaliwanag.

What is life according to science?

A branch of science such as biology says that: The definition of life is controversial. The current definition is that organisms are open systems that maintain homeostasis, are composed of cells, have a life cycle, undergo metabolism, can grow, adapt to their environment, respond to stimuli, reproduce and evolve.

Science supplies as with a new representation of the world, of life, of the human being. Science can liberate us from the views imposed to us by nature, to our senses and minds. Science offers new answers to the meaning of life.

What's life? Who we are? According to science. Kahit ang pinakamatatalinong tao sa mundo katulad nina Charles Darwin na nagsabing nagmula daw tau sa hayop (unggoy specifically) ay di rin paniwalaan ng lubos ng mga tao. Ikaw matatanggap mo bang isang hayop ang naging ninuno mo? Bukod kay Charles Darwin, pinatungan pa ito ni Richard Dawkins. He is an atheist, and is well known for his criticism of creationism and intelligent design. Sinabi niyang ang evolutionary processes  as analogous to a Blind Watchmaker (a book that he wrote) , in that reproduction, mutation, and selection are unguided  by any designer. It means that he doesn't believe about the Creator that most religious people had. He contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that religious faith is just a delusion.

What is life according to Socrates?

Socrates is one of the most famous philosophers who directly influenced a number of other famous philosophers, including those during his lifetime. For him, the goal of life is to find “virtue” and “the good” in order to improve the soul. In "The Apology of Socrates" (which was the Socratic dialogue that presents the speech of legal self-defense, which Socrates presented at his trial for impiety and corruption, in 399 BC. ) we'll learn how Socrates lives out his own philosophy to the fullest. He made an accurate explanation between the examined life and unexamined life. Sinabi niyang ang unexamined life ay hindi worth of living. He believed that philosophy - the love of wisdom - was the most important pursuit above all else. For some, he exemplifies more than anyone else in history the pursuit of wisdom through questioning and logical argument, by examining and by thinking. His 'examination' of life in this way spilled out into the lives of others, such that they began their own 'examination' of life, but he knew they would all die one day, as saying that a life without philosophy - an 'unexamined' life - was not worth living.

What is life according to Philosophy?

Below are lists of 5 american philosophers who had also define life in such different ways.

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson was the leading mind behind Transcendentalism, the first purely American school of philosophy. He was a pantheist and believed that God was in everything and everyone. To truly express this divinity, he felt, one has to find who they truly are and then live out their individuality as well as they are able. To do this, Emerson suggests self-reliance, independence, and a wariness of society and its pressures to conform.

Emerson reminds that even the dull and ordinary parts of our lives are filled with divine grace. His individualism, which has inspired people and encourages us to find who we truly are at heart and then act on that knowledge even if we are seen as radical because of it.

2. Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau was a follower of Emerson and his transcendentalist philosophy. He resolved to live simply in the woods and see how it compared to life in the modern world. His insights are often profound. His perspectives on the simple life, how we can reduce our dependence on worldly goods, the need for individualism, and the joys of solitude in nature remain important lessons.

Thoreau reminds us that we must examine our lives at every juncture, that progress in science and technology may not be what makes us happy, and that sometimes the simplest things are the best. While his escape to the simple life might have been more of a vacation than anything else, it does show us that technology may not be the path to finding meaning. An excellent overview of his ideas can be found here.

3. John Dewey

Dewey was a philosopher and reformer who worked in many fields and is largely remembered for his work in pragmatism and progressive education. He encourages us to stop looking at education as preparation for a job. Rather, it must be considered as a tool to help giving meaning to our lives. To do this, education must encourage autonomy, student involvement, active inquiry, and cover a wide field of subjects so the student can find what they enjoy doing. This, he argues, will not only improve our educational system and our democracy but will also allow us to live meaningful lives.

Dewey asks us to see ourselves are more than just technical staff in a modern economy, but as people with talents for art, science, and the humanities as well. To properly live full, meaningful lives we must educate ourselves for the entirety of life.

Cease conceiving of education as mere preparation for later life, and make it the full meaning of the present life.

4. Thomas Jefferson

As the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, a founding father of the United States, the founder of the University of Virginia, and third president of the United States, Jefferson was a busy man. While he never wrote out a grand tract on the meaning of life, he did give us some insight on a good one.

Jefferson declared himself to be an epicurean in a letter to a friend, that philosophy blends elements of both hedonistic (engaged in the pursuit of pleasure) and eudemonic happiness in a way that promotes the happiness of the individual without resorting to debauchery. It is this sort of happiness that Jefferson himself strived for in his daily life.

He also invoked epicurean ideas in his praise for the life of the independent farmers. Self-reliance, democratic government, and live in small communities would come not only to embody Jeffersonian Democracy, by the United States itself for the first part of its history. Jefferson reminds us to seek out the good life with an eye towards independence and a not too complicated life of progress.  

5. Robert Nozick

Robert Nozick was a philosopher at Harvard who is best known for his lone venture into political philosophy Anarchy, State, and Utopia. In that book, he briefly touches on one of the more popular ideas for the meaning of life; that we should maximize our pleasurable experiences and minimize our unpleasant ones.

He asks us to imagine that a team of neuroscientists have invented a machine that allows you to live in a simulated world with nothing but enjoyable experiences in it. The world inside the machine is perfectly lifelike and the only catch is that nothing inside is real. Think the Matrix, but much more enjoyable for people living inside of it. He points out that if all we really want is to feel pleasure, then we have no reason to not get in. However, most of us would say that we have reservations about living in the false reality. This, he argues, shows that most of us want more than just pleasure in our lives.

While this doesn’t mean that you can’t value a life with pleasure, if you decide not to get into the machine you must think there is more to the meaning of life. He doesn’t give us a prescription for what we should value, however. He instead encourages us to think it out for ourselves.

What is life according to Augustine?

Augustine of Hippo was the first to develop the theodicy. He rejected the idea that evil exists in itself, instead regarding it as a corruption of goodness, caused by humanity's abuse of free will. Augustine believed in the existence of a physical Hell as a punishment for sin, but argued that those who choose to accept the salvation of Jesus Christ will go to Heaven.

So, for Augustine, life about doing good things that will pleasure God from above. In return, an eternal life with Him will later be claim.

What is life according to Bible?

Life is contingent upon the continuing, sustaining "breath" of God. The situation and quality of life may be diminished and even destroyed by chance, circumstances, and the conduct of unrighteous or negligent persons. In such circumstances, the lowly pray for divine mercy and help. Worries, riches, and pleasures ( Mark 4:19 ; Luke 12:15 ), as well as hunger, sickness, sorrow, and sin can choke and even destroy life.

Mortal humanity was created in the image of God ( Gen 1:26-27 ), and given the opportunity of eternal life in relationship with the Creator (Gen. 2-3). Life , predominantly has a metaphysical and spiritual meaning, an indestructible quality, which supersedes physical death and the grave. This life is more important than eating, drinking, and clothes ( Matt 6:25 ; Luke 12:22-33 ), and more valuable than physical wholeness and health.  There is a tension, even a conflict, between the present physical existence with its passions, and the spiritual life that will continue beyond physical death. Whoever loses or denies the present life for the sake of Christ, finds eternal life, life in the age to come ( Mark 8:35-37 ; 10:30 ; par. John 12:25 ). The rich young ruler desired to inherit eternal life, but to him the cost of denying his present life by selling all that he had and giving to the poor in order to gain the eternal was too great ( Mark 10:17-31 ; par. ).

From all this chosen explanations for life, one thing is for sure that I will never regret of believing of, God is real and He is the One behind everything and all the histories.

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WHAT IS GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE (AND HOW TO FIND IT)

Waking up feeling purposeless is incredibly frustrating. You look around and see your friends and coworkers living passionate, engaged, meaningful lives. They have deep relationships, rewarding jobs and a sense of direction that compels them to hop out of bed each morning with a spring in their step.

You know that God has something good in store for you. You don't believe he intends you to live a life of painful drudgery in which each day is a total drag. After all, the Bible is chock full of passages about joy. While this certainly doesn't mean that every single day is a parade and circus, it does mean that an overall sense of gladness should permeate your life.

In Psalm 63:7, David said, "...for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy." How can you get to that place? Where, instead of wandering aimlessly through life, you're actually singing for joy (or just making a joyful noise if you're not the singing type)?

In this post, we're going to first talk about some key signs that you may not be living in the fullness of God's purpose for you. Then we'll give some key suggestions for how to begin living a meaningful, enthusiastic, joyful life.

6 SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE LIVING IN GOD'S PURPOSE

Before we dive into this point, we need to make at least one caveat. In one sense, you are always living in God's purpose. God is God and He works all things, including your life, according to his purposes. Nothing can happen without God ordaining it.

Psalm 57:2 says, "I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me." This is key in understanding God's purpose for your life. God has numbered your days and will fulfill every purpose He has for you.

However, our choices and actions also really matter. In some ways, this is a mystery we can't fully understand, but that doesn't mean it's not true. We can choose to do things that will bring us more joy and give us more of a sense of purpose. That's where we're headed in this post. We want to help you identify those choices you can make to bring more excitement and God-given purpose into your life.

But first, here are 6 signs that you don’t have much purpose in your life.

YOU'RE BLATANTLY LIVING IN SIN.

Let's start with the obvious here. If you're blatantly disobeying the Bible, you're not living in God's purpose and you will certainly experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. This one is pretty straightforward so we don't need to spends too much time here.

YOU LACK JOY AND EXCITEMENT.

If you wake up every day filled with apathy or dread or total boredom, you're probably not doing what you were meant to do. God has created you uniquely, has really good things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Sure, there will be difficult things you encounter that require patience and persistence, but overall you should have a sense of joy and excitement that fills your days, your work and your relationships.

In his book "Desiring God," John Piper says:

The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an "extra" that a person might grow into after he comes to faith.

YOU DON'T FEEL MUCH FULFILLMENT IN LIFE.

If you go about your days experiencing little fulfillment, you may be wandering from your God-given purpose. Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding, meaningful, purposeful things. From a job that taps into your skills and passions. From a relationship that involves giving and receiving. From hobbies that are invigorating instead of mind-numbing. Yes, you'll have to do certain things that are boring and unfulfilling, but if you're entire life is gray, you probably need a change.

YOU WORK SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORK.

You know the feeling of pointless work. You go to the office, clock in, do your job, then go home and collapse in front of the television. You work for the weekends and for retirement. All true joy you experience comes from things outside of work. From hobbies or friends or side jobs.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, "And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun."

Would you say that this kind of joy characterizes your life and work? If not, you may need to rethink where you're headed.

YOU FEEL STUCK.

If you desperately want a change but also feel totally stuck in your life, that's almost certainly a sign that you're not walking according to God's purpose. Those who are stuck want to go in a particular direction but don't know how to get there. So they spin their wheels, feeling endlessly frustrated but unsure of how to make the frustration end. Do you feel trapped?

YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION.

If you don't know God's purpose for your life, you constantly feel a sense of aimlessness. You feel as though you're wandering from thing to thing without any forward progress. Nothing excites you and you don't have any specific goals you're working toward. Unlike the Israelites, who wandered for 40 years yet still had a goal (the Promised Land), you don't even have a goal in front of you.

6 WAYS TO REGAIN YOUR PURPOSE

In his classic book "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien wrote poem that included the line, "Not all who wander are lost." The same applies to you. Even though you feel like you're wandering without any true purpose, that doesn't mean you're lost. You can regain your sense of purpose and discover what God has for your life.

Here are 6 ways to discover God's purpose for your life.

GO TO GOD IN PRAYER.

Again, let's start with the obvious. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and direction. James 1:5 states, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

That's incredibly good news. God wants to give you a purpose. He wants to bestow divine wisdom on you. It's not like God is holding out on you to make you miserable. He desires you to have a joyful, ambitious, purposeful life. Ask God for purpose and expect Him to give it to you.

DIG INTO GOD'S WORD.

The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your search for God's purpose is to start digging into scripture. Now, you won't find any verses that tell you to become a dance instructor or painter, but you will begin to understand the heart of God.

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." God's word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God's world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.

DETERMINE YOUR GIFTS AND STRENGTHS.

God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you're a math whiz or a wise counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe you're great at organizing people and getting things done. God's purpose for you probably involves the things you're already good at.

This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you're going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.

DETERMINE YOUR PASSIONS.

What is one thing you're particularly passionate about? Really, this can be anything. Business, art, economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn't an issue, what would you love to do?

Determining your passions often helps you figure out what God has called you to do. It's often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your passions? That may be God's purpose for you.

BRING OTHERS INTO YOUR LIFE.

Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your purpose is through others.

A caveat needs to be made here. Your counselors should be people you trust. Whether this is your professors, parents or friends, it needs to be people who have your back and want the best for you. You want wise counselors to help you find God's purpose for you.

TAKE A SOLITUDE RETREAT.

Sometimes it can be incredibly helpful to get away from it all and take some unhurried time to think, pray and journal. You don't have to spend a week in the woods for this to be effective. Even just a day away from the hustle and grind can be hugely rewarding.

During these retreats, allow yourself to simply be still. To ponder. To ask God for direction and listen for His voice. This doesn't need to be complicated and doesn't require any elaborate rituals. Hebrews 11:6 is a reminder that God always rewards those who seek him. He's not hiding in the dark, trying to keep his will hidden from you. He wants to guide you.

IN THE END, TRUST GOD

Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you're not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you're aimlessly wandering.

But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go. As Psalm 23:2-3 says, "He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

You may feel confused, but God doesn't.

Sources: By Mike Ward,                                      Link: https://www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/what-is-gods-purpose-for-your-life-and-how-to-find-it

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STUNNING ACCIDENTAL SUCCESS

Before we make a step, we have to spent a lot of time in making a scratch of plans. One pad of paper is not enough to say that we made a feasible study for our research in creating our career paths. Most great success stories began after a long period of time. Indeed, it made it prerequisite for everyone to have a capability of such tolerance in delays while waiting for a big luck. 

The influence of society's conventions weakens the opportunities that might possibly happened to us sooner as much as we expect it. In that case, we suffered from frustration and depression due to belief that there is a standard process in achieving goals. .

In despite of society's convention, there's a lot of people who proves that lifestyle can be designed by one selves.

I was inspired by those who had a courage to quit their corporate jobs to pursue their dreams. They make an incredible decision as they bet their futures without any assurance on what will happen to them ahead of time. A positive mindset or so called optimistic behaviors are best motivators for achievers like them. We may pursue to believe that quitters are not definitely a losers. To quit on something you never really love to do is such an overwhelming feeling. I've been there before. Being imprisoned in a world I never thought I would be part of. It still suffocates me whenever I was reminded of that past. It just turns out that the best solution to escaped that despondency was to leave it all behind and look for something where I may fit in. I was once a quitter, but never a loser. I'm still in a challenging stage of my chapter. Never did think about surrendering against this worldly convention.

What's within your self should be manifested with actions to create a justifiable design for your life. 

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Stars?

It's beautiful and amazing from afar, but in up-close..it wasn't that fascinating at all.

Erynna

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I want true happiness. Pero bakit ang hirap? Bakit ang hirap maging masaya?

Secretbouquetpen

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God's greatest blessing we ever recieve in life is the chance of being able to communicate with Him. That's the purpose of prayer.

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Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and lovewill follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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Situation #1

What will you do if you learned that you just only have 24 hrs. left to live your life? What are you going to do?

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Laughs

People are a natural liars. To hide their worst emotions, a display of a little smile in their lips was formed. Seeing that genuine smile can make what you trully feels obscure from the outside. Not a single trace of sufferings or burdensome of life will be found.

They are the people who had a lot of courage to face the cruelty of this world. The people who never thought of letting themselves fall in despite of hardships..people who fights the society's convention whatever the risks are.

I'd like to be one of them. I don't want to give up just like any other hopeless one's.. How about you? Will you go against negativism? Can you strive with optimism?

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1 John 4:18 Just thinking how the Father God loves me..I feel stronger than before.

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Downfall

I found the reason of my unhappiness. For now, I really wanted to be alone. I want to have a peace of mind. I want to leave this place and go back to where I started. I'm longing with my previous life where I can sit whenever I want, walk wherever I want to..eat when I felt hunger, sleep where no one bothers me...write whatever I want...cry all my burdens where no one's around.. Read..sing... And pray all the way to God.

Time passed away. I'm no longer free to do those independence to my leisure time. Today, I have to follow someone's command. It's hard to say no because of indulgence I have with them. They helped me and I can't find any reason to refuse eventhough I'm already tired. I wanted to give it up and get out of this misery. I need a powerful encouragement to face the preceeding plan I have. To leave it all behind and grow in another place. I hate my current situation. It suffocates me. I wanted to move on and live a life where I can be happy.

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I may not fly so high like a butterfly.. But I can shine through where I am good at.

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Wasted

The shadow of my past pursuance to dream as big as giants were fading. My great desires to fly and aim so high through the clouds of the bright future falls like a rain in a season. What happened today that all my dreams was trashed in just a blink of an eye. The dream I planned for about almost of my existence was scattered by discouragement of society's convention. My passion were set aside. Now, I don't even know on where to start.. What should I do?

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Whenever I have a problems, I asked God to help me. Whenever I cried, I called His name and asked to strengthen me. Everytime I feel depressed in everything, He was the one I know who can help me. With all these reasons to when I call His name, I feel ashamed. I realized, "Do I just have to be hurt before I call Him?". Who is God to me?

The Lord is my savior, my one and only God. The one that I could trust my life. The one to whom I surrendered my everything. I trust His plans and He sets me free from worries. He is the Lord of Lords...the King of Kings...the Alpha and Omega...the Mighty and Powerful of all..