"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
Everyone has their own perspectives on love. The dictionary definition of love is: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Love is an emotion, love is a feeling, love is many different things. But true love is different from what we call "love". In my psychology class I remember my professor telling me the average person is "in love" with their significant other for two years, and than after that it's all about commitment and how long they are willing to make it work. The love we see on television, in movies, and in our lives around people always make us want that in our own lives. Society depicts this image to us of what love is, showing it through media and other forms of advertising. But the thing that society is forgetting is, that without God in the relationship, there will never be true love. God is the only one that can teach us about true love. The relationship we have with Him as Christians, he shows us true love by showing patience, being kind, not being easily angered by our sins and neglect towards Him, etc. When we get into a relationship with someone, we should always base it on a relationship with God as the center of our attentions to know and learn true love for each other. Of course it's easier said than done, right? For me personally, I can't recall a time in the past when I was dating a girl and God was the center of the relationship. We were always in the "honeymoon phase" and wanting to see and talk to each other as much as we can, and when we couldn't see each other we would think about that person as much as we can. This was a big reason why most of my relationships did not work out, because of the simple fact that the girl was taking me away from God instead of strengthening my relationship with Him. Now I am looking for a girl that will not only accept me for who I am, all my faults and imperfections in life, but also bring me closer to God. I recently just saw "Valentines Day" with a few friends. In that movie the part I liked best was when the grandma said "When you truly love someone, you have to love everything about them. All their faults, all their imperfections, and not only the good things." That really stuck out to me, because how many times in life do we look for the easy way out when we find out something we don't like about our significant other? We totally forget all the reasons why you love her and you only look at that imperfection that you find out. Now I'm not saying this happens all the time, but I know it's happened to me a couple of times in the past. When I would find out something that I didn't really like about the girl I was dating, I would start examining more and more on what else I didn't like and than I would usually just end it somehow. Of course I know now how stupid I was, because I'm not perfect and she was willing to see past my imperfections and be with me, but back than I had a different mindset. There is this quote: "Love isn't about finding the perfect person, but seeing an imperfect person perfectly." That quote is true in so many ways. Many people have this mindset of what their perfect girl/guy is in their mind, but what they tend to forget is that love is not about finding that "perfect one". Love is when you see past a person's imperfections and you love them for who they are, flaws and all. So to fix this, we really need to take that image of what we think the perfect person is for us, and just have an open mind with every person we meet. No relationship is the same, it all depends on the two people in that relationship. So when we are in a relationship and start to compare it to a relationship we had before and wonder why it's not the same when you were so "in love" in the other relationship, that can ruin something great with the person you have now if you keep that mindset. For these past few months, I feel that God is really trying to teach me to depend on Him and Him alone, and stop depending on girls like how I used to in the past. Every time I would end with one girl, right after or a few weeks later another girl would come into my life and I never really rejected it because to be honest it felt good to have that comfort and know someone cares about you. But I forgot about the person that cares for me the most in this world, the person that is the only one that can truly love me, and that person is God. So now I'm just setting my sights on him and making my relationship stronger and learning things that I will need to know when I meet the next girl I will be in a relationship with. God is not only love, but He is true love and where we learn it from. Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010.
"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.."
G. K. Chesterton
Every January 1st, we think of it as a new beginning and fresh start, but than we forget that it's just another day. Sure it's the start to a new year, but that does not mean that everything we did in the year before us will not affect us in the new year. We say it's a new beginning, but in reality it's not the beginning as December 31st is not the end of something. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's not important for us to have New Years celebration. I feel God gave us this holiday so that we may take time to reflect and ponder upon all the events and experiences we went through the year before and how we can improve ourselves for the next year. We think back to all the mistakes we made, and that gives us a chance to know what not to do for this year. We think back to all the friends and people we met, and that gives us the chance to really appreciate them. We think back on our family and whatever we may have gone through together the past year, and that gives us the chance to see how much we really took them for granted when some don't even have a family in their lives. We think back on many things, but it can be said that we always think of God (for those who are religious), and that gives us a chance to see how much He has really blessed us throughout the past year and how loving and great He really is. All the happiness, pain, anger, depression, and love moments we had throughout the past year, God was always there with us and never left. He was there when we were at our highest point of happiness and also there when we were in our lowest point of depression/pain. In the beginning of this blog, I showed a quote that said as a new year comes that we don't think of it as a new year/fresh start, but that we think of it as a way for us to have a new soul/better ourselves in God. There were many times throughout the past year that I've neglected God and felt that He wasn't with me, but as I take the time to think back, I realized that whenever I was in times of pain/depression I turned to everyone but Him and that's why I felt He wasn't with me. But God is gracious and patient, so He always gives us an opportunity like New Years to take time and reflect on our past. I know that God has blessed all of us for this new year that is coming up, and that by taking this time to reflect and think back on how we have been living this past year, it will only make us more mature with our relationship with God. For me personally, there were many things I have learned throughout the past year. I learned to depend on God in my times of need instead of depending on man (even though it's still a work in progress), I learned to appreciate my family and friends more and to know how grateful I am to have them in my life, I learned to appreciate the small things in life, the things that not many people notice anymore because society has become so fast pace, and I learned what kind of wife I want to marry. I remember when I was in junior high, people would always tell me that I should pray right now for what type of wife or what I want my wife to be like to God, but than I never really cared about it. I probably did not care too much about it because I have so much anger/pain towards that certain subject, after my birth mom leaving me and my family. I grew up thinking that was just exactly what was going to happen to me as well; that I would find a woman to marry, and everything would be going great, than out of nowhere she would just be gone. So I never took the time to pray about my wife, seeing how I had so much anger inside of me. I'm not saying that I am fully healed from that emotional scar, because I'm not, but I now know that this was the reason for my past woman in my life. It's funny because I think a lot, usually every night while I'm lying in bed trying to sleep, I just think about life. So January 1st really happens every night for me. I realized that this whole time, I was getting into relationships based on what I thought I wanted, not what God knew I needed. So I am trying to just trust God and follow where ever He leads me, in all aspects in my life. So what I'm trying to say through this is, you don't have to do everything on your own, God is here to help and lead you on the right path only if you are willing to accept His help and guidance. I hope that everyone is blessed much more this year than they were the past year, and that your relationship with God becomes more stronger and on a deeper level. Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
G. K. Chesterton
Every January 1st, we think of it as a new beginning and fresh start, but than we forget that it's just another day. Sure it's the start to a new year, but that does not mean that everything we did in the year before us will not affect us in the new year. We say it's a new beginning, but in reality it's not the beginning as December 31st is not the end of something. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's not important for us to have New Years celebration. I feel God gave us this holiday so that we may take time to reflect and ponder upon all the events and experiences we went through the year before and how we can improve ourselves for the next year. We think back to all the mistakes we made, and that gives us a chance to know what not to do for this year. We think back to all the friends and people we met, and that gives us the chance to really appreciate them. We think back on our family and whatever we may have gone through together the past year, and that gives us the chance to see how much we really took them for granted when some don't even have a family in their lives. We think back on many things, but it can be said that we always think of God (for those who are religious), and that gives us a chance to see how much He has really blessed us throughout the past year and how loving and great He really is. All the happiness, pain, anger, depression, and love moments we had throughout the past year, God was always there with us and never left. He was there when we were at our highest point of happiness and also there when we were in our lowest point of depression/pain. In the beginning of this blog, I showed a quote that said as a new year comes that we don't think of it as a new year/fresh start, but that we think of it as a way for us to have a new soul/better ourselves in God. There were many times throughout the past year that I've neglected God and felt that He wasn't with me, but as I take the time to think back, I realized that whenever I was in times of pain/depression I turned to everyone but Him and that's why I felt He wasn't with me. But God is gracious and patient, so He always gives us an opportunity like New Years to take time and reflect on our past. I know that God has blessed all of us for this new year that is coming up, and that by taking this time to reflect and think back on how we have been living this past year, it will only make us more mature with our relationship with God. For me personally, there were many things I have learned throughout the past year. I learned to depend on God in my times of need instead of depending on man (even though it's still a work in progress), I learned to appreciate my family and friends more and to know how grateful I am to have them in my life, I learned to appreciate the small things in life, the things that not many people notice anymore because society has become so fast pace, and I learned what kind of wife I want to marry. I remember when I was in junior high, people would always tell me that I should pray right now for what type of wife or what I want my wife to be like to God, but than I never really cared about it. I probably did not care too much about it because I have so much anger/pain towards that certain subject, after my birth mom leaving me and my family. I grew up thinking that was just exactly what was going to happen to me as well; that I would find a woman to marry, and everything would be going great, than out of nowhere she would just be gone. So I never took the time to pray about my wife, seeing how I had so much anger inside of me. I'm not saying that I am fully healed from that emotional scar, because I'm not, but I now know that this was the reason for my past woman in my life. It's funny because I think a lot, usually every night while I'm lying in bed trying to sleep, I just think about life. So January 1st really happens every night for me. I realized that this whole time, I was getting into relationships based on what I thought I wanted, not what God knew I needed. So I am trying to just trust God and follow where ever He leads me, in all aspects in my life. So what I'm trying to say through this is, you don't have to do everything on your own, God is here to help and lead you on the right path only if you are willing to accept His help and guidance. I hope that everyone is blessed much more this year than they were the past year, and that your relationship with God becomes more stronger and on a deeper level. Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The True Meaning of Christmas.
How can someone be so caring and loving to willingly sacrifice their own child to save people they don't even know? I heard of this story, about a dad that had a choice between either saving his son, or letting a train full of people die. The son had been stuck on a bridge, and a train full of people were coming. The bridge was up so the father had a choice of lowering the bridge while crushing his son and killing him, or letting the train full of people die. He ended up lowering the bridge which killed his son, saving all the people on the train. He didn't know what type of people were in the train, all he knew was he had to make a choice and he made it. It turns out that the train was full of people that were drunk and just partying and they didn't even notice the little boy as they passed the bridge. This is just like God sending His only son to die on the cross for all our sins. Today is Christmas eve, tomorrow is Christmas; the day that Jesus Christ was born into this world. There are so many different interpretations and symbols for Christmas, but many times we forget the true reason of this "holiday". Of course, it's known as the season of giving and not receiving, but then as human beings we always fall into the worldly pleasures. We spend so much time shopping for presents, when in reality we forget that is not the true reason for Christmas. Christmas time should be the time where we reflect on how awesome God really is and how much He really loves us to send his only son to die on the cross for the sins we commit each and every day. We should take this time to realize that even though we neglect and disregard God many times in life, He still is faithful and never leaves us in good times or bad. There are so many times in life, that I forget how amazing and loving God really is to me. He is the only person in my life that I can truly depend on, that will never cease to fulfill my needs and just loves me for me. He looks past all my imperfections, and in His eyes alone I stand perfected. I know that all the struggles, hurt, pain, and trials I go through are because God is making me into a stronger person so if I were ever to face them again in the future I would know what to do. He's the only person that will always forgive me for my sins, never judging me by them. I tend to forget that He is the reason why I am living on this earth, and He has blessed me in so many ways and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for the fact that He sent his son to die on the cross for my sins, and I'm thankful that He will never leave me because that's all I've been used to in my life. So many people have just left out of my life under different circumstances right when I felt that I was getting closer to them or they were becoming a big part of my life, that I just expect it now. But I feel that is God telling me that I shouldn't be too dependent on people, but just be dependent on Him and Him alone. The lyrics "I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sins upon that cross", they play in my mind so much whenever I think about how unworthy I feel to be considered His son, but than he always reminds me that He loves me for who I am and that I am worthy enough. I hope that everyone takes this time to realize how awesome and loving God really is, and just know that He is always going to be there for you. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!
"So it's with everything I am, I reach out for your hand.
The hope for change, the second chance I've gained.
On You I throw my life, casting all my fears aside.
How could any love than this, ever possibly exist?
So I wait upon you now, with my hands released to you.
Where a little faiths enough, to see mountains lift and move.
Yeah I'll wait upon you now, dedicated to your will.
To this love that will remain, A love that never fails.."
-Paul Lem.
"So it's with everything I am, I reach out for your hand.
The hope for change, the second chance I've gained.
On You I throw my life, casting all my fears aside.
How could any love than this, ever possibly exist?
So I wait upon you now, with my hands released to you.
Where a little faiths enough, to see mountains lift and move.
Yeah I'll wait upon you now, dedicated to your will.
To this love that will remain, A love that never fails.."
-Paul Lem.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Give Thanks.
The Dictionary definition of Thanks is: to express gratitude, appreciation, or acknowledgment to.
As today is Thanksgiving, it always gives us the opportunity to spend time with our family, eat some amazing food, and really think about what you are grateful for in your life. Whether it being thankful for friends, family, girlfriend/boyfriend, we all have something to be thankful for. For me, I'm thankful for the fact that I get to live in this country where I get opportunities to achieve my goals and dreams that some don't have in other countries. Some people don't have a home or family, but I am grateful that I have both of those in my life. Some people don't have food to eat, but I get to eat three times a day and maybe even more when I feel like it. Some people have to live from paycheck to paycheck to pay all their bills, but I'm lucky that I don't have those worries. Some people don't know God, but I have the privilege of having a relationship with Him. Some people don't have too many friends in their lives, but I am lucky enough to have all my loved ones next to me. Some people have incurable diseases that they were born with, but I was lucky enough to be born with a healthy body. I am lucky and fortunate that I have all these things in my life, but the thing about having so much, is that sometimes we forget about how fortunate we all really are compared to others that are less fortunate. Some people worry if they are going to be able to live the next day in other countries, while I worry about what I need to make my life better. Some people can't get an education where they live, whether it being a financial problem or not, while I get bored and forget the fact that I'm lucky enough to be in college. Some people go their whole lives without being able to do what they want, while I wonder how fast I can finish ALL I WANT as soon as possible. Some people worry that they will not have enough money to take care of their family and financial problems, while I worry if I'll have enough money to buy something I really want, but don't necessarily need. Some people don't have any family members, while I take for granted the fact that I have such a big family. Some people don't have friends to care and look after them, while I have many people that care for me, but don't show them as much concern at times. Being blessed by God and having such a fortunate life, I at times forget the meaning of being grateful for all that He has blessed me with. I take for granted many things in my life, that some don't have and pray for in their lives. This happens to all of us at times:
WE FORGET ABOUT HOW FORTUNATE WE REALLY ARE IN LIFE, COMPLAINING ABOUT LITTLE THINGS, WHEN PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD DON'T HAVE THE LUXURIES THAT WE HAVE. WORST THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO THEM, AND STILL THEY ARE MORE HAPPY WITH LIFE THEN WE ARE. THAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING GRATEFUL. TAKING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU AND THANKING HIM FOR BLESSING YOU WITH THAT THING IN YOUR LIFE.
As another Thanksgiving passes by, I really hope that everyone can actually take time and really thank God for all the things He has blessed us with in our lives. Us thanking him for blessing us with what we have should not just happen on Thanksgiving, but everyday of our lives. We should be thankful and grateful to Him everyday, letting Him know how happy we are that He is in our lives. Now that the day "Thanksgiving" will be done in a couple of hours, Christmas is right around the corner. This is the time when we really need to think about our lives, see how we are living with what God has blessed us, and just reflect on what kind of a person we really are. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and I want to thank you for taking the time to read this blog entry.
-Paul Lem.
As today is Thanksgiving, it always gives us the opportunity to spend time with our family, eat some amazing food, and really think about what you are grateful for in your life. Whether it being thankful for friends, family, girlfriend/boyfriend, we all have something to be thankful for. For me, I'm thankful for the fact that I get to live in this country where I get opportunities to achieve my goals and dreams that some don't have in other countries. Some people don't have a home or family, but I am grateful that I have both of those in my life. Some people don't have food to eat, but I get to eat three times a day and maybe even more when I feel like it. Some people have to live from paycheck to paycheck to pay all their bills, but I'm lucky that I don't have those worries. Some people don't know God, but I have the privilege of having a relationship with Him. Some people don't have too many friends in their lives, but I am lucky enough to have all my loved ones next to me. Some people have incurable diseases that they were born with, but I was lucky enough to be born with a healthy body. I am lucky and fortunate that I have all these things in my life, but the thing about having so much, is that sometimes we forget about how fortunate we all really are compared to others that are less fortunate. Some people worry if they are going to be able to live the next day in other countries, while I worry about what I need to make my life better. Some people can't get an education where they live, whether it being a financial problem or not, while I get bored and forget the fact that I'm lucky enough to be in college. Some people go their whole lives without being able to do what they want, while I wonder how fast I can finish ALL I WANT as soon as possible. Some people worry that they will not have enough money to take care of their family and financial problems, while I worry if I'll have enough money to buy something I really want, but don't necessarily need. Some people don't have any family members, while I take for granted the fact that I have such a big family. Some people don't have friends to care and look after them, while I have many people that care for me, but don't show them as much concern at times. Being blessed by God and having such a fortunate life, I at times forget the meaning of being grateful for all that He has blessed me with. I take for granted many things in my life, that some don't have and pray for in their lives. This happens to all of us at times:
WE FORGET ABOUT HOW FORTUNATE WE REALLY ARE IN LIFE, COMPLAINING ABOUT LITTLE THINGS, WHEN PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD DON'T HAVE THE LUXURIES THAT WE HAVE. WORST THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO THEM, AND STILL THEY ARE MORE HAPPY WITH LIFE THEN WE ARE. THAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING GRATEFUL. TAKING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU AND THANKING HIM FOR BLESSING YOU WITH THAT THING IN YOUR LIFE.
As another Thanksgiving passes by, I really hope that everyone can actually take time and really thank God for all the things He has blessed us with in our lives. Us thanking him for blessing us with what we have should not just happen on Thanksgiving, but everyday of our lives. We should be thankful and grateful to Him everyday, letting Him know how happy we are that He is in our lives. Now that the day "Thanksgiving" will be done in a couple of hours, Christmas is right around the corner. This is the time when we really need to think about our lives, see how we are living with what God has blessed us, and just reflect on what kind of a person we really are. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and I want to thank you for taking the time to read this blog entry.
-Paul Lem.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Nothing Lasts Forever.
"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
-Marilyn Monroe
The Dictionary definition of CHANGE is: to become different, to become altered or modified, to become transformed or converted.
Nothing lasts forever. Just as the quote above states, people change and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. This quote helps to prove that nothing is forever and that the only thing that is forever is God. Other than Him, on this earth nothing is forever. As we live life, we all go through different changes. We make new friends, new relationships, and most importantly a new you. Right now, I'm in my 2nd year of college, and many people know that the first year or so is the time that many take to find out who they are as a person. People may join fraternities/sororities, start becoming a party animal when they were a good student in high school and vice versa. People get influenced into doing different things, changing the person that they actually were. But there are two ways to look into this. The person could have changed dramatically on the outside but still the same on the inside as before, or the person could have changed on the inside but still the same on the outside. A good reason for this can be the influence from friends. Family and friends are a big part of your life, so when not at home with your family, it's only reasonable that you are out with your friends. So whatever your friends are doing, unless you have a strong sense of what kind of person you are, you will probably be doing the same things because you most likely have the same interest. This just means that you need to be very careful with who you surround yourself with, because from the perspective of an outsider, they will automatically assume you are the same as your friends because that's just what we do first as humans. We classify the person the same as their friends, because if they are hanging out with a certain crowd, they usually have the same interest. This could be a good thing and a bad thing. It could be a good thing in the sense where they may see something positive like a christian group of friends, but also bad in the sense that if you don't party but all your friends do they may just assume you do. But most of the time, people will fall, make mistakes, and have regrets because that's just the way life is. We make mistakes, learn from them, and become a better person. In high school, I made countless mistakes, many things that I do regret but I know that all those experiences made me the person I am today. Now I know my strengths and weaknesses in certain areas, because of what I went through in the past. But it's just hard for me to see people, that I consider close friends that I've known for quite some time, to be making the same mistakes that I made and all I can do is watch. I know what mindset they have, so I know me talking to them won't change it, but it's always good to still go at it. If you see a person that you've known for a long time, start changing for the worse, of course you are going to try to help him/her out the best you can. But people will only be able to change, if they are willing to, and that's what we need to remember. People may change for the worse, because they want to but also want to become better because they want it. A person doesn't change automatically, but it gradually happens over a period of time. I know that many people have those certain type of friends that they've known for a long time, and now are seeing them go down a wrong path but all they do is feel sad at the thought of it. I'm writing this blog because I'm trying to give you guys hope and a solution to that problem. Prayer is the solution and as long as we are willing to be consistent and pray for as long as needed, God will be able to help change anyone if they are willing to change. This subject was just on my mind for some time, and I just really felt like writing a blog about it. But the main point that I want to get across is, people change for better or worse, but we need to always make sure we know exactly what kind of person we are. When you know something for sure, you will never question it in any situation that may arise, so that's what I wanted to get across. That doesnt mean we will never fall into temptation or make a mistake, because no one's perfect, but it's a step closer to strengthing our relationship with God. So I'm going to leave you guys with a quote, showing how much times have changed:
"Remember when... getting high meant swinging on the playground? When protection meant wearing a helmet? When the worst thing you can get from boys/girls were cooties? When Dad's shoulders were the highest place on earth and Mom was your hero? When your worst enemy was your siblings? When race issues were about who ran the fastest? When war was only a card game? When the most pain you felt was when you skinned your knees, and goodbyes only meant until tomorrow? When we couldn't wait to grow up?"
Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
-Marilyn Monroe
The Dictionary definition of CHANGE is: to become different, to become altered or modified, to become transformed or converted.
Nothing lasts forever. Just as the quote above states, people change and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. This quote helps to prove that nothing is forever and that the only thing that is forever is God. Other than Him, on this earth nothing is forever. As we live life, we all go through different changes. We make new friends, new relationships, and most importantly a new you. Right now, I'm in my 2nd year of college, and many people know that the first year or so is the time that many take to find out who they are as a person. People may join fraternities/sororities, start becoming a party animal when they were a good student in high school and vice versa. People get influenced into doing different things, changing the person that they actually were. But there are two ways to look into this. The person could have changed dramatically on the outside but still the same on the inside as before, or the person could have changed on the inside but still the same on the outside. A good reason for this can be the influence from friends. Family and friends are a big part of your life, so when not at home with your family, it's only reasonable that you are out with your friends. So whatever your friends are doing, unless you have a strong sense of what kind of person you are, you will probably be doing the same things because you most likely have the same interest. This just means that you need to be very careful with who you surround yourself with, because from the perspective of an outsider, they will automatically assume you are the same as your friends because that's just what we do first as humans. We classify the person the same as their friends, because if they are hanging out with a certain crowd, they usually have the same interest. This could be a good thing and a bad thing. It could be a good thing in the sense where they may see something positive like a christian group of friends, but also bad in the sense that if you don't party but all your friends do they may just assume you do. But most of the time, people will fall, make mistakes, and have regrets because that's just the way life is. We make mistakes, learn from them, and become a better person. In high school, I made countless mistakes, many things that I do regret but I know that all those experiences made me the person I am today. Now I know my strengths and weaknesses in certain areas, because of what I went through in the past. But it's just hard for me to see people, that I consider close friends that I've known for quite some time, to be making the same mistakes that I made and all I can do is watch. I know what mindset they have, so I know me talking to them won't change it, but it's always good to still go at it. If you see a person that you've known for a long time, start changing for the worse, of course you are going to try to help him/her out the best you can. But people will only be able to change, if they are willing to, and that's what we need to remember. People may change for the worse, because they want to but also want to become better because they want it. A person doesn't change automatically, but it gradually happens over a period of time. I know that many people have those certain type of friends that they've known for a long time, and now are seeing them go down a wrong path but all they do is feel sad at the thought of it. I'm writing this blog because I'm trying to give you guys hope and a solution to that problem. Prayer is the solution and as long as we are willing to be consistent and pray for as long as needed, God will be able to help change anyone if they are willing to change. This subject was just on my mind for some time, and I just really felt like writing a blog about it. But the main point that I want to get across is, people change for better or worse, but we need to always make sure we know exactly what kind of person we are. When you know something for sure, you will never question it in any situation that may arise, so that's what I wanted to get across. That doesnt mean we will never fall into temptation or make a mistake, because no one's perfect, but it's a step closer to strengthing our relationship with God. So I'm going to leave you guys with a quote, showing how much times have changed:
"Remember when... getting high meant swinging on the playground? When protection meant wearing a helmet? When the worst thing you can get from boys/girls were cooties? When Dad's shoulders were the highest place on earth and Mom was your hero? When your worst enemy was your siblings? When race issues were about who ran the fastest? When war was only a card game? When the most pain you felt was when you skinned your knees, and goodbyes only meant until tomorrow? When we couldn't wait to grow up?"
Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Relationships And Honesty.
Relationships and honesty are probably one of the most important things in life, whether it being a relationship you have with God, family, friends, etc. In a relationship there should be honesty, and in honesty between you and a person usually there is a relationship in some sort. The most important relationship you can probably have is the relationship you with have God. Being a Christian does not just mean believing that Jesus died on the cross for your sin, but also having a relationship with Him. But relationships aren't always strong and happy all the time, there are also times of hardship and troubles. These past few weeks have been like that for me, where I've fallen into the worries and troubles of life, and forgotten to spend time with God. In this relationship, I am honest with Him, because i choose to be, but no matter what He knows everything in my life and what I go through. Everyone always feels saddened whenever they think about a past relationship with a good friend, boyfriend/girlfriend that they don't have anymore that meant a lot to them. Well that's exactly how my relationship with God is. Whenever there are these periods of time when I get sucked into the world, I forget about my Father and Savior and it does sadden me that I have been ignoring Him. If you're a Christian reading this, you should know exactly what I'm feeling. The relationship with God is how we should be doing what our other relationships in life such as family, friends, girlfriend/boyfriend..but that's not always how we are. We lie, use, put down, our worldly relationships with each other because that's just the way we were brought up. This society has put an image in our minds, of doing whatever it takes to succeed in life, even if that means using, lying, or cheating out a friend/family member. Usually, I would only blog about one certain topic, but I feel that these two really go hand in hand with each other. Honesty is something a relationship should always have, without it the relationship will never know the full meaning like a relationship we have with God. Of course I'm not saying we need to make every relationship we have in life the same as we have with God, because nobody's perfect and we all make mistakes. We all lie, cheat, steal, basically sin in life, but that doesn't mean we need to do that so unconsciously to our close ones and not care in the process. There is a quote i came upon one day, "Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure." We all know this quote to be true, that whenever we lie in a relationship, usually the relationship will end. On the other hand, if we are to be honest, then we are one step closer each time to perfecting a relationship with a close one. My relationship with God is not perfect, because there are times that I do lie to myself thinking that I am getting away with a certain thing when I forget that God knows everything. But the difference between my relationship with God and my relationship with family/friends is that God will always be honest with me, and never lie. So instead of a song, I'll leave you guys with those pretty long quote that I randomly came upon:
"Surrendering means, by definition, giving up attachment to results. When we surrender to God, we let go of our attachment to how things happen on the outside and we become more concerned with what happens on the inside.
When we love, we are automatically placing ourselves within an attitudinal and behavioral context that leads to an unfoldment of events at the highest level of good for everyone involved. We don't always know what that unfoldment would look like, but we don't need to. God will do his part if we do ours. Our only job in every situation is to merely let go our our resistance to love.
Relationships are assignments. They are part of a vast plan for our enlightment, the Holy Spirit's blueprint by which each individual soul is led to greater awareness and expanded love. He brings together people who have the maximal opportunity for mutual growth. No meetings are accidental.
In the holy relationship, it's understood that we all have unhealed places, and that healing is the purpose of our being with another person. We don't try to hide our weaknesses, but rather we understand that the relationship is a context for healing through mutual forgiveness. Adam and Eve were naked in the garden of Eden but not embarrassed. That doesn't mean they were physically naked. It means they were emotionally naked, totally real and honest, yet they were not embarrassed because they felt accepted completely for who they were."
I hope that this has helped some people that have been struggling with honesty in a relationship, or just the feeling of insecurity that the other person in the relationship isn't being honest with them. I can relate to this topic a lot so I wanted to write about it and the people who are feeling this know that they aren't alone in feeling that way. When my birth mother left me, even at such a young age, every relationship girlfriend/friend wise, I never really felt that complete honesty like how it is with God. I would push people away whenever I felt that I was getting in too deep, only for the sole fact that i didn't want them to leave me when I cared so much about them. For me, pushing them away was somewhat a test, to see if they actually cared enough for me to keep trying no matter what, and this is what I've have been going through because of what my birth mother did. I'm trying to fix that emotional scar I have, but it's a work in process and I know in time God will completely heal me from that hurt. So yeah thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
"Surrendering means, by definition, giving up attachment to results. When we surrender to God, we let go of our attachment to how things happen on the outside and we become more concerned with what happens on the inside.
When we love, we are automatically placing ourselves within an attitudinal and behavioral context that leads to an unfoldment of events at the highest level of good for everyone involved. We don't always know what that unfoldment would look like, but we don't need to. God will do his part if we do ours. Our only job in every situation is to merely let go our our resistance to love.
Relationships are assignments. They are part of a vast plan for our enlightment, the Holy Spirit's blueprint by which each individual soul is led to greater awareness and expanded love. He brings together people who have the maximal opportunity for mutual growth. No meetings are accidental.
In the holy relationship, it's understood that we all have unhealed places, and that healing is the purpose of our being with another person. We don't try to hide our weaknesses, but rather we understand that the relationship is a context for healing through mutual forgiveness. Adam and Eve were naked in the garden of Eden but not embarrassed. That doesn't mean they were physically naked. It means they were emotionally naked, totally real and honest, yet they were not embarrassed because they felt accepted completely for who they were."
I hope that this has helped some people that have been struggling with honesty in a relationship, or just the feeling of insecurity that the other person in the relationship isn't being honest with them. I can relate to this topic a lot so I wanted to write about it and the people who are feeling this know that they aren't alone in feeling that way. When my birth mother left me, even at such a young age, every relationship girlfriend/friend wise, I never really felt that complete honesty like how it is with God. I would push people away whenever I felt that I was getting in too deep, only for the sole fact that i didn't want them to leave me when I cared so much about them. For me, pushing them away was somewhat a test, to see if they actually cared enough for me to keep trying no matter what, and this is what I've have been going through because of what my birth mother did. I'm trying to fix that emotional scar I have, but it's a work in process and I know in time God will completely heal me from that hurt. So yeah thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Dreams.
The Dictionary definition of the word Dream is: an aspiration; goal; aim: something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence.
Everyone has a dream profession, girl/guy, or life that they imagine of while sleeping or awake. A dream is something that your mind creates, something that you feel that if you had that certain person or thing in life, would make your life much better or exciting. There are many different types of dreams. The first thing many people think of when they hear the word dream is what happens while you sleep. The images that are portrayed in our mind during the sleeping state, or the scenes that play in your head while resting/sleeping. The definition of dream that I would like to talk about is the dreams that people have in life that they want to achieve. Some examples of these dreams may be making it big in the world as a celebrity, becoming famous, etc. I believe these dreams are only thought up by the person, whenever they see people around them becoming more famous doing things they love and they want that for themselves as well. Everyone should have the confidence to do whatever they have to, no matter how embarrassing or stupid they may look throughout the process, to achieve their dream. The majority reason why people never go after their dream is mainly because of the people they surround themselves with. Depending on whether your family members, friends, peers tell you how much you can or cannot achieve your dream, plays a big role in your decision to go forward with it or not. Throughout my life, I've always wanted to go back to Korea when I became older to make it BIG in Korea either it being an actor, singer, or model. But there has been a lot of negative feedback from my family members that have been making me think twice about forgetting my dream. "You're not good enough to make it" "Don't be stupid, just focus on school" are just a couple of the put-downs I received from my Dad and older brother growing up. The only thing that has kept me going if the positive feedback I've been receiving from my friends and peers. Now I tell them to answer truthfully whenever I ask them if my dream if possible for me, and I trust their answers are from the heart. There is a song that I would like you guys/girls to look up: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. It was originally written by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston for the Disney film Cinderella. The lyrics in this song are for a way to encourage everyone to keep going for their dreams in life, that if they really want to achieve it they should let nothing/no one stop them from gaining it. I feel that the reason why some people put other people down and give them negative feedback on their dreams is because they have been getting the same. It's a cycle of someone putting you down and saying you can't achieve your dream, and then you going and letting your frustration out on another by telling them they can't make it either. The people that rise above this cycle are the ones that block out the negative feedback or even use it as a way for them to try harder to reach their goal to prove those people wrong. So the reason for this blog is really, if u have a dream or goal in life that you would like to pursue, you should give it a try, because you only live once so why not live it to the fullest with no regrets? Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
Everyone has a dream profession, girl/guy, or life that they imagine of while sleeping or awake. A dream is something that your mind creates, something that you feel that if you had that certain person or thing in life, would make your life much better or exciting. There are many different types of dreams. The first thing many people think of when they hear the word dream is what happens while you sleep. The images that are portrayed in our mind during the sleeping state, or the scenes that play in your head while resting/sleeping. The definition of dream that I would like to talk about is the dreams that people have in life that they want to achieve. Some examples of these dreams may be making it big in the world as a celebrity, becoming famous, etc. I believe these dreams are only thought up by the person, whenever they see people around them becoming more famous doing things they love and they want that for themselves as well. Everyone should have the confidence to do whatever they have to, no matter how embarrassing or stupid they may look throughout the process, to achieve their dream. The majority reason why people never go after their dream is mainly because of the people they surround themselves with. Depending on whether your family members, friends, peers tell you how much you can or cannot achieve your dream, plays a big role in your decision to go forward with it or not. Throughout my life, I've always wanted to go back to Korea when I became older to make it BIG in Korea either it being an actor, singer, or model. But there has been a lot of negative feedback from my family members that have been making me think twice about forgetting my dream. "You're not good enough to make it" "Don't be stupid, just focus on school" are just a couple of the put-downs I received from my Dad and older brother growing up. The only thing that has kept me going if the positive feedback I've been receiving from my friends and peers. Now I tell them to answer truthfully whenever I ask them if my dream if possible for me, and I trust their answers are from the heart. There is a song that I would like you guys/girls to look up: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. It was originally written by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston for the Disney film Cinderella. The lyrics in this song are for a way to encourage everyone to keep going for their dreams in life, that if they really want to achieve it they should let nothing/no one stop them from gaining it. I feel that the reason why some people put other people down and give them negative feedback on their dreams is because they have been getting the same. It's a cycle of someone putting you down and saying you can't achieve your dream, and then you going and letting your frustration out on another by telling them they can't make it either. The people that rise above this cycle are the ones that block out the negative feedback or even use it as a way for them to try harder to reach their goal to prove those people wrong. So the reason for this blog is really, if u have a dream or goal in life that you would like to pursue, you should give it a try, because you only live once so why not live it to the fullest with no regrets? Thanks for reading.
-Paul Lem.
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