Nostalgia

On my way home today, a very beautifully built house caught my eye. It was simply amazing. The front lawn was very tastefully designed with garden stones, and the very elegant flowers next to the fences enhanced the house's beauty even more. The structure was solid yet graceful. It got me thinking, do the inhabitants of such a nice house have the lives that match their property's beauty? Is there a positive correlation between the charm of a house and the life of its occupants?

When I was young, I used to dream of living in a castle that was built on a cloud. But as I started growing older, many things became apparent. For the past 8 years, we have changed a lot of houses, and it always takes me a few months to start calling the new house my home. But today, sitting at the bus looking at that apparently gorgeous house, I realized something: Houses are made of stone and wood -- both mere objects. Homes are made of people and the bonds between them -- the most precious thing in the world. Reminded me of a quote by an unknown author, that it takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home. And then just as suddenly that the bus had stopped in front of that house, it passed by it, and now all that I have are the memories.

Lost Souls

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go -- 1 of 2 things will happen: either He'll catch you when you fall OR He'll teach you how to fly! God is going to shift things around for you and let things work in your favor. He closes doors no man can open and opens doors no man can close.

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing.

Six Degrees of Separation

Things aren't really as black and white as I'd like them to be. Many times our set rules need to be manipulated to accommodate some new perceptions and events. Does that mean those "golden rules" were wrong? Are we wrong in accepting them? For the duration of the summer I decided to volunteer at a womens' shelter, and every week I come across examples that force me to widen my thinking horizons. Today while talking to a woman, I learned that she used to be a prostitute for 23 years. So automatically, in my head I'm thinking this is wrong and she should've searched harder for a decent job or applied for welfare and whatnot. But as I'm going through these criticisms in my head, various things crossed my mind. By default, humans have an attachment to their dignity, shame, and pride. No one likes to be sullied in any way, children and adults alike. Some things are simply in our genes and we can not part from them. Other people in the group present at that time were criticizing the opening of a prostitution place (I don't know what the correct term is for such a venue) and this woman was defending it by saying had she not been in the field, there was no way her kids would have gotten to colleges and universities, and today they have scholarships and enough money to pay for their tuition, books, food and rent. So they have grown up to be benefitting members of the society we ALL live in. End justifying the means? Which side of the debate are you on?