Solitude and Loneliness

Happypizza: Here is an amazing collection of quotes on the subject of loneliness and solitude. Definitely worth a read, with some positive ways to look at the experience–and sometimes pain–of loneliness.

• All humans are frightened of their own solitude. But only in solitude can we learn to know ourselves, learn to handle our own eternal aloneness.–Han Suyin
• Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself.–Thomas Browne
• Being solitary is being alone well: being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your won presence rather than of the absence of others. Because solitude is an achievement.–Alice Koller
• Do not rely completely on any other human being, however dear. We meet all life’s greatest tests alone.–Agnes Macphail
• Each of us is alone in the world. It takes great courage to meet the full force of your aloneness. … When you face your aloneness, something begins to happen. Gradually, the sense of bleakness changes into a sense of true belonging. This is a slow and open-ended transition but it is utterly vital in order to come into rhythm with your own individuality. –John O’Donohue (Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong)
• I feel the same way about solitude as some people feel about the blessing of the church. It’s the light of grace for me. I never close my door behind me without the awareness that I am carrying out an act of mercy toward myself.–Peter Hoeg (Smilla’s Sense of Snow)
• I learned…that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.–Brenda Ueland
• I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.–Albert Einstein
• I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.–Henry David Thoreau
• Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that’s where you renew your springs that never dry up.–Pearl S. Buck
• Isolation is aloneness that feels forced upon you, like a punishment. Solitude is aloneness you choose and embrace. I think great things can come out of solitude, out of going to a place where all is quiet except the beating of your heart.–Jeanne Marie Laskas
• It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking . . . in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet.–Franz Kafka
• It is well to be alone. It fertilizes the creative impulse.–Max Nordau
• Language has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being alone, and the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone.–Paul Johannes Tillich
• Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall.–Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
• Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.–Indra Devi
• Man cannot survive without air, water and sleep. Next in importance comes food. And close on its heels, solitude.–Thomas Szasz
• One must learn an inner solitude, where or with whomsoever he may be. He must learn to penetrate things and find God there, to get a strong impression of God firmly fixed on his mind.–Meister Eckhart
• Only in quiet waters do thing mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.–Hans Margolius
• Only when one is connected to one’s own core is one connected to others I am beginning to discover. And, for me, the core, the inner spring, can best be refound through solitude.–Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Gift from the Sea)
• The person who has not learned to be happy and content while completely alone for an hour a day, or a week has missed life’s greatest serenity.–H. Clay Tate (Building a Better Home Town)
• Solitude can be frightening because it invites us to meet a stranger we think we may not want to know–ourselves.–Melvyn Kinder
• Solitude can be used well by very few people. They who do must have a knowledge of the world to see the foolishness of it, and enough virtue to despise all the vanity.–Abraham Cowley
• Solitude gives birth to the original in us.–Thomas Mann
• Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.–James Russell Lowell
• …solitude is such a potential thing. We hear voices in solitude, we never hear in the hurry and turmoil of life; we receive counsels and comforts, we get under no other condition…–Amelia Barr

A Job for Roy–Murphy’s Law or Divine?

Times right now are hard for many people. Layoffs, foreclosures, poor health, and family breakups plague people of all ages and cause many to feel utter despair, while others exude joy and peace in spite of these adversities. My friend Roy is such a person. Even though the vicissitudes of life have kicked him a lot lately he carries a smile on his face and speaks a peaceful word to everyone.

We met last summer at the local employment office. While searching online for work I heard a melodious baritone voice make the following inquiry from a nearby computer, “Do you have a pencil I may use?”

Looking up from my computer monitor, I surveyed the room for the source of this wondrously resonant voice. Directly across from where I was seated was Roy, a slender, modestly-dressed gentleman who, like me, was out of work. This gentleman appeared to be someone well-acquainted with hard physical labor, yet he spoke as a genteel scholar with flawless grammar.

Curious, I inquired as to the type of work he was seeking. He informed me that he was searching for ministerial jobs across the southeastern U.S. Roy is a minister now, but in his former life he was a university professor and an assistant to the Governor of the State of Florida. Previously married with a fine house and furnishings, Roy now lives a simple life unfettered by most of the stuff that the rest of us have, want to have, or used to have. The uninformed observer would say that Roy was down on his luck, but Roy would never say that.

Different, With a Purpose

..In all the ages there never has been and never will be a man or woman just like you. You are unique and have no double. No two leaves, no two jewels, no two stars, no two lives are alike. Every life is a fresh thought from God to the world. There’s no one in the entire world who can do your work as well as you. There is a need for you. God has a plan for you. And if you don’t find and enter into God’s purpose for your life, there will be something missing from the glory that would otherwise have been there. Every jewel gleams with its own radiance, every flower distills its own fragrance, every believer has his own particular bit of Jesus’ radiance. Has God given you a different personality? He has also created a particular circle of individuals who can be reached and touched by that personality only, and you can do it as none other in all the world.

–Virgina Brandt

Be Grateful

Be grateful for… Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day; Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way; Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do, For round about you there are less fortunate than you. Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom, The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom; Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet, The soft caresses of your babes & all their laughter sweet. Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blessed you are, How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar! And what if rain shall fall today & you with grief are sad; Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had. –Edgar Guest

A Legend of Gratitude

There is a legend about two angels who were sent to earth to gather up the prayers of mankind.

One was to fill his basket with their petitions and the other was to gather their expressions of thankfulness. Some time later they both went back to the heavens.

One had a basket heaped high and running over with the innumerable petitions of men. The other returned with a sad and heavy heart, for his basket was almost empty.

The thanks of men were heard rarely on earth, even though the angel had searched diligently.

Let us not forget to express our thankuflness in our prayers.

That’s Bad, That’s good

…One day a man bought a stallion, and all of his friends said, “That’s good.” The next day the stallion ran away, and all of his friends said, “That’s bad.” Two weeks later the stallion returned with a herd of mares. His friends said, “That’s good.” The next day his son broke his shoulder when the stallion threw him off. The friends said, “That’s bad.” The next month war broke out. Because the boy was injured, he could not go to war. The friends said, “That’s good.”
-Dan Millman

̒̒̒̒ ̒ all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ̓̓ ̓̓

Romans 8:28(NKJV)

Email From God

God's Email

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
RE: LIFE

Dearest One,

Hi there! This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

God

P.S. And, remember…

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the “SFGTD” (Something For God To Do) folder. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not necessarily yours.

Once the matter is placed in the folder, do not worry about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life right now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the man or woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed their children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes they had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking “what is my purpose?” Be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse–you could be one of them!

Now, you go ahead and have a nice day.

–Author Unknown

God loves you!

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Happypizza: My deepest and sincerest prayers and condolences go out to all those who lost loved ones and/or suffered harm, injury or any kind of loss during the recent cyclone in Myanmar and/or earthquake in China.

I’ve been carefully following the news of the two recent natural (or as some say “unnatural”) disasters in both Burma and China. It is so sad and sobering to watch as the full scope of the desolation, which tragically resulted in the loss of an untold thousands of lives, unfolds before our eyes.

It’s real to me personally as I have been to Burma before and have friends in both China and Burma—who thankfully from what I’ve heard are all safe.

I will not get into the politics of the disaster….especially considering the one in Burma where it seems the horror of the disaster is compounded by the political situation. What I do want to write about and touch on is the “God factor” of these events or “acts of God” as natural disasters are often referred too. Especially the question: How could God allow these things to happen?

It seems that natural disasters cause many to lose hope and faith in God. I find it can also, strangely enough, strengthen my faith and hope in God!

You might wonder how I could find a natural disaster to be faith-building? Well, first off it’s helpful to start with a belief in a God of Love and a belief in an afterlife—this life is definitely (and I want to emphasize this point) definitely not the end!!

In short–I believe that death for the loving is not something to dread and fear. This physical life/existence is not eternal or final and we can look forward to the eternal life/existence beyond this life! So I feel no matter how tragic the circumstances are in are in our current physical reality, those who lives have ended and who have passed on to the next are in the loving hands of their Creator and what better place can you be then that? –Maybe it was his mercy?

If you want some further reading on how one can look at tragedies and disasters in the positive–click to read this dissertation below:

“Why Disasters?”

And for a compilation on comfort read here:

“God’s Promises of Comfort and Deliverance”

One addition–not long after I watched a report of both the disasters on the international news, I came across and listened to a old song titled “Can You Tell Me Why Disasters” written and sung by an artist named “Zac Lightman”. I liked it so much that I transcribed it from my MP3 player to my computer so I could post the lyrics with this post. I think the song’s message is as hauntingly applicable for today as it was when it was written over 20 years ago.

Here are the lyrics:

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young,
While the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand.

It is the same question down through the ages
if God is love how could he let this be?
How could he allow the poor to suffer
and then let the guilty go free?

Although death is not a curse for the loving–
it’s a gateway from suffering and pain
It’s the mercy of God to end their sorrow
and a chance to start over again

Can you tell me why, why, why disasters?
Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young
while the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand

Lyrics by Zac Waxman

Please continue to keep the victims of these disasters in your prayers. Pray that help, relief and supplies will get to those who need it desperately and that those who survived will be taken care of and comforted. Please also pray for the commendable and laudable efforts of all those involved in the relief and rehabilitation work–for their strength, courage, skill, and protection while they are helping those who were affected.

We thank thee…..

Happypizza: Here are two stories I came across with some good examples of positive and somewhat creative responses in the face of some unpleasant circumstances!

Dr. Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh was famous for his pulpit prayers. He always found something to thank God for, even in bad times. One stormy morning a member of his congregation thought to himself, “The preacher will have nothing to thank God on a wretched morning like this.” But Whyte began his prayer, “We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this.”

Matthew Henry, the famous scholar, was once accosted by thieves & robbed of his money wallet. He wrote these words in his diary:

“Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took my wallet, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all, it was not much; & fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

You say…God says!!!

HappyPizza says: It has been awhile (a few weeks) since I posted something but I think sometimes a blogger must live life a bit in order to experience things to write about that will have a positive or meaningful effect on others. Sometimes I’m tempted to start writing and or posting something automatically….but I feel there should be a balance to that. This last little while, I decided to give my posting a little pause…it was good a chance to reflect and experience….I’m glad I did, I was able to muse over the purpose and benefit of my blog. So far I think it has hit the mark of what I initially intended for it to be—in short a positive and meaningful read.

Luckily for me during this period of waiting I was rewarded with a “secret stash” of inspirational quotes and stories which a friend passed on to me that are certainly worth sharing. I enjoyed them and I think they are in tandem with the theme of my blog. On a side note: at least for my blog an RSS feed is the best way to monitor posts.

Here is one of the articles I liked:

OF ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS WE HAVE TO SAY TO OURSELVES, GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER …

You say: It’s impossible.

God says: All things are possible. –(Lk.18:27)

You say: I’m too tired.

God says: I will give you rest. –(Mat.11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me.

God says: I love you. –(Jn.3:16; Jn.13:34)

You say: I can’t go on.

God says: My grace is sufficient. –(2Cor.12:9; Psa.91:15)

You say: I can’t figure things out.

God says: I will direct your steps –(Pro.3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it

God says: You can do all things. –(Phi.4:13)

You say: I’m not able.

God says: I am able.–(2Cor.9:8 )

You say: It’s not worth it.

God says: It will be worth it.–(Rom.8:28 )

You say: I can’t forgive myself.

God says: I forgive you. –(1Jn.1:9; Rom.8:1)

You say: I can’t manage.

God says: I will supply all your needs. –(Phi.4:19)

You say: I’m afraid.

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. –(2Tim.1:7)

You say: I’m always worried and frustrated.

God says: Cast all your cares on Me. –(1Pet.5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith.

God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. –(Rom.12:3)

You say: I’m not smart enough.

God says: I give you wisdom. –(1Cor.1:30)

You say: I feel all alone.

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. –(Heb.13:5)

All Occurs For a Reason…….

“All occurs for a reason”, such a beautiful phrase but also seems to be one of the hardest phrase to personally believe or accept when facing difficulty, lost, and disappointment. To be honest I’ve been going through some personal heartbreaks of late, that are too personal to post here, but what I can say is that it’s been a bit like one of your worst fears coming upon you and then not really knowing whether it’s here to stay or it will pass, but all the while waiting in agonizing limbo.

It’s been a real struggling. Sometimes it’s hard—no, almost impossible, to keep on going, taking that next step to make it through the day. I feel at the best of times I’m just running through the motions–a zombie, sorta. Though I’ve heard that “there is always a light at the end of every tunnel” or “the darkest hour is just before dawn” it just doesn’t always look or seem that way in reality.

I think that if it weren’t for the love and mercy of God and His angels of comfort, and the promises in His Word—which gives me the faith and hope to meet these challenges, I’d just be overwhelmed by the weight, the negativity, and despair of it all. Now I don’t want this blog post to spread despair and hopelessness to you. I’m pretty sure that everybody has enough troubles of their own without needing to wade through someone else’s private negativity. So that’s why I wanted to post these beautiful lyrics that really put some interesting perspectives to disappointments and nonsensical occurrences. I mean if you look at troubles in the positive, the way the lyrics below bring out; it certainly takes the edge off the monsters of despair and hopelessness which try to undermine your happiness, faith, and sanity.

If you are going through any personal tragedy in your life right now, I totally feel for you especially after battling myself through some recent long and lonely trials. If sorrow, injury, loneliness, loss, heartbreak, tragedy, death, sickness, confusion, hopelessness, suffering, deprivation, or anyone of the myriad of difficulties of life are crushing down on you and threatening to take everything good away from you—don’t’ give up hope. There is Someone who cares for you and loves you–Jesus, the greatest and most wonderful, loving spirit of light, who loves you more than anyone else in the whole word can and will help you if you need Him. Call out to Him and He will answer you. Trust me He is there in your darkest night. Keep hope alive. Don’t give up the fight. I hope this poem below will encourage you in some special way. You can also listen to a the song at this link:

Rhyme of Life.mp3–Net Radio

Rhyme Of Life Lyrics

If every thought that came to mind came true,
What kind of world would it be?
If every promise sworn by man was kept,
What would divine words mean to me?

If every chance to succeed had gone my way,
What personality would I have today?
If my first romance had granted me life’s every passion,
Would I have ever crossed your way?

Looking through the book of my life,
Turning pages of passing years,
I see a perfect rhyme throughout my life line.
Through the good times I hold dear,
And through my heartaches, through my tears,
My life has moved in time to the Creator of the design.

If every kiss had promised something more,
Would I have ever felt let down?
If my every desire had ended in satisfaction,
Would I still be satisfied now?

If my every dream had become reality,
What would I be dreaming of today?
If every wish I’d wished had come to be,
Would I be happier today?

I take from life all it has to give, given by the One for whom I live.
All occurs for a reason,
And for this reason I live a life that was given to me to give.
Through the good times I hold dear,
And through my heartaches, through my tears,
My life has moved in time to the Creator of the design.
Music & lyrics: Andrew V., Katrina L.

Thank God for my big nose.

Okay, here is some “positive thinking therapy!” I have a big nose….hahahahaha….. Yeah seriously, and when I was younger it really bothered me. I know it sounds stupid but it was a big deal. I mean most things about my physical appearance bothered me and I’d always get on a big bummer when I’d think about it but I won’t get into that right now…heh heh! Lets just focus on one aspect….my big nose. Now for those of you who have an even bigger nose, you might be wondering….”Hey, what the @$#% is his problem?”, “That ain’t a big nose!” If so the answer is: yes and no—depends on who you comparing it with.

For a Caucasian male it’s not that big, maybe slightly bigger than average, but I have a smaller head and narrow face so it ends being a rather prominent feature on my face.

I grew up in Asia–my parents were posted overseas a good majority of my life, and we lived mostly in South East Asia where pretty much everybody has a small or flat nose. My big nose coupled with my blondish hair and white skin was a rare and curious spectacle.

It often happened when I would meet someone for the first time (in S.E.A.) that I would invariably get questions and fascinated inquiries about the size, length and what-have-you about my nose. So I kind of grew too loath my big nose and all the unwanted attention it brought.

Thankfully though I got to the point where I stopped thinking about it and I’ve kinda learned to accept my nose the way God gave it to me. Since I’ve gotten over that hurdle I’ll go a step further and honestly say “Thank God for my big nose”. Phew, what a milestone in my life….heheheh…now let’s get down to the reasons to be thankful for a big nose. Impossible, you might think, but I’m sure I can come up with something.

Here are a few cool things about my large proboscis.

I’m thankful for my big nose because……

• It makes everyone with a small or flat nose envious…hahahaha–cool huh?
• Due to its size it makes for a good stroking location when I’m nervous or in an awkward situation
• It can make one helluva blow, when snorting out impurities, and that always feels good, rather manly I would say
• I can breathe , inhale, and snort in copious amounts of air and that always feels nice…can’t imagine what it would be like to have pinhole nostrils
• Sneezing is awesome with a big nose, when it “blows–it really blows!”
• I know there is no scientific proof but I’m sure a big nose helps me have a better sense of smell, I mean I can sample a lot more air in one go than someone with a small snout
• It’s a great identifier, ie: I’m the tall guy with a big nose, can’t miss me
• My nose can be an instrument of pleasure
• Even though it’s big, thank God it doesn’t block my eyesight
• I can use it for eye exercise, esp. for focusing on near objects
• It’s the first part of me to enter a room
• Shades and glasses sit well on it with no danger of falling off or sliding down
• I think it has real “character”….even though that’s hard to explain–”how?”
• And it’s not as big as some others I’ve seen
• It serves as a warning sensor when my face is getting to close to something
• It has helped me perfect the sidewards French kiss
• It draws static attention to me, which–if handle correctly–can be positive attention
• As long I’m comfortable with it, as I found in S.E.A., it’s a great conversation topic or even a way to break the ice…..ie: “Hahaha, how cute, you think I’m a sacred white elephant”….etc

So all that to say, “Thank God for my big nose!” I’d like to add that having a big nose is not always a bad thing for you ladies. There are many ladies I know with big noses that are really hot and those with noses that are slightly more hooked can be pretty hot too! Anyhow that’s just my personal opinion. Lastly, to all those with big noses, both guys and girls I salute you: Hold up that big nose proudly and show the world what you’ve got.

If you have a big nose or you can think of anything else to be thankful for or helpful info in regards to a big nose–feel free to comment! Show the world that you can still have it “big and beautiful”.

And if you have a flat nose–I pity you……hahahahaha

One giant nose--Mr Mehmet Ozyurek

PS: Here is a tip for those awkward times when a kid blurts out and draws attention to something that is different about your body or face. As adults we also notice but usually keep our mouths shut–not wanting to be impolite. Kids generally don’t have that type of social awareness and will, as some have commented below, publicly blurt things out that look funny, strange or different.

A little prepared comeback often works both for the kid and those around who might feel awkward for you. You can say something stupid like, “yeah, I got a big nose because once a monkey gave me a magical banana that would make me taller(smarter), but I got greedy, ate two bananas and it made my nose bigger”. If it’s quick enough, the kid will laugh and/or get confused and the older people will generally continue on, forgetting the awkward situation. You will also be rewarded by getting the focus off your nose or whatever the initial comment was about and on to something else.