For me, a new school year marks me a year older. I am supposed to be wiser, and I am supposed to have grown in my faith. Well, What did I learn this last year? That's always a tough question, especially regarding faith life, but I think the bulk of my learning was in regards to what I am supposed to do this new year, and years after.

Obviously this is a loaded question, and I am far from answering it. But, I have begun to realize to true reward and joy of service. Over the past year and through the summer I have had the opportunity to involve myself in service projects both for underclassmen at my school and for underpriveledged children or members of my community.

The one consistent thing about the service is that it always leaves me feeling utterly happy and completely fullfilled. I know that people, especially teenagers, are often reluctant to indulge in service opportunities unless required to, but I insist that there is nothing that makes a person more genuinly happy.

First, I would like to sincerly apologize for the delay in posting. Golf season has started and my time is now limited.

I was talking to someone recently about how often I pray/talk to God. I began to realize that I probably pray less than once a day. I consider myself busy, but not too busy to have a 5-10 minute conversation with God. On an average day, I probably waste time a few hours a day having meaningless conversations with friends, family, or teachers. Why can't I save one of these conversations for God?

I began to notice that this is because I don't know what to say to god. It's a bit sad to think that I have enough to say to my friends but not enough to say to the One who created me.

I know it's sad, but I am struggling. I have been trying to think of what to say in my prayers, but it seems that most of my prayers turn into requests. I try to refrain from praying as a form of request, which is why I have been praying less lately. I also have a little trouble personally relating to standardized prayers such as the "Our Father" or "Hail Mary."

I would really enjoy receiving an email from readers to hear what you pray about. Please Email Me lif you think you could help.

 

I got to thinking the other day what we were supposed to do on earth. You know, they say we're supposed to help others, but who is there to help if (in an ideal universe) everybody is helping everyone else and not worrying about themselves.

My thoughts got pretty complicated and I eventually arrived to a broadened conclusion that we live to have fun and be happy. I call this broad because the two words, fun and happy, are a few of the most overused "buzz" words: what do they really mean? I wish I could answer this in a few sentences, but the reality is that both no one knows and it's different for everybody.

As I continued to search for a simpler answer I began to diverge towards what happens when we die. I believe if we live a good life, we good to heaven: eternal happiness. Well, could eternal happiness simply be a state of the soul that is satisfied (happy) with its work on earth. Is that what happiness is: knowledge and satisfaction that we lived a good life?

Linking happiness and living a good life together, I began to devise a bit of a theory: that we become truly happy when we can look back and see that what we did was "good" and helpful for others; that we had fun.

Although not a revolutionary idea, it may be a bit of a different spin on the common perceptions. It has helped me a bit.

I was writing an essay for theology today discussing the views that Zoroastrians have toward good and evil. They believe that evil is will pervade the universe in the same way that good does. That in equal fashion they will exist in our world.

What is it that makes Christians, and virtually those of all other religions, believe that the good will eventually trump evil? Or what is it that makes good good and evil evil?

George Orwell, in his book 1984 states that "love is hate." He is simply saying that if you hate something with such a passion as one would love it, there is virtually no difference. On could also argue that if he or she were to believe in doing evil and avoiding good, then he is truly doing the right thing.

It's perplexing to consider how we decided which deeds are honestly good and which are bad. It seems obvious now that stealing from someone or comitting murder is bad, but how did that come to be from the beginning of time? I could assume that it just simply happened that way as almost a way of luck, but the same ideals for "good" appear to be the same in all cultures, even those who had no contact with the other.

Maybe it truly does not matter the origin, but I have to believe that knowing how these came about would help in my decision making. So I analyze.

I do not know the true answer, but I believe it has something to do with good acts being those that are almost inconvenient for one to do, but help another. The selfless acts of offering oneself up for the helping of another.

Question request answers. Sometimes, in our human world, there are absolute answers, and othertimes there aren't. There were five cats, you take away one, and now there are four. Here, it is absolute. If you take a Chemistry test, your answers are either right or wrong, but if you right a philosophy paper, you are essentially proposing a solution based on facts or studies.

On my blog I will attempt to discuss common questions or my questions and offer a fellow opinion on such ideas. I plan to do my best in guiding myself, and in some cases viewers, through the complex questions of human nature.

The world is a maze, and sometimes I find myself confused or lost. It is not that I plan on fixing such problems or even answering them, but I do hope to develop a general idea--an idea that will allow me to make good decisions.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog in the future. I plan on updating it as soon often as possible without repeating things and/or becoming boring due to a lack of questions or ideas. There are and infinite number of things I can discuss and I plan on working through as many as possible.

I ask that you not only take my ideas in, but email me with ideas on topics, your personal responses to my previous topics, or questions on things I have said. My email is at the top of the page. Enjoy!

 

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