Gratitude

After reconciliation on Friday, I was surprised that my penance was to give thanks for what I have in my life. The priest even gave me simple ideas e.g. the air we breathe...the country Im living in now...the life I have...simple comforts which I used to take for granted. But even with all that, my penance was done quite soon...I guess, I always compared my 'comforts' to that of others, and if others had it...I didn't consider it to be something I should be thankful for. I mean...I felt that if my friends had this or that..I 'deserved' the same thing...and even if I didn't want it..at least I knew I had the oppurtunity to obtain it...hence I was always happy with I had..happy, but not grateful.

Recently, God gave me something to be grateful for. The nuts on my wheel came undone..and my front wheel literally fell off and rolled away while I was driving at night with a passenger. The car came to a halt after 3 meters in the middle of the road. I didn't hit anyone, or anything..thank God for that, and no one was hurt. I bet for those of you who are imagining it right now, you'd even think it was funny. But you have to know several things which could have happened but didn't, hence my feelings of gratitude towards the Almighty.

1. I chose to take the slower route where the speed limit was 50 km/hr. Had I taken the motorway where you should be going at least 90...I could have crashed the car...badly. With only one air bag, I wouldnt know what could have happened to the passenger.

2. The place my wheel came off...it wasn't ....a 'friendly' neighbourhood. I later found out its the favourite spot for drunks, addicts, and other unwanted activities. Even when I crashed, the people who came to me to 'help' had beer bottles in hand, and said not to call the 'cops'. 20 mins later, a car stopped by, 2 men inside..the driver asked if the wheel which came off was 'free'....and he wouldnt have driven away had not another car in the opposite direction came forcing him to continue driving.

3. It didn't rain. Weather before was bad and cloudy. But while waiting outside the entire time...not a single drop of rain hit us. Since my car was in the middle of the road, under rainy weather, other drivers could have hit me.

4. I didn't hit anything after the wheel came off. I could have lost control..I could have hit a pedestrian...another car...someone on a bike...a lamp post...nothing. I think for a car that lost its front wheel...it sustained minimal damage.

In summary? I have more to be thankful for now...and I'll continue to say a short prayer everytime I sit behind behind the wheel. (No pun intended)

P1,C1.1:Man's Desire For God

Things which keep man from God: Revolt against evil in the world,religious ignorance/indifference,cares and riches of the world,scandal of bad example on the part of believers,currents of thought hostile to religion,attitude of sinful man that causes him to flee for God

Things which draw us closer to Him:intellectual effort,soundwill,upright heart,and the witness of others who teach him to seek God


I'm glad that while growing up,I mixed around with the right crowd, a God fearing group of people. Had I befriended a different group of people, I don't think I'd still be in church on Sundays..

Part 1

The human heart desires God for he was created by God for God. It is only in God that man will find the truth and happiness he constantly seeks.

Prologue

Catechisis is the education in the faith of children, young people, and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life.

Here's the gist of it

I bought the 'Complete and Updated Catechism of the Catholic Church' last year and intended to read through it in an effort to know more about my church..e.g. the Catholic Church...unfortunately, procastination got the better of me...and I was a good loser. So now, I intend to blog a lil from each page of the catechism, hoping to remember more than just merely reading it like a novel.

The catechism is divided into 4 PARTS
Part 1- The Profession of Faith
Part 2-The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
Part 3- Life in Christ
Part 4- Christian Prayer

Each part contains Chapters and each chapter has several Articles. So that's how it's organised. Mind you, the catechism contains what ALL catholics believe in..and I think it's about time I found out everything I have to know...everything.

OK I was bored...very bored

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Warning: Period of low self esteem

I think I'm a horrible person. At this stage in my life, I can't think of anyone whom I haven't upset.
I couldn't get along with 3 out of my 4 flat mates while I was in Invercargill. These people were my classmates, people whom at the beginning of our stay there, I had hoped we would get closer and have more understanding of each other by the end of our stay. Unfortunately, I managed to mess things up...

I can't get along that well with my brother. I tell myself things are different, that here, I'm more like an authority figure than a sibling, but still...sometimes the way he talks to me..there's so much contempt.

I could never get along with new groups of people I'm introduced to. I remember when I first came over to NZ, G introduced me to G's group of friends. In my effort to get along with them, I acted quite...stupidly. It happened again today actually, after AL introduced me to her group of friends. One of them reminded me of me...a couple of years ago when I was extremely sarcastic...and I did it...the sarcastic demon within me emerged...I hadn't thought that these people I was introduced to haven't known me for that long...I wonder if I've left a good impression. I think this is why..in some ways..I 'fear' getting new friends. I have enough trouble keeping my old ones happy and 'un'annoyed, how can I cope with new ones? Then there's the whole 'you just have to be yourself' dillema. IF I truly was myself, and didn't excercise self constraint on things I say...I tell you ...all hell will break loose. I only know 3 people with whom I didn't have to worry about controlling my yapping mouth. People with whom I could be totally myself...and not worry about what to say and what not to say. So does this mean I'm fake whilst Im amongst my other friends? In my attempt to exercise sensitivity, am I just stifling the 'inner' Kevin?

Expired Popcorn

Why does expired popcorn taste the same as fresh popcorn after you microwave it?
Why do I only notice mould after I've finished eating the whole packet?
Why can't expiry dates be printed with larger fonts?

Just a note: Seeing as I still hadn't had diarrhoea 24 hours after eating popcorn which expired in October 2005. So for those of you whole still wanna give it go...YUM!

The Transformation

He never thought he'd be in this. Alter egos is the stuff of characters in comics, tv, cartoons! But when he realised that someone had to stand up against the radical movements of the "Unsafers", he never looked back.

When no one was there to defend the underpaid


For those people who never had the extra cash to buy boots...


..or gloves


Someone rose from the alumina powder...


Someone who listened to the plight of those whose lungs were choked with dust..


Someone who would know how to pose while putting on a pair of glasses...


Someone whose good features had to be shielded with bullet proof glass in the event an envious enemy wished to disfigure him..


This someone who obviously worked out...


Yes...Smelter Man would be there to encourage the importance of safety. Inspired by the headgear of Darth Vader, Smelter Man is nothing like that Sith Lord. For one..Smelter Man knows how make full use of furniture to ensure his good side is captured.