Happiness

[eddadonkey]

+JMJ+

Either God is in charge or you are my friend. And the responsibility can’t be shared

Suffering is and ought to be a part of the “human condition”

Take Up your Cross and Follow Me
**Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 **And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. **Luke.9: 23 **And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke.14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

1Pet.5: 1, 9 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.”

1Pet.4: 13 ” But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

**Phil.1: 29 **“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, “

**2Thes.1: 5 **“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering “

Heb. 2: 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Noone can doubt that God LOVES THEN! So set reasonable and attainable expetiations.

You continue in my daily thoughts and prayers,

Pat

I think you missed the point, PJM…or maybe you did, but you need to rephrase it.

 

[empther]

I am deeply troubled by this response. If what you beleive is true, then the great joy we experienced as children was nothing but a fluke of the mind. It also means that for the rest of our lives we are doomed into only dreaming about what joy we used to experience as a child. It also means that we lose all hope from ever gaining that happiness ever again. I think that in order to become again like a child and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it is an absolute must that we, once again, have happiness like we did when we were little.

you are saying it is impossible to ever again regain that joy.

The great joy of children is not knowing how inadequate and vulnerable we are.

Later, we understand that we can’t get through life alone, and in any case we will die in the end anyways.

Does this mean we can’t regain the joy? NO!

We can regain the joy by committing ourselves to something greater than we are. We are children of God, and we will live a long time, that is, for eternity.

There are the egotists. They think they can do it all themselves. They do it “my way”.
Eventually the futility of this philosophy becomes apparent. Misery comes from egotism.

Those with the courage to commit themselves to something higher are humble, in the sense that they realize their true place in the order of things. Bishop Sheen said: “Happiness comes from humility.”

Realize that God is greater than anything we can imagine and he wants you to share in his life. He will help you. But you must do a little work too. Say a prayer once in a while. Go to Church sometimes.

We get to know that which we spend time on.
We become interested in what we know.
We love that which interests us.
We get happiness from that which we love.

 

[eddadonkey]

+JMJ+

The great joy of children is not knowing how inadequate and vulnerable we are.

Uhm, no, the great joy of children is that they know how inadequate and vulnerable they are. Just look at how they are on their first day of school. That’s why they are happy for the most mundane of things…or at least the things that we think are mundane.

“There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject – only uninterested people.” G. K. Chesterton

 

[Luvtosew]

Someone said suffering is and ought to be part of human life. Well yes we all are going to suffer in this life, some more than others. But we are not suppose to worry about our futures, plan a bit yes, worry about it no. The past is gone and tomorrow never comes,
thats why they call now the Present, because its a “Present”.

How boring if we were to know our futures, life is a challenge and thats what gives it meaning. Life is a gift from God, every day that you are breathing and living is a present from Our Lord, enjoy it, live it, and do the best you can. No one is promised tomorrow so enjoy today, not in sin mind you, but in all good things, family, friends, work , school, all good stuff.

God wants us to enjoy our lives, not suffer through it, good times and bad there is a lot to be thankful for. So tell yourself you are going to start being happy, look at the flowers, the trees, the kids laughing, the old person walking down the street with a cane, smile, be cheerful, help someone, be happy and spread it around. God Bless you, I’m sure he has given you special qualities and talents.

 

[Allegra]

you are saying it is impossible to ever again regain that joy.

Not at all. It just requires an effort now when before it came without thinking. As adults, we have responsibilities to meet and a whole lot more temptation to take us away from the right path. I think in order to be happy, we have to make time where we block those out and concentrate our efforts on the things in life that impart grace. (if that makes sense.)

 

[exnihilo]

Uhm, no, the great joy of children is that they know how inadequate and vulnerable they are. Just look at how they are on their first day of school. That’s why they are happy for the most mundane of things…or at least the things that we think are mundane.

I think I agree with the general idea, but does a child really *know *how inadequate and vulnerable they are? In many ways children dont know things. They are ignorant. Maybe it would be better to say they experience inadequacy and vulnerability. Maybe it is that adults tend to start believing they are adequate and invulnerable.

How boring if we were to know our futures, life is a challenge and thats what gives it meaning.

I dont want to be too picky or sidetrack this thread but if God knows the future is He bored? Of course we believe He is not. What about man then? Must we be bored with a known future? Also, would God have meaning without the challenge of His creations struggles? I would think so. So shouldn’t man be able to find meaning even without challenges?

 

[Curious_Seed]

Hey guys. The whole reason i signed up on this board was to see your philosophies and beliefs on this idea i have been thinkning about.

I have been pretty distraught lately. I realized that i have been tricked by modern society into “growing up.” By doing so i have pretty much destroyed myself.

I remember when i was little, and everything that i experienced i experienced with a joyful happiness. Although i did question things, i hardly judged anything and was therefore able to enjoy things for what they were. Take a movie for example. When i ws little, i would watch the same film over and over and over again, i’m sure it annoyed some people. But the thing was, that i enjoyed watching it so much, it was easy to keep sitting through.Now that i “grew up”, i pretty mush psychologically rape whatever experience i am having. Take the film example again. This time i have expectations going into the film, and if they are not met, i do not enjoy the film. While watching it, i am always thinking of wht should happen next, instead of just experiencing it in real time as i did when i was younger. Even if i end up liking it, i immediatley search for more things like it, instead of just watching it again when i was little. I think the world tricked me into “growing up”, and i am afraid i will never experience happiness again.

Reply if you would like to, if not, then it is okay, i kind of get used to feeling like ****.

Yes, a mature mind can be burdensome, especially compared to the joys of not having one.

 

[hsmomforlife]

+JMJ+

Uhm, no, the great joy of children is that they know how inadequate and vulnerable they are. Just look at how they are on their first day of school. That’s why they are happy for the most mundane of things…or at least the things that we think are mundane.

“There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject – only uninterested people.” G. K. Chesterton

WHAT???
Children do NOT have knowledge of how inadequate and vulnerable they are…THAT is what helps them to see the the greatness in the ‘most mundane of things’

I remember being a small child and I do NOT remember thinking "I am inadequate and vulnerable’…I just remember enjoying all of the new things that I encountered…

The fact that school is considered to be one of the first mundane things that we make our kids endure is just S A D (but waaaay off topic )

 

[Luvtosew]

I think I agree with the general idea, but does a child really *know *how inadequate and vulnerable they are? In many ways children dont know things. They are ignorant. Maybe it would be better to say they experience inadequacy and vulnerability. Maybe it is that adults tend to start believing they are adequate and invulnerable.

I dont want to be too picky or sidetrack this thread but if God knows the future is He bored? Of course we believe He is not. What about man then? Must we be bored with a known future? Also, would God have meaning without the challenge of His creations struggles? I would think so. So shouldn’t man be able to find meaning even without challenges?

God is God, were not. thats why were not to seek fortune tellers or get into astrology. the future is not ours to know. No man on earth knows any of his future. Maybe challenge is not the right word, adventure is better, if God wanted us to know our futures we would, and yes it would make for a meaningless awful life if we knew our futures.

 

[eddadonkey]

+JMJ+

WHAT???
Children do NOT have knowledge of how inadequate and vulnerable they are…THAT is what helps them to see the the greatness in the ‘most mundane of things’

I remember being a small child and I do NOT remember thinking "I am inadequate and vulnerable’…I just remember enjoying all of the new things that I encountered…

The fact that school is considered to be one of the first mundane things that we make our kids endure is just S A D (but waaaay off topic )

I think I agree with the general idea, but does a child really *know *how inadequate and vulnerable they are? In many ways children dont know things. They are ignorant. Maybe it would be better to say they experience inadequacy and vulnerability. Maybe it is that adults tend to start believing they are adequate and invulnerable.

Oh goodness you forgot already what happens when you get a scrape, or when there is a bully, or a stranger in the house? To whom do you go?

I can’t believe that you guys and gals even forgot that our acts of bravado back then, our sense of wonder and enjoyment, our sense of invulnerability, were signs of our awareness of our own vulnerability back then. Because we knew back then when push came to shove, we cannot heal or help ourselves (that’s why we cried some times…oh goodness did you forget you cried back then?), but our parents can. If something happened to us, we knew who to go to, for we knew our parents can kiss all our booboos away, and make everything right. That’s why we knew that we were vulnerable and inadequate in many things back then.

Remember, who are the most well balanced, brave, loving children? Those who have well balanced, brave, loving parents, of course! They have first of all examples to live by, and secondly sources of strength and support during hard times and good times.

THAT is what we have to recover, the sense that we are children supported by the most loving Parent of all.

In other words, humility.

 

[exnihilo]

if God wanted us to know our futures we would, and yes it would make for a meaningless awful life if we knew our futures.

I have to disagree because Christ had knowledge of His future. That did not make His life meaningless at all. His life was also not awful in any way, unless we are only considering the treatment He received at the hands of His creation. But in that case it was not His life that was awful but His creation’s.

Prophets also knew some of the future. Their lives were not without meaning. To be sure some prophets did struggle with that knowledge. But their life had meaning even if they did not always themselves recognize it. Their life had meaning because God gave it meaning in carrying out His purposes. Their life had meaning in saving their fellow man through their prophetic words.

 

[empther]

Originally Posted by Luvtosew forums.catholic-questions.org/images/buttons_khaki/viewpost.gif
if God wanted us to know our futures we would, and yes it would make for a meaningless awful life if we knew our futures.

But we do know our futures.
*Psalm 23 *

Though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil for Thou art with me
Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

 

[thewanderer]

Now that i “grew up”, i pretty mush psychologically rape whatever experience i am having. Take the film example again. This time i have expectations going into the film, and if they are not met, i do not enjoy the film. While watching it, i am always thinking of wht should happen next, instead of just experiencing it in real time as i did when i was younger. Even if i end up liking it, i immediatley search for more things like it, instead of just watching it again when i was little. ****.

I was really struck by this part of your post. I think it is really easy for people to lose sight of the wonder and awe of beauty, and so, to eventually forget how to appreciate it. It is the recognition of real beauty and goodness that sets off that childlike wonder and awe we feel, whereas, in watching movies, for example, according to some set standard, the plot ending must be unexpected, the writing must be original and humorous… it distracts from the recognition of beauty. See if you can find something truly beautiful that speaks to you. It can change everything.

 

[Qoeleth]

Hey guys. The whole reason i signed up on this board was to see your philosophies and beliefs on this idea i have been thinkning about.

I have been pretty distraught lately. I realized that i have been tricked by modern society into “growing up.” By doing so i have pretty much destroyed myself.

I remember when i was little, and everything that i experienced i experienced with a joyful happiness. Although i did question things, i hardly judged anything and was therefore able to enjoy things for what they were. Take a movie for example. When i ws little, i would watch the same film over and over and over again, i’m sure it annoyed some people. But the thing was, that i enjoyed watching it so much, it was easy to keep sitting through.Now that i “grew up”, i pretty mush psychologically rape whatever experience i am having. Take the film example again. This time i have expectations going into the film, and if they are not met, i do not enjoy the film. While watching it, i am always thinking of wht should happen next, instead of just experiencing it in real time as i did when i was younger. Even if i end up liking it, i immediatley search for more things like it, instead of just watching it again when i was little. I think the world tricked me into “growing up”, and i am afraid i will never experience happiness again.

Reply if you would like to, if not, then it is okay, i kind of get used to feeling like ****.

Yes, ‘growing up’ basically is not much fun. You lose a lot of what was once fun, your simple joys become polluted, you face the tedium and pressure of work. Later on, there is the painful process of aging, illness, and death. Here we are, poor banished children of Eve, in this valley of tears, paying the bitter price of the original sin in which we were conceived. As Blink 182 sing:

But everybody’s gone
And I’ve been here for too long
To face this on my own
Well I guess this is growing up

But look on the bright side- through our lives, we each carry our Crosses, and, in our own ways, share in the mystery of redemption- and eventually are freed from this bondage of sin, mortality and misery. To be finally subsumed into the infinite love of Jesus:thumbsup:.

 

[3NailRenewal]

this comversation is going great, but one thing i am always stumped by is the ending from the film Stand By Me. It brings to attention the fact that the friends we had as children were not exactly great people; but we loved them for who they were. Now that we “grew up” all we do is judge people right away and write them off if they do not share the same views as us, instead of just enjoying our company.

I have read other blogs and many people lose contact with their childhood friends around high school. Why do you guys think that is? I would love to see them all again, but what if they feel they have to “move on”? What do you guys think about the ending of the film and this idea in general?

 

[roselily]

Yes, but i beleive that is the problem. if someone told me to “be mature” instead of “grow up”, then maybe i would still be able to experience unbiased joy.

–I was just thinking one do not need happiness in this world , only when you weak you need happiness in this world, and our Lord know we just have little power now. But we will have power and eternal happiness.

–In this world, even you have happiness is less calm and lower , but our Lord will give us a higher happiness, one calmer and eternal.

Look at us, " One who confesses Christ cannot be unhappy." For us our Lord promise us eternal life and inexhaustible happiness.