Life's Journey with God

“Today’s sexual confusion is not caused because the world glorifies sexuality, but because the world fails to see its glory.” —Jason Evert Modern culture sometimes attacks gender as if it were the problem. In other words, “the real problem is the rigid social constructs that perpetuate the myth that men and women are different. If we eliminate sexual differences, the problem will be solved.“ But it is precisely our differences that make union possible. Without difference, there can be no complimentary.   In fact, our sex is not only decisive for our bodily individuality, but that it defines our identity. We are not separated from our bodies. Imagine if someone struck you, and you asked him, “Why did you hit me?” and he replied “I didn’t hit you. I hit your body.” We don’t just have a body. Our body is us. It expresses the person and reveals the soul. St. John Paul II says that “the Creator has assigned the body to men as a task, the body in its masculinity and femininity.” Man has been

Have you ever noticed anyone having a saviour complex?   “A  savior complex , or white knight syndrome, describes this need to “save” people by fixing their problems. If you have a  savior complex , you might: only feel good about yourself when helping someone, believe helping others is your purpose, or expend so much energy trying to fix others that you end up burning out.” (Raypole, 2020; Healthline) It occurred to me that I might have once felt that way, especially when looking back at some of the people I naturally navigated to back in university. They were not necessarily weak nor in situations that needed “saving” but there was just something in me that felt like I needed to be the person they relied on. If I could put a word to it, it was excessive protection. This dichotomy reflects what I really felt inside at that time, of wanting someone who can protect me and care for me, but on the outside, I acted as if I could be that person for others. Some of my past is really cringey

One common question that is often asked by young people is “What is the meaning of life?” . Yet, behind that question lies a greater one: “Who am I?” .  Before we can even find out what our lives are made for, it only makes sense to go back to our identity. After all, when we are able to name for ourselves our personality, our likes and dislikes, our strengths and weaknesses, and our dreams and desires, would we be able to live life fully with purpose. Thomas Merton, Roman Catholic monk, poet, and spiritual writer of the 20th century, explains that “at the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and illusion – a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God. This point is the pure glory of God in us. It is like a pure diamond and is in everybody.” [1] To break it down, Merton speaks about how there is a part within us that lies our true identity of how God sees us. It is not distorted by sin, by the brokenness of this world, nor the

Heyyo! Okay so clearly this is a blogpost that is deviating from my usual reflection posts but I just can't help but marvel at the beautiful aesthetics of each of the individual member's teasers for Twice's upcoming 9th Mini Album More&More. These are screenshots from the video which are pretty good for wallpapers. I'll select a few images and arrange them according to Na-Jeong-Mo-Sa-Ji-Mi-Da-Chae-Tzu. For more images, click on the button below to download from Google Drive! Download High-res Photos Here! 1) Nayeon 2) Jeongyeon 3) Momo 4) Sana 5) Jihyo 6) Mina 7) Dahyun 8) Chaeyoung 9) Tzuyu

Now, I've been listening to a lot of Korean pop music and documentaries (from Twice, BTS, Jay Park, GDragon, Big Bang, etc. courtesy of Youtube Originals) lately since this MCO started. Those who know me knows that I've always been in and out of Kpop over the years since highschool, since I have a wide variety of music that I like and it really depends on the mood/season I'm in. I want to write about how a lot of people who don't listen to Kpop have an inaccurate perception of the music, the culture and what it represents. I have really come to appreciate it, not just the amount of work they put in but also the story they try to tell behind their music, their art. Of course, not all groups have the liberty to set their own musical direction but those who have been in the scene for many years have gained the experience and trust to be able to produce music that are close to their hearts. I would like to give a few examples from two of my most favourite groups. One wo

This is my second post reflecting on the writings of Henri Nouwen. I enjoy reading his writings because they are intimate, real and honest. It allows me to have a glimpse of what he went through during his life, and the journey he's had. This particular section, though I have not finished the chapter, is profound for me in my current season and I would like to store it for memory. Here I will quote his writing taken from the book Discernment, pages 97 to 99: "What is God calling me to do? Where is God calling me to go? Where do I belong?  "From the beginning, two inner voices have been speaking to me: one the says "Make something of your life, find a good career," and one that says, "Be sure you stay close to the heart of Jesus, never lose touch with your vocation." There was a struggle, a tension there. "Early in life, I pleased my father and mother immensely by studying, then teaching, then becoming somewhat well known by going

So I wrote a song today. I guess I've just been feeling so stuck lately. This Movement Control Order (MCO) is also not helping because being alone means having more in between time entertaining my own thoughts. And of course, as much as I told myself that I'll use this time to focus on reflecting on the Word of God, my self discipline slowly crumbled away. I ended up spending way more time gaming and watching videos which saw me pushing aside my nightly reflections day after day. The desire to find someone to hold and to love came back stronger. Seeing how people can choose to live a life that makes them happy, I am also inclined to think that they deserve it. Even if a good majority of the world may say that gay relationships are wrong, even if I think that it shouldn't be this way, I cannot or rather, I will not stop anyone from loving who they want to love. People may say that's relativism, and quite inappropriate for me to take this stand. But I have come to

The Need of the Elder Son to Please Nouwen’s personal experience of the elder son is something I relate to as well.   In his writing, he hopes to be able to “offer some hope to people caught in the resentment that is the bitter fruit of their need to please ”.   In my life, this has always been the one thing that I feel bounded by – the responsibilities and expectations of what I need to do for the family – to the point where it becomes an unhealthy bitterness in how I see and live my life. Nouwen offers an imperative approach to make this return possible: we must not only recognize that we are lost but also be prepared to be found and brought home. Through Trust and Gratitude How? Nouwen writes that “although we are incapable of liberating ourselves from our frozen anger,   we can allow ourselves to be found by God and healed by his love through the concrete and daily practice of trust and gratitude”. Without trust, I cannot let myself be found by the Father because I do