There was a man who has four sons, he wanted them to learn not to Judge things too quickly.  Hence he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was great distance away.

The first son went in winter, the second son went in spring, the third son in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they went and returned he gathered them together to describe what they saw. 

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.  The last son disagreed with all of them; he said to them it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man explained to his sons that they were all correct about their observations, because they each saw but only one season in the tree’s life.  He told them that we could not judge a tree, or a person by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy and love that come from the life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it is the winter, you will miss the promise of your spring time, the beauty of your summer and fulfillment of your fall.

Do not let pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Do not judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times will sure to come one day.

ASPIRE TO INSPIRE BEFORE YOU EXPIRE

Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.  Speak kindly.  Leave the rest to GOD.

HAPPINESS keeps you SWEET.  TRIALS keep you STRONG.  SORROW keeps you HUMAN.  FAILURE keeps you HUMBLE.  SUCCESS keeps you GLOWING.  But only GOD keeps you GOING.

After reading the above passage, it inspired me very much and I look at my life in a different perspective which I wish to share with my fellow friends in iLand.  All of us are living in borrow-time, we should  count on my blessings and thank God for being alive everyday.  Life is a struggle to every human kind.  Poverty, Stress, Starvation, Sickness, Uncertainties Rejections and Disasters, with all these difficulties around us, somehow sometimes it is so disheartening and hard for us to pull through.  However, if we have faith and understand that all these happenings are God’s will for us to learn to face positively in all circumstances.  We realize that it is not so tough after all.  Let’s take life as a globe.  It begins and will come to the end.  Just look at the beauty of all the seasons of our lives and enjoy them.  Difficulties make our lives more interesting and challenging. As a catholic, I believe that my death the end of sufferings and the beginning of Eternity.  Living on earth is to love, serve and learn. 

Looking at some of my friends and family members who live in bitterness throughout their lives and unable to let go desires, grieves and sorrows in their hearts.  They become unforgiving and frustrated with their lives because they are filled with hatred and hurts.  With all these covered up their lives, they became sick and stress out.  Why can’t they just let go these desires, grieves and sorrow for the sake of their health and happiness?  Why did they harbor hatred and remember unhappy moments to make themselves so miserable? 

The more I ask myself these questions the more I urge to pray for them. On the other hand I praise to Lord Jesus for being so kind to me, and see how God blesses me, AMEN!!!!  

Luke 10:23-24 [Jesus] Turning to the disciples in private He said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it and to hear what you hear; but did not hear it.”

Today is Saint Nicholas birthday and also my husband's birthday.  I would like to delegate this article to my husband and hope he would have a chance to read it. Below is taken from "daily prayers with the saints", let's pray together for the children and the poor.