A MOST DOWN-TO-EARTH BOOK

 

By Klaus Döring

Down to Earth (2008) is a Canadian literary collection by high school students in Montreal.[ The book focuses on environmental issues through creative writing. The collection features introductions by Roberta Bondar and Justin Trudeau as well as endorsements from David Suzuki and Robert Bateman. The book was edited and published by Michael Ernest Sweet.

The book is a student anthology of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and drama. It was written to express concerns about global warming and environmental destruction. The book has two strands: the first warns about environmental destruction, and the second promotes a new awe of nature. It was launched by Justin Trudeau in 2008. Mark Garneau, first Canadian in space, wrote that the writing overwhelmed him, and made him realise that we must act now.[

When tragedy strikes, it's easy to harden our hearts and cry out, "God, why did you let this happen?" Maybe then, we started praying. Before, when everything went smoothly, we would not even think a minute about praying... .

"To be a Christian without prayer, "said Martin Luther, "is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Prayer is the only way of becoming what God wants us to be. This is the reason why Jesus spent many hours praying.

Unquestionable, our needs bring us to a place of prayer. Confronted with danger or tragedies, as I mentioned earlier, we look for God's help. Difficult times always cause the hearts of men to turn to God into prayer.

Let me ask you: How long has it been since you've brought your burdens to God? Since you asked His forgiveness for your shortcomings?

In his very interesting book "People in Prayer", Dr. John White reminds us that prayer is a divine-human interaction and it is always God who takes the initiative. White writes: "God speaks and we respond. God is always speaking. To hear his voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to God who lays a claim to our lives."

Yes, God always speaks. It is up to us whether we will listen and respond to Him. Many think we are the ones who initiate prayer. But prayers begin and end with God.

There was a time, I wasn't in the mood to pray any more. It seemed that God didn't listen to my prayer any more. I didn't get what I prayed for. Of course, not... ! That's not the meaning of praying to God. Will all my wishes be granted? Heaven forbid!

Sometimes, after we have prayed, God's answers may puzzle us. But as time goes by and as events unfold we see God's purpose in his answers. We might get a larger vision, what HE likes. Not what WE like... .

Think about it for a moment" How does the idea that prayer begins and ends with God affect me now? Do I have the habit of listening to god? How do I respond to Him? How do I usually pray?

I confess that a long time ago I have been trying to persuade God to change other people in my surroundings or circumstances. Nothing changed. Of course not, what a fatal attraction? I got confused because God never granted my requests. Meanwhile I got God's answers to my prayers. Maybe very simple: I was willing to let God change me... .This is how each one of us should start. Happy endings. Because I prayed according to His will... .

Talking about prayer, we also have to mention the probably most down-earth book in the bible which is  Proverbs. Its education prepares you for the street and the marketplace, not the schoolroom. The book offers the warm advice you get by growing up in a good family. It covers small questions as well as large ones: talking too much, visiting neighbors too often, being unbearably cheerful too early in the morning. Proverbs simply tell how life works most of the time.

I always love to quote proverbs, which express the truth about life in an elegant, witty kernel. You should not hunt through it for proverbs you might like. You should study the whole book to get its overall point of view. This takes time, for Proverbs covers dozens of subjects in subtle detail.

 

Roller Coaster Life

July 12, 20265 min readThe BoholTimes

ROLLER Coaster Life offers a wide range of immersive game events that will keep you hooked for a long time! Collect rewards in all different themes, such as the Wild West, Spooky, Sci-Fi Galaxy and more! Don’t miss out and start playing now!

The phrase “life is a roller coaster” is a popular metaphor describing a life full of unpredictable highs (success, joy, excitement) and lows (challenges, heartbreak, disappointment). It highlights that while you cannot always control the sudden twists and turns, you ultimately choose how you react to the ride.

Life is also like a roller-coaster ride, everyone has different experiences and views about how to live and what to do; there are many ups and downs in life, many people scream and yell about the life events and live this journey whereas many gladly accept the fact and live it fully.

Yes, nowadays, for many of us life is indeed an emotional roller coaster. All over the world. Political instability, wars, terror attacks, climate change with extreme natural disasters, questionable global economical situations, illnesses or diseases… .

A day starts with a traffic jam and continues with terrible conditions at the workplace. The crab mentality seems to have become nothing unusual now. In any case: everyone for himself. Each one by himself/herself/itself alone is quite nice, but together…? Do we have a problem? So what! It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Well, sweet words might be easy to say; nice things are easy to buy; but good people are different to find. Life ends, when you stop dreaming; hope ends, when you stop believing; friendship stops, when you stop sharing. A good friend of mine sent me this quotation. I commented back: So very true and very well said!

Our life is borrowed – from God. No rental charges are collected from us. Many of us have forgotten this and live life to the fullest. Our life is equal to a book from a library that lends one. But how insatiable and unbearable are we in disdainful acting towards life and therefore to ourselves?

Life seems to be nothing, just being ready to riddle one with bullets. Life seems to be nothing, just being broken through indifference and unreliable and immoral behavior. Life seems to be nothing for those people who don’t understand cries from the heart of other people around them – cries for their hearts and families, for justice and for many other things.

Life with all its ups and downs, is just a loan, but for many of our fellow creatures it just seems to be nonsense to be littered like a dump. And, if people try to survive, especially during these days, and if they just experienced (once more!) indifference, arrogance, ignorance or cheating by whomever – they will give up!

I can assure you that every one of us can at first help in prayers and in reading the bible. “Proverbs” is the probably most down-to-earth book in the bible. Its teachings prepare you for daily life, the street and the market place, but not for the schoolroom. The book offers warm pieces of advice you get; practical guidance for making your way on earth. Proverbs covers any kinds of questions you might have right now. Anybody can relate to the generalities of Proverbs, because this book simply tells how life works most of the time.

While writing this piece, I observed that more and more people struggle through life: tired, hopeless, experiencing their rock-bottoms, believing in fallacious “people” around them. I also observed a lot of people living a thief life, as if it it has been giving them without limitation.

“Life is like a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs. But it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the ride.” That quote is great because it makes it so easy to visualize what it is saying.

Yes, life is indeed like being on a roller coaster. We can’t control the ups and downs of the track, but we do have a choice on how we will feel about the ride. We can scream and hate it or we can throw our hands up in the air with a big smile on our face and yell out joy at the thrill of the ride!

It’s not always easy to be mindful that we actually do have a choice, especially when the downward track of the coaster causes us to feel pain inside. But the reality is that we control our thoughts and our thoughts control our emotions and feelings. So we have to use the power of our thoughts to help us stop screaming in pain and fear and start yelling in joy and excitement. We have to force our thoughts to think of the positive possibilities that lie ahead.

Family as Sacrament

 

July 5, 20263 min readThe BoholTimes

LIVING in the Philippines since 1999 for good, I found out about this. I learned so many things being a part of a Philippine family.  I was born in a parish house in Germany  but experienced years later how to survive in a broken family.

My Philippine mentor, Hermogenes E. Bacareza, former Chaplain of the Philippine community in Berlin and author of German-Philippine Relations,  taught me in 1988: The Christian family is also called to be a sacrament. They are called, like the Church, to be Christ to one another, as well as to the broader community. By becoming what they are called to be, the family lives the sacramental life, and the sacred can bubble up through the ordinary things of everyday life.

What on earth can be more of a sign of God’s grace than the authentic self-giving love of a fully committed married couple whose love for each other brings life and spills out upon their children and with them onto those beyond the family? This, I believe, is the new vision of the Christian family for the 21st century.

Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom.

Families are central to God’s plan for His children. They are the fundamental building block of strong societies. Families are where we can feel love and learn how to love others. Life is tough, and we need people we can lean on.

What’s the purpose of family? These bonds are important because family helps us get through the most disastrous times and the best times. Family is important because they can offer support and security coupled with unconditional love; they will always look to see and bring out the best in you even if you cannot see it for yourself.

Since residing in the Philippines, I experienced that family is important to Christians because family is about witnessing to the Lord’s faithful love for the Church and for the whole of humanity; family is about making present, in a concrete and daily manner, the reciprocity and beauty of the love that characterizes God’s life. Family is a rich school where we learn to be humane and generous, to be patient and steadfast, to be just and merciful, to be faithful and committed, to be together and to connect.

Single parented or mother-father; childless or fertile; in big cities or in the countryside; in harmony or in conflict/domestic violence; in home country or refugees; at peace or at war, married or cohabitating, separated or remarried; healthy or in illness/addiction, free or in prison, in a house or homeless, able or disabled, working locally or away from home, with or without pets; whatever the family… all families are precious in the eyes of God.

The Hard Dreamer

June 28, 20263 min readThe BoholTimes

A “dreamer personality” describes someone highly imaginative, idealistic, and deeply connected to their inner world. They are big-picture thinkers who frequently envision possibilities beyond everyday realities, often prioritizing core values, empathy, and creativity over strictly pragmatic or purely logical concerns.

Series of images or thoughts in the mind of a person asleep – the idle fancy, the vision, the aspiration, the yearnings… they are dreams that have interested, puzzled and frightened people for thousands of years. All kinds of strange explanations have been written about dreams.

Interpreters of dreams have published innumerable books. I bought some of those books. I caught myself reading them and trying to analyse my dreams, resulting in my becoming unsure and sometimes really undecided about the many different explanations regarding the same dream’s meaning.

At one time, people thought that the figures appearing in dreams were messengers from the Gods. It was generally believed that dreams came from something outside a person’s special skills. Do you believe this?

Today it is believed that the dreamer himself creates dreams; and, because dreams are something a person creates, they may have special meaning for the dreamer. Just why should one have a dream when one may depend on many things. Your health may have an effect on your dreams. A person who is ill or feeling uncomfortable will have different kinds of dreams than that of a person, who is doing good and who is happy.

If a person is hungry, or feels cold, or very tired – his dreams may include those feelings. Also the events of the day before may have a lot to do with what people dream about. Often, the persons or situations in a dream are those in our life. Or your emotions may make you have the kind of dream you have. Needing or wanting something may be expressing a dream, and being frightened may become part of a dream.

I dream a lot. I am always wondering about myself. I am still dreaming of a better world, yes, it’s blue eyed, but these are my dreams. No ignorance and no arrogance, a world with real friends, who don’t turn back if we need them; a world with people who will stop killing each other because of stupid and incomprehensible reasons; a world with people who will stop hurting and insulting each other because of envy.

I also dream, Filipinos will not always talk about an unfinished revolution and an inchoate nation still in the process of becoming.

Dreams are foams? Maybe. Maybe not. Confucius said a long time ago: “The one who steals our dreams brings us to death!” PWEDE! Let’s dream hard, and let’s work harder!

 

Happiness in Today’s World

June 21, 20264 min readThe BoholTimes

FEELING that the conditions of your life are good. Enjoying positive, healthy relationships with other people. Feeling that you have accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life. Feeling satisfied with your life. Feeling positive more than negative.

Global happiness and life satisfaction are characterized by shifting regional trends, with Northern European nations dominating the top rankings. While positive emotions generally remain frequent, industrialized nations—particularly among youth and English-speaking countries—have seen notable declines in well-being linked to social media use and dropping social trust.

Happiness is a complex and multifaceted mental state that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, or engaging in enjoyable activities.

Happiness is a state of mind. Specifically, it is a state of “well-being and contentment.”

But the definition can be tricky and assumptions about the word can cause confusion. Many don’t even realize learning how to be happy is something that can be intentionally practiced. Some people, when they hear the word ‘happiness,’ assume it is speaking of an emotion such as pleasure or joy. For them, it is what people feel in the immediate here and now.

This is the reason some people say, “Don’t pursue happiness, seek joy. Happiness is fickle and fading, joy remains forever.”

But this short-term definition of happiness is not how everyone understands the word. Some define it to mean long-term satisfaction.

In fact, when I speak of experiencing happiness in life, I am not thinking of short-term emotions at all. I think of a quality of living—a much longer-term view of the word.

Both definitions are understood to be correct and speak of different realities.

But are they really that different? I don’t think so.

After all, a long-term experience of life satisfaction is almost certainly made up of many short-term feelings of joy and pleasure. Does that mean every day is a great day with no trials, temptations, or downturns? Certainly not. But it does mean when we look back at the many seasons of life, we can look back satisfied at how we navigated them.

The long-term feeling of life satisfaction is most experienced when we embrace the emotion of joy in the here and now.

And we accomplish that by taking steps each day to be happy.

What makes you feel happy now? Doing something you’re good at, such as cooking or dancing, is a good way to enjoy yourself and have a sense of achievement. Try to avoid things that seem enjoyable at the time but make you feel worse afterwards, such as drinking too much alcohol or eating junk food.

Why is being happy important? Experiencing happiness is important for our emotional and physical health. A stronger sense of happiness and wellbeing has been shown to lead to better relationships, increase social connection and contribution to the lives of others, as well as contributing to healthier physical wellbeing.

Is being happy the most important thing in life? Happy people are healthier all around and more likely to be healthy in the future. Happy people live longer than those who are not as happy. Happy people are more productive and more creative, and this effect extends to all those experiencing positive emotions.

Am I happy? Yes. Living in the Philippines for almost 28 years for good, I learned to be happy. Even during hard times. Filipinos are generally a happy people. They can smile whatever the situation. Their happy-go-lucky nature and positive mindset allow them to bounce back from the direst of circumstances, from disasters, from wars, and surely from today’s global situation.

Every Man For Himself

 

May 24, 20263 min readThe BoholTimes

AND of course: every woman for herself. It’s used for saying that everyone needs to look after themselves and not worry about anyone else. Everyone looks out for his or her best interest. Originally this phrase expressed approval. It appeared in Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale (“Ech man for him-self, ther is non other”), implying that if one did not look out for oneself no one else would.

It’s always been this way in reality and should be for good reason. “Every man for himself” is an individualistic ideal. It teaches self-reliance, self-sufficiency and independence.

Each individual puts his or her own interests foremost. For example, In this company no one helps anyone—it’s every man for himself . In Chaucer’s day this dictum was stated approvingly, meaning “if you don’t look out for yourself, no one else will,” but today such selfishness is usually censured.

Yes, each person does what is best for himself or herself. Yes, times are getting tougher. I think you, my dear readers, know what I am talking about. No reason to list everything again. Sometimes, there is no team spirit in this office; it’s definitely every man for himself. Neighbors would tell each other: mind your own business. The tone between us humans is becoming more and more harsher.

Some people live alone because friends and families have abandoned them. Important helpline is Psalm 27:10 for them. “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me.”

And solitary survivors like Robinson Crusoe, or the hero in the movie Castaway, fascinate. But the loner is someone who purposely holds himself aloof, like the Unabomber, Mathematician Ted Kaczynski. People doggedly moving ever farther away from one another constitute hell in C.S. Lewis’ book, The Great Divorce.

Fact is  –  Proverbs 18:1 says:  A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires; he rages against all wise judgment.

Living in community and helping one another is foundational for all who wish to follow Christ. We know from Acts 2 that the early church took this seriously, seeing many examples of believers helping one another, including materially, so that there would be no one in need within their group.

Much has been written about the benefits of strong relationships. I wrote about it at this corner several years ago. People are healthier, live longer, and are generally happier if they have strong friendships beneficial for helping and encouraging each other. And let me repeat it – especially during these tough times.

Jim Mathis, a writer, photographer and small business owner in Overland Park, Kansas, got it to the point last year, when the pandemic started: “Personally, one big change that took place when I decided to follow Christ was shifting from a self-centered existence to community-centered living. My life changed dramatically for the better when I stopped looking out only for myself and started finding ways to help others with a sense of community. Life went from an individual sport like a race to a team sport, working toward our mutual benefit”.

My Psalm(s) of Life

May 17, 20264 min readThe BoholTimes

A PSALM OF LIFE: This poem is known for its optimism and the theme-right attitude of life. The poet gives out the message that pleasure or sorrow is not the goal of life. The purpose of life is to carry out all duties and responsibilities for the progress and good of all.

“A psalm of life” is an inspirational poem written by H. W. Longfellow as it gives the message to the coming generation. It gives the encouragement to find the purpose of life and achieve our goal. It describes all the difficulties that we’ll find while achieving our goal.

Longfellow was thirty-one when he wrote “A Psalm of Life,” likely writing it to fight back the inertia of depression overtaking him after the death of his wife from the complications of a miscarriage in the latter part of 1835.

This poem is known for its optimism and the theme-right attitude of life. The poet gives out the message that pleasure or sorrow is not the goal of life. The purpose of life is to carry out all duties and responsibilities for the progress and good of all. We should realize life is shorter and quicker.

We are always in God’s limelight.

Through the ages, people have experienced challenges that show God’s hands – mothers and fathers, the young and the old, simple shepherds and popular scholars, soldiers and actors.

God watches over me – no matter how I feel right now: safe and secure in a wholly and warm hearted community or alone and feeling abandoned. God knows my doubts, worries, troubles and challenges in my daily life.

The Psalms became a very important part in my life. It happened purely by accident. Long time ago, I stayed in a hotel in a foreign country in Europe. I felt really uncomfortable. I’ll not be boring you with details. I remember asking myself what the psalm writers also frequently did: “Where are you God? Why don’t you help me?”

Yes, the presence of real enemies is also part of our daily life here and everywhere. Anyway, suddenly I found a bible in the bottom drawer of my hotel’s night table. I started reading the Psalms.

At the very center of the bible are these songs, the Psalms, rising up like a tune from the heart. They capture the innermost thoughts and prayers, and they still speak directly to our needs. For every emotion and mood, you can find a Psalm to match. The Psalms wrestle with the deepest sorrow and ask God the hardest questions about suffering and injustice. They do not tip flowery compliments to God: they cry out to Him, or shout for joy before Him.

In almost every Psalm you find the presence of God, not as a philosophical principle, but as someone, who can change your life, if you allow Him to do so.

Already during 1980’s, I learned from my Philippine mentor, the late Monsignore Professor Dr. Dr. Hermogenes E. Bacareza, chaplain of the Philippine community in Berlin, who said that the best way to read the Psalms is simple: to make these ancient prayers your own and speak directly to God. So many of the poems catch deep human feelings that you can’t help but be moved by them.

It will take time to understand all Psalms; some might be boring or even self-congratulatory. Read them again and again. Psalms cries from the heart and songs of sorrow as well as joy – reflections for moods and experiences.

Since reading the Psalms, I learned and understood that for God, we’re always in the limelight.

***

Email me: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, X-Twitter or LinkedIn or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .

IT is never too late

 

“IT IS never too late to be what you might have been” is a famous, encouraging quote often attributed to novelist George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), emphasizing that personal growth, reinvention, and achieving dreams are possible at any age, regardless of past setbacks. It acts as a reminder that the future is yours to shape, urging you to overcome fears, challenge self-imposed limits, and start pursuing your aspirations now.

t suggests that no matter what stage of life one is at, there is always the opportunity to evolve, change direction, and pursue one’s true potential. Often, societal expectations or personal setbacks may cause individuals to feel as if their dreams or aspirations are unattainable, particularly as they age.

“Never Too Late” is a song by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. It was released on May 7, 2007, as the third single from the band’s second album One-X. “Never Too Late” is about not giving up. Adam Gontier stated, “I guess it’s like feeling like you’re at the end of your rope and deciding whether or not to completely give up or whether or not to try and sort of keep making it through another day.”

I know a lot of pensioner expatriates living in the Philippines for good. Many of them have a big problem – after staying here for only a couple of months, they get bored.

I believe it’s important, as we grow older, to stay active instead of just lying around. I realize that some older individuals have health issues and cannot do what they would like to do, but many are in decent shape, but just choose to do nothing. It seems the more a person gives in to their excuses of how they are tired from paying their dues, the worse they feel. Inactivity is alright when we are resting, but the more we get up and get going, the better we feel. I encourage everyone to find something really important to you and see how you can get involved.

We’ve heard it said that we must not live to work but work to live. Your goals are achieved the moment you commit yourself to them, so no matter how old you feel, or how many times you’ve officially retired, it’s never too late to give the world a little more of what God has given to you. We should pray and ask for God’s inspiration, strength, and wisdom, but hopefully, a person will eventually discover that he or she is the master-gardener of their soul and the decision-maker of their destiny.