LIVE FOR GOD AND FOR OTHERS

 Wednesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time 1 (27 September 2023 - Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul)

📖Ezra 9:5-9; Tob 13:1b-2, 3-4a, 6efgh, 6ij, 8 (R.v.1b); Luke 9:1-6

🎤LIVE FOR GOD AND FOR OTHERS

Do you want to be faithful to God? Then you definitely need to be very selfless. Think about God and others first, and be sure that God will never leave you empty-handed. That is an important message that we must pick out from Luke 9:1-6, which is seen lived out by Ezra in Ezra 9:5-9, by carrying the burden of his people and intercessing for them in humility.

Jesus sent out his disciples on mission with the instruction not to carry anything that will make them focus on self-satisfaction. But he equally equipped them with the needed power to bring the good news to all. At our baptism, we also received that same power, but many of us silence ours with selfish drives.

Providentially, today, we celebrate the memorial of St Vincent de Paul, who was known to have spent his priestly ministry in the service of the poor, among other things. 

He was ordained a priest at a very tender age (before he was twenty years), but he never allowed youthful exuberance to take a better side of him. Instead, he learnt to mortify himself in order to help those who are in need. That led him to form Congregations of Priests and Religious that are charged with missions and charity. And he was able to succeed in all those because of his union with God.

Are you also using your own gifts selflessly for God and for others?

May God help us to be dedicated and selfless in service, and so win souls for him while not losing our own souls. Amen.

Have a fruitful and fulfilled day ahead. Peace be with you.

http://www.fadajbcezeonwumelu.com/live-for-god-and-for-others/

13 RULES TO IMPROVE YOURSELF...

1.Be Patient:

Personal growth takes time. Embrace the process and be patient with yourself. Instant success is an illusion.

2. Embrace Failure:

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. They are stepping stones to success, teaching you valuable lessons along the way.

3. Value Solitude:

Find comfort in solitude. It's in these quiet moments that we often gain the most insight about ourselves.

4. Set Personal Goals:

Outline what you want to achieve. Having clear goals gives you direction and motivates you to work towards them.

5. Continuously Learn:

Never stop learning.

- Read books

- Take courses

- Learn a new skill

- Pick up a new hobby An open mind is a growing mind.

6. Practice Mindfulness:

Being present allows you to fully engage in activities and creates a deeper understanding of yourself.

7. Challenge Yourself:

Push beyond your comfort zone. Personal growth happens when we challenge ourselves.

8. Take Care of Your Health:

Eat well, exercise regularly, and prioritize sleep. A healthy body supports a healthy mind.

9. Cultivate Positive Relationships:

Surround yourself with people who inspire and support you. Positive relationships enrich our lives and encourage personal growth.

10. Practice Gratitude:

Appreciate what you have. Gratitude helps maintain a positive outlook on life.

11. Avoid Comparisons:

Your journey is unique. Comparing yourself to others can hinder personal growth. Focus on your progress.

12. Be Authentic:

Be true to yourself. Authenticity invites genuine growth.

13. Implement Self-Care:

Take time for activities that nourish your body and mind. Self-care is not an indulgence - it's necessary for maintaining balance and promoting personal growth.

FACTS THAT PUTS THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA🇿🇦IN THE WORLD STAGE .

1.South Africa 🇿🇦 has the most equal official languages in the world with 11 official languages

2. The cape winefarms   and South Africa's🇿🇦wines are world-famous 

3. South Africa 🇿🇦 is the only country in the world with 3 capital cities - Bloemfontein (judicial capital city) , Capetown (Legislative capital city) and pretoria ( Executive capital city) 

4.The world first transplant was completed in cape Town ,south African 🇿🇦

5. South Africa 🇿🇦 is the first country to produce oil from the coal 

6. South Africa🇿🇦 is one of the two countries in the world to have hosted the Soccer, Cricket and Rugby world cup 

7. South Africa 🇿🇦 is rated as having world-beautiful classic estates and buildings after US.

8  Rooibos Tea is the only tea in the world that cannot grow in other countries,only grows in South Africa 🇿🇦

9. South Africa 's🇿🇦  drinking water is rated as 3rd best in the world for being safe and ready o drink.

10.south Africa 🇿🇦 brewery SABMiller rank - by volume - as the largest brewing company in the world .

11. Route 62 in cape winelands region,is considered the longest wine 🍷route on the world .

12. The world largest themed resort hotel in the world- The palace of the lost city 🇿🇦

13. South Africa 🇿🇦 is the only country in the entire world that has voluntary abandoned it's nuclear weapons programme 

14.  Nearly 90% of all the platinum metal on earth and about 41% of all world's Gold  comes from SA🇿🇦

15. The South Africa 🇿🇦 Rovos Rail is considered the most luxurious train in the world .

16.. South Africa🇿🇦 is the 2nd world's largest producer of fruits

17.  Cape town 🇿🇦is always in top 5 world beautiful city 

18. The world's largest diamond was discovered in south Africa at Prime Mine near pretoria, the size 3,106 carats and roughly 1.3 pound

THE IMPERFECT WIVES

THE IMPERFECT WIVES

A Short Moral Story.

Oscar and Luke were brothers who lived in seperate homes in the same city. They both married their wives in the same year. Oscar had been living happily with his wife for eight years, and they had two sons together. However, Luke had been married three times, but none of his marriages worked. He divorced all his wives.

He first married Liza, with whom they lived for two years. One day, he said to  Liza.

"You spend too much and it makes me angry. We are in debt and you continue to spend everything we have. You're constantly planning on the next thing to buy. I can't put up with this marriage anymore!".

Shortly after he divorced Liza, he married Maureen. They lived together for three years. Until one day, after an argument, he told her.

"You don't have any respect for me. You always interrupt me. You don't listen to me. You speak in a derogatory manner to me. And you never put your phone down. I want a divorce!".

He married Sandra few months after his divorce with Maureen. Just like the other marriages, it crashed two years later. He divorced Sandra because of her cats. 

"Your cats are a nuisance ever since we got married and they have ruined my shirts and peed on the floor wherever they like. I can't take this anymore. Throw them out or we end this marriage!". he had said angrily. When Sandra refused to do away with her cats, he sent her packing. 

Ever since Luke divorced his third wife, he felt miserable, lonely and hopeless. He began to feel ashamed of himself. One day, he visited his brother, Oscar, and said to him privately. 

"Why is it that I can't find a good wife? Why didn't any of my marriages work out? Look at you... you've got a lovely wife. You've been married for a long time and still live happily together. Why can't I find a wife like yours who is perfect?".

Oscar went on smiling for a moment, and then he said something very profound and interesting.

"Listen, if you keep on looking for a perfect partner, you're always going to be alone. You always want to find good people and leave the bad ones. But I find the good in people and ignore the bad in them. My wife is not perfect, I just ignore the bad in her. Nobody is perfect, not even you. We all have flaws, weaknesses and limitations. When two people work hard to achieve mutual happiness, dealing with all the ups and downs life throws at you... when two people understand each other, care for each other, spend time with each other, and take care of small things, it is called a happy, a healthy and a good marriage. Maybe you should stop looking for perfection".

Luke went back home and pondered on what his brother had said. He felt as though he had wasted many of his years trying to find a perfect wife. He married Anna a year later and they lived happily ever after. 

Moral: Nobody in this world is perfect, and if we can understand this fact, we wouldn't hurt either anyone or ourselves by expecting a lot of perfection from others.

Author: Chima_Dickson Official 

I let my stories teach the life lessons.

9 .IMPORTANT REASONS WHY NOTHING IS WORKING IN YOUR LIFE.🤗🤗🤗

1. You wasting your potential- We are born with potential but most people don’t use it at all.

2. You are aimless- Without goals, you will feel useless and unaccomplished.

3. You have no results and time is running out- Words are empty without deeds and results.

4. Your personality is not integrated and developed- Work on your personality is essential.

5. You are indecisive- You need to choose your life path and stick to it.

6. You start things but don’t finish them- The vast majority of people are good to start something but bad to finish it.

7. You don’t invest your time- Time is the most valuable resource, you can invest or waste it.

8. You don’t know who you are- Identity crises make you unaccomplished.

9. You don’t live your life, you barely exist- Don’t be afraid of life, live it.

We are born with potential, it is our duty to fulfill them. No one can do it instead of us.

Thank you for reading 📚 ❤️ 🙏

15 lessons from The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

:

1. Never outshine the master. If you make your superior look bad, they will find a way to get rid of you.

2. Don't give away too much information. The more people know about you, the more they have to use against you.

3. Conceal your intentions. People will be more likely to trust you if they don't know what you're up to.

4. Play to people's fantasies. People are more likely to be drawn to those who can fulfill their deepest desires.

5. Create a sense of mystery. People are more intrigued by those they don't know well.

6. Use absence to make people want you more. Don't be too available. Make people miss you when you're not around.

7. Get to know the dark side of human nature. The more you understand people's weaknesses, the better equipped you will be to deal with them.

8. Use flattery to get what you want. People are more likely to do something for you if you make them feel good about themselves.

9. Appeal to people's emotions. People are more likely to be persuaded by emotional arguments than by logical ones.

10. Make it easy for people to say yes. The more difficult you make it for people to say no, the more likely they are to say no.

11. Make people feel like they're making the decision. People are more likely to stick to a decision if they feel like they made it themselves.

12. Get people to commit to a small step. Once people have committed to a small step, they are more likely to commit to bigger steps.

13. Use scarcity to make people want something more. The less available something is, the more desirable it seems.

14. Create a sense of urgency. People are more likely to act quickly if they feel like they're running out of time.

15. Use the power of suggestion. People are more likely to do something if you suggest it to them in a subtle way.

The Laws of Human Nature is a powerful book that can teach you how to understand and influence people. It is a book that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to be more successful in life.

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