Let's wear sunscreen :)

Here's some advice that we can all use:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long‐term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t know.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave it before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess around too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, buy be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

My Thoughts on Today's Bible Readings

It is the nature of us humans to be shocked and awed by loud noises, bright lights, rumblings of the very ground we stand on, strong winds whipping us about, etc. So when we face such situations we can't help feeling that God sent these things to tell us something. But is it necessarily so?

It is often said that the mass should cater more to current trends in order to attract today's youths. And since today's youth are attracted by loud noises, bright lights, etc. (as in the way concerts are presented) then the mass should be equally flashy. But looking at the reading from the 1# book of Kings where the Lord is not present in the moving wind or the noisy earthquake or the rousing fire but in the whispering breeze, one can conclude that such things actually distract us from being in the presence of God. Think about it. The mass is for us to encounter Jesus, to be at the foot of His cross, to receive Him prayerfully. But if the mass is full of loud music and flashing lights, wouldn't that distract us from the above? Wouldn't we start focusing on the loud music and flashing lights instead of what the presiding priest is saying and doing? But the Lord is not in the loud music or flashing lights, but in the words and actions of the priest! So let us pray that we be not distracted by worldly things from being in the presence of the Lord.

Looking at the Gospel reading, we can see the disciples affected by the shock and awe of the boat they were in taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. In fact the situation was so shocking and awe-ing that it drove Jesus totally from their minds- so much so that they couldn't recognize Him when He came to them. Luckily for them (and for us too!) Jesus totally understood their fear. So instead of lambasting them, He reassured them that it was He.

So it should be so with us. Though we should not forget Jesus when we experience the shock and awe of anger, depression, fear, happiness, etc., we can be certain that God is still reaching out to us even though we forget about Him. All we need to do is reach out (Peter's prayer of “Lord, save me!” can constitute this) and we will be once again in His presence.

Bible Readings for Today (Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Here are the Readings for today Sun 10 Aug:

1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a
Elijah went into a cave there and spent the night. The Lord told him, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.” A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides,but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

Romans 9: 1-5
I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit – I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

Matthew 14: 22-33
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”