Pure As a Snow

How big is your heart?

Just the other day, I read a lovely warm letter from anonymous over the net. It is midwinter in Tokyo; and she wrote.

” I found a 7cm-deep carpet of snow this morning. Snow has a magic art because it can change the usual world into  a strange beautiful and peaceful one. The white purity of snow covers everything dirty, wicked and unhappy. It is a wonderful change. You would like it, if you were here. Snow is as pure and as beautiful as you”.

The sweet note gives me the chill because I believe in snow and I believe that people can be as beautiful and as pure as snow. But me, as pure as snow?

Sometimes I feel so blessed and enlightened that I want to shout my discoveries out loud to the world, even if I know I cannot possibly communicate accurately my bliss and joy. At other times, I feel terribly stupid, and it makes me question my own holy sacred experiences; then, I clearly see how proud I am. How can I be pure when I experience pride and doubt and self-contradiction? How can I be pure when I passionately desire to be pure? How can I be pure when I want to be presumptuously God pure?

I am in tears now, even as I write this blog because I genuinely ache to seek God. Because I want to be as pure as snow. And I wonder if it is not pride. I want to be pure! Not for people who know me, not even for me. But for God! I want to mirror God’s purity. No! I want to be dissolved in God’s purity!

These past few days, I’ve been evaluating and re-examining my motives for withdrawing from the world. Do I seek sanctity to satisfy a claim for divine power? Have I bought the spirit of the world condemned by Christ into my solitude?

My heart is bleeding. I should have asked these questions much, much earlier. Then, I would have seen how rotten I was, how mad, how crazy. I cry now because of this ugly memory that I have lied. Did I completely deceive myself and God? I don’t know. I cannot remember all my motives then. I must admit my motives were not all as pure as I want them to be now. But they weren’t all lies, either. Some of them were genuine, some of them have got to be genuine! But however twisted my mind was, I tried to seek God. And maybe that is all that matters. Love found me, loved me, redeemed me, and I hope there is no more self description changed me.

Changed me! Like snow covering all that is dirty and wicked. God has made me snow pure!

Dear readers, I’m sorry. I cannot go on. I cannot take on all of these at once. I’m sorry to cut this blog short. My heart is too heavy and too full. And the light is too blinding and the love is too soothing, too healing. I want to pray…..

Starting a Journey… To Dare to be Different

I wish to inform you in this blog that I am serious in my intention, and all set, to start my new life. For the rest of this month, I will finish all my unfinished tasks and make all the necessary arrangements for my journey to solitude.

I just feel this all a new beginning. All things are hopeful. I am starting anew. I have made a decision, a resolution, and a commitment to a more serious daily self-cultivation. I commit myself to make something of my existence, to transform myself onto an instrument for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life. I am going to be a self-made woman, facing the challenges of life naked and alone.

I have always believed that I am a child of God, and that I will become like my parent-God: good, holy, all love there is in me the breath of life, the Godlike will and freedom, the great capacity to love. I will claim them again, and use them really responsibly. I am going to be perfect, truly alive, free spontaneous and prodigal in my loving. I will not be shaken by people and meanings that humans attach to things. I will not be a second hand human being pushed around by what the world thinks. I will learn about myself from myself. Nobody, is going to tell me what I want to be!

I will start my new journey by unburdening myself of my prejudices and mental frameworks. I will start with nothing but my optimism, my faith, my resolution, and my innocence. I know that there will be a lot of things that will come my way but I will try to look at them with a healthy knowledge that what is important is only the present moment, and the present experience only that is actuality.

My new vision is my purpose and perfection. This is my new way of life. My way is my life. If my vision is clear, then I will know when I stray. I know I can, and perhaps will, stray away; but sidetracks and detours are okay with me. As long as I realize how far I am from my purpose. I have a great hopes in this journey, and I know that you will pray for me as I always pray for you.

I also want to spend some time stargazing, just to remind me that I am not alone in this milky milky way. Maybe I also need to look at the inky darkness of the night that gives birth to light and day. I will wait for the first pale fingers of sunlight, and greet the dawn that will signal my rebirth. In the full light of the morning, I will be a new woman. A new promise. A new reality.

I want trouble myself with what others have to say. My life is in my hand, and I can handle it fairly well. I am my own responsibility, my hairdo, my dress-style, my speech – all of these are mine. I can do anything I desire with them. I can change whatever I want, whenever I want.

This world is over flooded with copycats because that is the easiest way to survive to go and drift along with the tide. I dare to be different. I’ll rediscover what is it to be a recluse. I will live by myself, and cultivate my own creativity and originality. I will express myself as I really am without feeling anxious about what others might say. I will be answerable to myself, and my God.

I hope to find my own true peace and joy, the kind that is not measured against the acceptance of others who haven’t even tried to search for their own true calling. I know I cannot be perfectly happy if I surrender now, and just give in to what this world has to offer. I’m quite sure there is more to life than just constantly measuring yourself against some fast – changing standard of the society.

Let me draw a terribly mundane example: the evolution of sound technology. In the beginning, people got their news from the grapevine. Then, came the radio. Then, came the portables which replaced the wonderful tradition of guitar entertainment. In less than 10 years came the walkman; first with only the AM/FM frequencies, and later with the audio cassette compartment. Then, the cassettes replaced the flat disc records. When does this madness end? Do we have enough resources in this planet to cater to the convenience needs of people?

I’m getting carried away especially when I begin to criticize this consumeristic aspect of civilization. Have I strayed too far? My only point is, we cannot keep up with the changes in society, and therefore, it is a struggle and a strain to measure our happiness and contentment against the standard of the establishment. No, I am not against the establishment. Or, maybe, again, I am. I don’t know. What I only want at this time is to discover what I really want to be. And I don’t think I can do that effectively in the worldly, materialistic setting.

To a certain degree, I also wish to be a sign of protest against this system of materialism and consumerism. I want to say , ” look here, you don’t need to buy all this crap. You can live simply, trusting in your own dreams, satisfying your own real needs. You don’t need a CD player or DVD player, you can whistle, you can him”.
I know it is difficult to digest ideas like these. Especially now that most people are so blessed with things that they don’t even have time to reflect. And how can they believe me when all that they see around them is contrary to what I preach?

I think the thought that I am becoming a symbol of a choice is somehow encouraging and rewarding. I will always remember this when I am on the verge of giving up my seclusion. I have a feeling this can sustain me longer than just my desire to discover myself.
So is this final it? I don’t know. Not everything is revealed to me at once. I’m dancing an unfamiliar tune, I’m in an uncharted territory. I am alone, and armed only with my optimism, my faith, my resolution and my innocence.
Until next time!

Blog Writing 101

Writer’s are not the only that who are authorized to post a blog. Anyone are welcome to posts their own, anyone who found that their heart is in the world of writing. For a newbie like me, at first to write a blog seems to be so hard for me because I don’t have any idea and experience on how to write and what will I’m going to write. Never in my life have I dreamt of being a blogger or a writer someday. I used to think that I cannot do it but just a week ago, I have posted my first blog. While I was writing my first blog, there was a question on my mind, can I finish it or not? I did it with full eagerness because I want to learn something new. I can’t believe that I already have a blog when I saw my first post.

I learned that the basic intention of starting a blog is having an outlet for expressing one’s self. Everything you write can be seen by the rest of the world. So every time you write you’ll have to be careful. I think it’s important to keep in mind that we should focus on writing well-written blog posts – and always write as if it will go viral. In my opinion, the length of the post is not what really matters. It is the content and the idea that a blogger wants to share to his/her readers. One of the best ways to write a blog is to base them on something that you have either done or something that you do. And it’s better to take a little time to write because you need to think carefully about what you write as your readers may base decisions from your ideas.