Last year my children and I decided to do a little cleaning at the lake near our home. Instead of just walking around the footpath, we also decided to bring a trash bag and pick up any litter that we saw along the way. It turned out to be quite a task. By the time we had walked the mile around the lake we had filled the bag to overflowing. Still, it was so wonderful to see that my children did this without complaining once. There was no anger at seeing so much litter. There was no bitterness at having to do so much work. Here was only laughter, joy, and delight at being able to do something good for this world that we love so much. |
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I am reminded of this time recently, because I have heard so many people complaining about how hard it is to live a good life these days. They seem to think that goodness is some terrible burden. They seem to think that living a good life is nothing but hard work. No wonder so many people are afraid to live in goodness. Who would want to live a joyless existence full of hardship? I myself, however, disagree with these people who see life as a horrible struggle. I have always believed in The Way of Joy. I have always believed that living a good life brings you more happiness, fun, and satisfaction than any other way of life. |
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I have always believed that even though there is work in this life it can be done joyfully and with a spirit of love. I have always believed that the greatest delights in life are those you get from a good and loving heart. The type of life you live is up to you. You can take the way of selfishness and negativity which leads to destruction. You can take the way of hard work and bitterness which leads to despair. Or you can take the way of joy and love which leads to Heaven. |
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The choice is yours. I hope that you choose wisely and help God to create Heaven on Earth, even if it's just by picking up trash on a summer's day. | ||
Joseph J. Mazzella |
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