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August 1, 1988

Yesterday was my mother and father's 47th wedding anniversary. Today is my sister's birthday.

47 years of living, hurting, loving, caring, and being together. Loyalty is a big part of marriage.

Next June Linda and I will have been married 24 years. I will be 44 and she will be almost 42.

All of our life we will have lived with each other.

My father is almost 71 and my mother is almost 68. They have lived, loved, fought, sought, and taught together for all their life also.

Since my inception I have been loved by my God. I am grateful for all this and more.

I took the Sunday collection to the bank this morning: and it was $500 short in the cash. The counters made a mistake and. I had a serious heart attack. Not a real one, but close enough.

They have poor money handling going on at St. Mary's. I intend to change that as soon as this Sunday. Beginning this Sunday, I want the money handlers to fill out a money ticket showing how many ones, fives, tens, twenties, etc they have counted. That should equal their cash deposit. I hope.

Thank you for taking care of me. It r could have been most serious.

I love you!

August 2, 1988

It is extremely hot and humid. It is about 95 degrees and 85 – 90% humidity. It is 10pm. It is so hot and sticky, sleep will be hard to do this night as it was last night.

The whole country is roasting this summer and the summer is if anything .just about half way over.

Rain seems to be trying to come back and maybe if it does come back the heat wave will end. I sure hope so because I truly do not like heat. I keep thinking we almost made it to Alaska. Then I think we almost didn't have a job.

Almost…what a word. It means what? Could it mean trusting or not trusting? Could it mean we came close…close to doing what? Did we come close to serving or not serving our God? Almost. I am not fond of that word.

As hot as it is I am not fond of many words.

I mailed two manuscripts and two chapter one of the new book off. I cannot let myself become too hopeful. I feel I am almost - see that word - going to make it this time. I am afraid to believe but that doesn't keep me from doing.

I love you, Lord and almost has nothing to do with it.

August 3, 1988

Well, it is as hot as yesterday was once again. There does not seem t be an end to this heat and humidity.

I work for a man with an explosive temper and with people who are worn down by living with him and this heat doesn't help.

I am beginning to sour and I am trying no to. I really think it is the heat.

I think Linda, Jamie, and I should get away from here this weekend. We don't want to spend the money but I think it is necessary for us to relax a little and if we stay here all we will do is still be in the heat and still have a tenancy to be over at the church. We need to get away from everything for a day.

It is even too hot to go for a drive and where would we drive anyway?

Lord God it seems when we get a little ahead of the Evil, you, a little on our feet, well, the Devil comes up with still one more way to get us to stumble. Not this time!

I call on you, O Lord, my God, stand firm with me and do not turn me or mine loose not even for a second.

It is the right of a servant to seek to be protected by his master. As your servant, I am seeking your protection.

I love you Lord and I feel your love for me. I even sense you are smiling a little.

It is going to be a hot night.

Oh well…

August 4, 1988

O my God, I am so sorry!

My wife told me this week I worked for myself and forgot all about working for you. I know that it is true and I am deeply upset. I forgot Lord I was your servant not the servant of myself or Father Ed or anyone else.

I know now I acted like a boss and worked so hard not for your glory but mine.

How did this happen?

Simple. I let myself work to please man and I worried more about proving I was good, I was competent, I was more than competent, all this and more, and I forgot about you.

Now Lord, here I am. Wisdom has come and dwelled within me and I will be ok. You will not allow it to be otherwise. I have come so far and we I know because you told me I would stumble. Well Lord pick me up. I have stumbled and I refuse to stay down.

So here I am Lord, I beg you to lift me up and don't drop me unless it is on my head because I do not want to continue off your path. I am your servant and no one else's. I love you and I will not give in to this urge to work.

I will only work for you.

I will learn to relax.

You will teach me Lord and I will be not only your servant but your student as well.

Here I am Lord, stand firm with me and lift me.

August 5, 1988

Wow we went to Detroit and took in a double header Major League Baseball game. Tigers and Boston Red Sox. There was a 2 hour and 45 minute rain delay and now all motels have no vacancies.

I really enjoyed the games which Detroit won - both of them. 2-1 in the 1st game and 3-2 in the second game.

We are trying so hard to relax, slow down, and boy are we tired.

I wanted you O Lord to hear me say I love you and I thank you and standing firm with us as we try to slow down and relax in you.

I sure enjoyed the games!

John

August 6, 1988

Well Lord,

I don't know what is going on. Ave Maria Press turned my writing down flat.

Our weekend off resulted in us driving 500 miles almost no stop. We visited a weeping icon of our Mother Mary.

I am tired, anger, and worried.

I am about coming apart.

Forget I am,

You

You are

You are our hope!

John

August 7, 1988

O my God, I am tired.

I want a place to myself, my wife, and my child. A small permanent home.

One small chance to make our own way.

One chance to relax, write, and not be otherwise involved except to help others. An opportunity to love others without being slaughtered in the process.

O Lord fresh air cold clear water, blue sky, and place to think, do, and write.

Well Lord, it is a great wish, a wonderful thought, whatever you want of me, that's what I want.

Lord I want you, my God, to hold me tight, to put me where I should be, doing what you want.

More than life, I want to make you, my God proud of me.

I got the message, I don't need to make God do anything, God loves me no matter!

Thanks God.

August 8, 1988

The feeling of wanting to get away, to be independent, only my wife, daughter and me is still a part of me today. I love people and I really love trying to serve my God. I do not like being unable to conquer sin. I cannot stand watching our bodies deteriorate and stay fat. I cannot stand having the means to live dictated by another human being whom I see as being less than Christian.

Am I so much of a Christian?

Sometimes I feel as though I am not a Christian at all. I get angry, and I want to run away from everything. I know it is my dream, my earthly hope to provide for my family, to be a successful writer of books leading people to God. I just know if I tried to write a novel with lots of sex and real life drama it would be very successful. I am not to do that. I cannot be a part of anything written unless it is centered in the love of God.

O Lord I pray you will stand firm with me and hold me up.

O Lord I pray I will remain steadfast in my desire and willingness to serve you.

I believe in the one great commandment, Love.

I love you my God. Thanks for loving me.

August 9, 1988

What does it take for a man to be happy? I thought a job making enough money to live on, working for my God, and I would be ecstatic. I am not.

I want more. I want to be respected and loved. I want to love and to respect. I want to have only on boss and I want that boss to be of my choosing and I want it to be God.

I do not want to work for man.

I do not want to work for myself or for anything.

I want to live freely with my family and be a Christ like man.

I am beginning to feel that is not possible on earth.

Please stand with me and hold me up Lord. You can see I am being bombarded. I am to the point where I do not trust my instincts and that may be the first good thing I have realized in a while.

Lord, I here I am so please use me as you want, not as I want – thanks.

John

August 10, 1988

The last t few days I have been anything except thankful and I have so much to give thanks for.

O Lord, I thank you –

For the new and wonderful life that is being protectively carried by the life you brought into this world through us. Thank you for the baby that is within our daughter Gigi.

For Tim a fine young man who loves our daughter and is married to her.

For Gigi that she may find a way to be the person she wants to be and be a good mother and loving wife.

Thank you Lord for Nikki that she is as strong and self determined as she is. Thank you for giving her someone who seems to love her for herself.

Thank you for Linda. Outside you Lord, she is the single greatest gift any man could have received from you. She is my wife and I love her so. Thank you for her.

For our families, I thank you, Mom and Dad McDonald and Flakes.

Thank you for letting my mother be alive and thank you for restoring Text Box: her some of the faculties that she needs.

;

For Divine Mercy, a church for us when we had needs.

For our car, praise you Lord for it because it fills a need we could not afford.

For our health, we are still alive and reasonably well.

Most of all for Jamie our youngest daughter. She is a visible sign of your love for us every moment of every day.

I thank you for this job that I am doing. I am afraid of screwing up and so afraid of doing wrong yet I know you provided for me and mine when I had nothing. So I also believe you are providing now through this job.

I thank you for standing firm with me on this journey.

I so thank you for lifting me up each frequent time I fall. Likewise, there are not enough words of thankfulness to express the thanks I feel for your not giving up on me in disgust.

I guess I most of all want to say, I love you Lord, and I thank you for being my God.

August 11, 1988

Today is our day of rest. A day off not to do anything specific, yet a day to do whatever we want to do.

Sometimes on a day like today we can't decide what to do, so we do nothing anyway. That can be an answer in itself. Sometimes we try to do too much on a day like today and end up having no rest at all.

I doubt if there is a happy medium. You either always underdo or overdo. The happy medium is doing what is right for you.

A day off…What does that mean? What are we off from? Well it is a time where we deliberately try not to think about our work. It is a time when we stop trying to figure things out and .and just let things be. It is, at least we hope, a day of relaxation for our mind, our body, and our priorities.

It is a time to let your guard down and that is scary. I am afraid to ever let my guard down even for a short moment. Sometime everyone must let their guard down. We have to. The strain of constantly being on guard is most killing strain of all.

God, my father be with us on this our day off.

August 12, 1988

We had an all day staff meeting today. The administrative aide position, namely me, was discussed in detail. It went well. They really seemed to affirm me yet boy was I uneasy.

The role of the pastor was discussed also.

The role of the staff to the parish and inter related was also talked about.

We saw ourselves as servants and I hope we meant it.

I am going to a young adults meeting this weekend in Toledo. I hope it turns out well.

Lord, I may need your presence more this weekend than ever.

Please give me the strength to let you hold me firmly in your hands.

Thanks John

August 13, 1988

I attended the 8^th annual Young Adults Conference of Toledo today. It was held at St. John's High School in Toledo. It was interesting although I really did not fit in. I was accepted and I accepted me being there and there were good moments, very good moments, so I guess it was fine.

The workshops were excellent, especially the one on aides by Father Dan Dickman.

I drove home late unexpectantly but m glad I did so.

Thanks for watching over me.

John

August 14, 1988

My conference is now over and I have returned home.

Still am somewhat of an outsider but I felt I made at least one or two friends and I seemed to fit in better. I was a little disturbed by what the group of young people facilitated verbalized as their priorities. The first three things said were, drink, dance, socialize yet when they realized we were to turn in our priorities, self worth, acceptance, service, and good times were what was put down.

I think my two oldest daughters are going to need financial help and with very little Linda and I have been struggling to save, you now Lord, what we are going to do, yep, let them have our savings. It is not fair to Jamie but maybe it will re fine.

We just need to trust you more Lord.

There is a big hullabaloo about a new movie, The Last Temptation of Christ. I wonder Lord why are so many so concerned. I hope it is out of love for you. I don't see my God as being hurt by anything I do, say, or go see. I see me being hurt by some of those things though and maybe that is the reason.

I love you Lord and I have reason to believe you picked me up and loved me around some last night. Thank you! Please continue to do any time, rather all the time. Thank you again, Lord.

John

August 15, 1988

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.

O Mary mother of us all, I ask you to remember how you might have felt had your mother and father been less understanding about your role in life as the unwed mother of a child. My daughter, your daughter Gigi needs to know that her church and her God has not dumped on them. You know how she is feeling.

There is no human alive that has not made mistakes. Gigi and Tim have made mistakes even if I know not what they are. I know that you and your son, our Lord, love them so very much. I know you will stand firm with them and help them through this time.

Please find a way for them to have their marriage blessed in their church. It is not necessary for me to ask Jesus to bless their marriage for it seems that he has already done so. They do need a church and I beg you mother to give them one.

You, Mary were blessed indeed by being the mother of God and we know you to be most loved by God despite the fact you were unmarried and pregnant. Help my daughter Gigi now as she needs your help. Stand firm with Tim and Gigi and the new life your son has blessed then with.

I love you and trust you Mother and I am aware of your deep love for me and Linda. Thank you.

Happy day O Mother of God. We celebrate you O mother of God, we love you.

August 16, 1988

Father Ed told me he thought I was doing a pretty good job. Twice! I would hope he really means it. Supposedly from him that is a big compliment.

We went out tonight. We went to a late movie after supper at Denny's and a visit to a county fair for some harness racing. I even won two quinellas. I won a total of $12.60 for $4 bet, hey, not bad.

My daughter Gigi really thinks I can solve huge problems. Lord, you and I know I can't solve anything however, we both also know just who can. You can Lord and I have placed things firmly into your hands.

Thank you for this day. Stand firm with me Lord and do not turn me loose. I love you. John!

August 17, 1988

Tonight the Parish Council held a welcome to St. Mary dinner for us. It was chance for them to get to know us and us them.

It went well I thought.

Thank you Lord for helping Gigi and Tim.

Thank you Mother of us all for knowing and understanding our need.

There are not words to describe my God or his mother.

I am so grateful my God.

My soul praises my God.

My being sings with joy to my God, my Savior.

I am who am nothing knows of the power of I am who am.

I am who am is love, and love is my God.

Thank you my God.

August 18, 1988

Father Ed today wrote Linda and me a note suggesting that in the attempt to reach out to young adults we should be as creative as is possible. We should t be afraid to try something that has never been tried before. In fact he encouraged us to try such a thing that which has never been tried before.

Reaching out to young people and finding means to let them know that God loves them. There is a place for them in the Catholic Church, most of all in God's kingdom.

Wow!

This is another job for you O Lord. How would you go about this project? What would you do if you were me and assigned such an important task?

I know enough to know I do not have the answer so by golly Mr. Lord since you have the answer, I expect you to share it with me.

Better yet, Lord don't even bother explaining it to me, just go ahead and use me. Make me bring your answer about.

Now I am going to think and pray about this matter but whatever I do, well Lord, let it be your action.

Since this is clearly going to involve creativeness, you're the one. You are the only one Lord who can create anything so pardon the expression, but get on with it Lord. My boss expects answers and good actions through you. No sweat!

I love you and once again I thank you more than I can say for the miracle you gave me with Gigi and Tim!

John

August 20, 1988

Law

I am as convinced as Paul that law was something contrived by man because man did not have the strength to try to live by the law of God.

There is no need for law whatsoever.

There is a need for man to really believe in the one Lord God. If man believed in God, man would strive with all man's considerable strength to live by the law of God.

The law of God, and there is only one such law is love!

If I live in love, I need not fear how you live. If I live in love, I need not fear how anyone lives.

It does not matter how I am treated if I live in love for I will know only love.

Man says that what I have just written is bull! Man says that the reality of life is that if I am hurt, if someone I love is hurt, I will hurt and therefore react, not necessarily in love.

God says live in love!

I want to try to live in love. I am afraid. The question is am I more afraid of the consequences of man than the love I feel my God has for me.

In other words I can deal with God later and I have to deal with being human now.

I don't know.

I do know! I know of God's love and I know what I believe. What I believe is God's love is unlimited and I know it will protect me. Sometimes I seem to forget what I know.

Stand firm with me Lord, hold me up.

August 21, 1988

I am afraid not to believe and yet I have trouble believing. I see disaster ahead and know how to avoid it, yet, more often than not I find myself in a disastrous position. I love with all my being and I still I resist being loved. I fall down often but so far I always scramble back up.

It is in the constant picking up of one's self that truth is found. Each time I truly believe I will not fall again. I believe this with all that I am even knowing the likely truth is I will fall again.

What does all this make me?

Less of a man? No, I think it makes me more of what I am and what I am is God's child growing so very slowly toward the fullness of life.

I probably will never achieve the fullness of life, yet I never intend to quit trying for it.

It is the little wrong things I do that no one but God and I know about that concerns me. These are the things I must change for if I do not, then all the work I have done to get as far as I am, and that is much farther than when I was younger, well all that will be for naught if I can't get these things under control.

I have started to begin to control my thoughts. I have begun to resist evil thoughts where I used to relish in them. Maybe now I can begin to resist these small but equally evil habits.

Lord God, I most intend to try but you must help me. Stand firm with me and hold me up. Please do not turn me loose or drop me.

Protect me and mine from me until me is replaced with you.

I love and need and count on you and your love. John

August 22, 1988

Today is my sister Maggie's birthday.

She is 42 years old and has had a somewhat difficult life. I think it has been more difficult than mine because I have had my wife as a constant companion. I think it has been more difficult than mine because I have always had, albeit not perfect, but still, I have always had a relationship with my God that was personal and special.

This relationship has been with me since before I was born. My first memories are of my God speaking to me. My first early memories are of my God speaking in a gentle and deeply personal way to me.

I did not listen or appreciate this relationship for the longest time in my life. I do now!

I hope Maggie, my sister will somehow have a special relationship with God too. I know my God loves her and I just know Maggie and I are not so very different.

The last tine I visited her, I was struck by the incredible difference in the way we seem to view, seem to take part in life. I felt superior because I knew God. What a terrible way to feel. I treasure my relationship with my God and I treasure my growth. I also know I have just begun to grow and I pray my God will not let me stop growing ever. I am ashamed because I felt superior. I am ashamed for thinking my sister did not share the same knowledge I had. If her life had been different I know she would have so much more knowledge than I could ever have. In her way I just know she loves the same God I love and know.

I love my sister so very much I guess I just wanted her to share the same knowledge I am privileged to have. When she did not see God as I saw God, I immediately felt she really did not know God. I was wrong. I love you God but I do not have an exclusive hold on relationships with you. Please forgive me for my ignorance.

I guess Lord that today on Maggie's birthday, you have given me the present. Please give her a present also.

Thanks Lord,

John

August 23, 1988

Nikki Marie married Andy Raichlin in Utica, New York today around 2pm in a civil ceremony.

She just called.

Linda and I told them we loved and supported them. We are sending them $150 for a wedding gift.

We welcome Andy into our family and told them they would have no problem with us.

O God, were you there when this happened? Are you a part of their life? You know God, people do not understand when I tell them conventional religion ideas don't work. They just do not.

We need your strength Lord.

More and more I just want to be left alone. I want a small home, enough money to support ourselves, and simply to live a life of writing and reading and loving you.

Give us our health and give us a chance to get out of the trap we find ourselves in.

Lift us up and hold us tight, Lord. Do not let us go.

Give us strength.

Just please love us this night.

August 24, 1988

The music minister at St. Mary broke off the end of his key in the rectory door tonight. I called a locksmith and within reason took care of the problem.

Nobody hurts. I have lots of little aches and pain. The hollowness and prickly pins in my left side bother me. I should see a doctor but I don't feel great about any of the doctors I have met here.

I probably just worry too much

I stay so tense trying to keep my guard up.

I have been so worried about Nikki, Linda, Jamie, Gigi, and keeping my job, having some money saved. Go posh Lord, I am worrying myself crazy. No wonder I ache and hurt. No wonder I am just a little depressed.

Jesus heal me.

Jesus heal my body and heal my mind.

Jesus I give it all up to you. I cannot take care of all I am trying to or all I am worrying about. My Jesus how I love you, and how you love me. So there it is or rather here it is.

All yours.

Take my aches and pains and worries and lift me up and heal me.

Whatever happens I trust you my Jesus.

You are my God and I am your people.

August 25, 1988

Linda and I and Jamie attended a healing mass this evening at St. John's.

For a moment or two, I let go or dropped my guard. For that moment I praised my God and sang and loved my Lord. I needed to do that.

As with every time I drop my guard. The devil is there and waiting and or course I accommodate Satan.

Most of all I loved my God and I watched as others loved my God, their God in their own way.

So many people with so much faith.

Thank you God for the brief time I opened myself completely to you.

Most of all thank you my God for being with me the rest of the time which is most of the time.

I love you, do not let me do wrong and please do not let me go. Hold me tight and stand firm with me my God.

August 26, 1988

Well Lord, we have a teacher breakfast tomorrow morning for our first public function as DRE's here.

Please Lord, if you will it, we would like it to go well.

Don't know how I am doing today, I almost lost it for no reason. I was just tired, worried about getting things done.

I have to keep reminding myself that I can do nothing on my own. When I seem to be responsible for getting things done it is because I am doing your will.

It is just that sometimes when things are not going as well as I would like for them to be going, well Lord, I still am trying to do your will. I sure do not mean to be resisting your will in any way.

Stand firm with me Lord and hold me tight.

I love you,

John

August 27, 1988

Praise you O Lord for you are indeed the Lord God of all!

My soul cries loud with exultation at the thought of so great a God.

I am filled with the knowledge that you O God, are the only God.

My mouth from which so often garbage flows shouts out ‑

Only the absolute truthfulness of all truths ‑

There is one God and this God is mighty and wonderful.

There is one God and this one God is perfect love.

There is never a balance to this one God ‑

For there is no balance now or ever to perfect love.

Perfect love is unlimited and unlimiting and unconditional.

There is nothing to compare to you O God O Perfect Love.

John

August 28, 1988

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, son of man, brother of the Spirit, wisdom of God, this is in whose name I begin this day and now write.

God who is love created all that is, was, and will be, out of unconditional love.

We, you and I exist only because of unconditional love.

Unconditional love is all powerful. It is not a just or fair love for unconditional love has no justness of fairness. Just and fair are things that man has created for man's sake. If all things were of perfect love, unconditional love, there would be no need for man to have a need for justness or fairness for in love there is wholeness.

Man is not perfect. Man is flawed by the spirit of the Evil One who is not God but a certain power of appeal to man who is human. It is this Evil one that has come and dwells within man that most of the time has control of man's spirit.

Within each and every man is the real spirit. Within all humanity is the core, the central part, of all life. The core or center of all life is God and God is love and that love is all powerful and has no equal.

It is up to each man to reach into his being and call on the love that is God that dwells within. But man must beware of calling God out for when God hears man's call, God answers. God answers with unlimited and unlimiting love which the Evil One who also resides within man cannot understand, handle, or tolerate. There must be conflict. This conflict is painful almost beyond man's ability to understand or handle. The key is almost for there is nothing that is almost in love. In love all is!

The love that is God that dwells within each of us is unlimited and unlimiting, and all everything and God.

In this love is the origin of humanity. Through this love is the eternal nature of man.

Man has become comfortable with just and fair. Man has become comfortable with the pleasures of the evil that is also residing in man. Man with thought has chosen evil over love. Love is now a difficultly for man. Humanity is more at home with law and order and balance and what is right and what is wrong, than with love. Love is too simple! Love is too easy! Love is too demanding!

Humanity must find love once again. At some point each human must come to an understanding of God and evil. God is love, evil is an easier choice.

There is only one hope for humanity and that hope is the knowledge that love is eternal and unending and that love is unconditional so no matter the choices that humanity makes, the Lord God renames within all humanity. God is there now and always patiently waiting for that time when humanity calls God forth.

I warn you O humanity, when you with all your heart and soul call this God forth, beware, God will come and you will be changed. Even if after God has come you have chosen to reject God. You will not be the same for then you will have to live with the knowledge that once in your life you knew your God. You knew love. I warn you even more that if you call your God, that God will come. And if, you accept your God, if you accept love, you will become an outcast among the living for the living has not come where you will find yourself.

Am I warning you not to call upon your God then? No indeed! I have called and I know of his presence. I also know of the incredible joy that comes with wisdom. The incredible unity of being one with God, the unspeakable joy of being one in love in God, and, the feeling of deep failure and rejection which is almost beyond comprehension when you see and others do not.

For me I have made my choice and there is no, nor can there ever be any, other choice. I know my god loves me and so if man rejects me for what I am striving now to be which is Christ-like, so be it.

I joyfully encourage and seek you to join me on this journey.

Stand firm with me Lord and hold me tight. Do not, O Lord, turn me loose as I will surely fall if you do.

John

August 29, 1988

My manuscript was rejected one more time.

I feel as though I may never be published and yet I know that I have written things God wanted me to. So why does God want me to write. I may never know the answer, yet, I know God wants me to write, and so I do.

Tell them about me. This is what I heard God say to me. Tell them about my heart, I heard my Lord say.

I have nothing new to write and yet what I have written is real and complete. God's heart and soul is love. God's being is love and God is love and man has rejected love for law.

I think some men are now beginning to try to live in love. Man does not yet understand what love is and yet man is now seeking the knowledge of love.

The physical pleasures of the body have been mistaken for love by man. The wholeness of a man's mentality is not love. Love is God. God resides in man and is there for man to discover.

Man has not really searched for God. Now is the time for man to look for God. If man really looks for God, God will find man.

That is the way it has to be for man cannot find God. Man has not the wisdom necessary to find God. If man will look hard and long enough for God, God will find man.

Grant us O Lord the will to look for you. Stand firm with us and lift us up.

August 30, 1988

When I think about what have not done, I am frustrated.

When I think about what I have done, I am exhilarated.

When I think about the prospect of doing nothing, I pray most fervently my Lord will never let it be.

To do is to be alive and living is to be a part of. Sometimes it does not matter as much what you're a part of, as it matters just being a part of life. It is when inertia overcomes the desire to have life that humanity finally and forever is no more.

Sometimes I know that no matter what I do -

It will not be pleasing to the one I am trying to please. Then it becomes a real question who is it I want to please. The answer quite often is not who I imagined it to be. Then I wonder why I am so disappointed in their reaction.

Sometimes if I please myself I feel I did it right. Yet, if I please myself, something is missing. There is more to life than pleasing only one's self.

There is more to life than pleasing someone else.

It only works when the one you're pleasing is your creator.

I wonder if it is possible to please your maker always.

I think the maker would say yes indeed it is possible.

I wonder what the one who was made would say.

Would you say it was possible or would you say you're not perfect? Maybe the pleasing lies only in the trying to please and, not so often in the actual accomplishment of the deed.

There are other thoughts on this matter.

Some are better than mine I'm sure.

One final thought is this, I will share if it is done in love with love and by a loving being. You can rest completely assured that it will be pleasing.

The question is, can you live your life in love?

When it is of the part of man that is God, it is not of man, then it is the Godly part of man, therefore it is of God.