Fighting Temptation and Learning From Sacrifice

Hi guys, so this week, I'm going to not be on Facebook (for leisure). This is purely so I can learn to not be dependent on social media, especially Facebook. I turn to it too much and I need to stop. Hopefully after this I can learn to do without my games. The reason for this "sacrifice" is so I can understand the true meaning of Lent.

It's been a while since I've had a religious experience. The last I remember was back in 2012/2013. I miss them, and although they may not return to me, I feel like, if I try to keep the hope alive, I'll be able to experience something similar. I've been inspired recently, to return to the roots of my faith, and I realise, it's easier than I thought it would be. Yes I do have that temptation to not try at all, but in the book I'm reading, Rediscovering Catholicism, by Matthew Kelly (2002), I've realised one thing. If I want to get something done, I have to be disciplined, and keep going. You see, this book has inspired me in the past, and admittedly it's what got me through my GCSE RE (Religious Education) exam, and it's inspiring me again. I want to return to my faith. I've seen what it's like when I don't live with it, and simply say I do.

Last year was the darkest of my life, perhaps not in terms of the things I've done, but in my emotions. I had been at my lowest more times than I had been in the past, and I really don't want that again. What was my lowest? Well, remember my depressed posts? That was an example of one. During the summer I'd been through something similar, and it was not the greatest summer, despite the fact I'd been to Cancun and Florida. This is why I cannot stop trying to return to my roots. If I remember my belief, and remind myself why I'm Catholic, I will always remember the beauty I saw in the world that I live.

Yes, I know there are many of you who don't care, and who won't care. So my question to you, why are you reading this? If you don't like what I say, don't read on. If you don't agree, I understand, but don't try to convince me. Do I look like I'm forcing my convictions on you? No, I'm only telling you what I believe in.

I know that the efficacy of telling is low, which is why I will try to show you. Perhaps not on here, but maybe in my life. There may be some of you who actually know me and read this, and thus I will show you with my life, I know in the past I have made mistakes, but I will try my best to learn from the. As for those who don't know me, I will try my best to show you, here. Sometimes quotes from the book, or the bible, or other sorts of media that I find, with a meaningful quote. Other times, with stories of my own, and much of the time with updates on my novel.

My novel is not exactly based on my faith, in fact it's more politically and socially aware than religiously, but that's what I'll start with. However, I hope that one day my readers will see my belief embedded into it. I will not say my religion will be present, because religion is the wrong word. This word: religion, it repels many of you. I know, it's because it used to repel me. So instead, I will say belief, lifestyle, because this is much easier to chew than religion.

So let's start off this week with the quote that will be my mantra for the coming week:

"There are four major aspects of the human person - physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. When we eat well, exercise often, and sleep regularly, we feel more fully alive physically. When we love, when we give priority to the significant relationships of our lives, when we give of ourselves to help others in their journey, we feel more fully alive emotionally. When we study, we feel more alive intellectually. When we come before god in prayer, openly and honestly, we experience life more fully spiritually. All of these life-giving endeavours require discipline. When we are most fully alive? When we embrace a life of discipline. The human person thrives on discipline." - Matthew Kelly (2002)

A Revelation From Doctor Who

I have just recently watched a panel for the Doctor Who cast and crew, about the 50th anniversary, and I really love this quote "Heroes are important. Heroes tell us something about ourselves. History books tell us who we used to be, documentaries tell us who we are now but heroes tell us who we want to be."

Not only that but I think Moffat was right when he says, "Heroes depress me, but with this particular hero, they didn't give him a gun, they gave him a screwdriver to fix things. They didn't give him a tank or a warship or an X-wing fighter, they gave him a call box, from which you can call for help. And they didn't give him a superpower, or pointy ears or a heat ray, they gave him an extra heart."

So I thought I'd share this with everyone because, from Doctor Who, I learned that everyone needs a hero, although sometimes the heroes we want aren't the heroes we need, and truth be told, the Doctor, is my hero. Not because he has companions who I wish I were (even though I do), but because as Steven Moffat implies, he's a hero who wants to save, not to fight.

Think about it, the tenth doctor, played by David Tennant, offers his enemies a home to live in, he gives them the choice to live peacefully, for example in the Christmas Special The Next Doctor, as the cyber-men try to take over Victorian London, he offers them to find a planet, one where they can live their "mechanical lives in peace", or the eleventh doctor, played by Matt Smith, offers the Rosanna and her family to find a new home for them, so as not to destroy Earth, or even in the 50th anniversary special, even though there were three, and each one was seriously thinking of destroying Gallifrey, he still finds a way to save his home planet.

It is because of his love of life that I see him as my hero, he doesn't care about who he saves, even if it's his enemies, he still wants to save them, even though it means they end up dying. So, that's why I love Doctor Who, and I hope for those of you out there, who don't really care for it, who think it's just another boring TV show that only nerds and geeks watch, this is the reason we watch it. It's because the Doctor teaches us that even though we "are still learning to walk" we have so much potential, we have a lot to learn about ourselves and we all have the capability to be great.

I'm not trying to persuade you to watch it, I know it may not be your thing, but if you do ever encounter someone who does love it, don't put them down, don't make them feel inferior, just because they watch a sci-fi drama, understand that they watch it because it gives them hope, hope of a future that they may yet have, hope that they can be as great as the doctor, or his companions. And for those of you who have seen it and love it as much as I do, I recommend watching this panel (the link below), I guarantee you, it will teach you a lot about the doctor, it's where I found my two quotes. Finally for those of you who do want to watch it, but have not yet seen it, I do recommend it, it's character, as a show is what makes it great, and if you do, welcome to the family.

http://www.doctorwho.tv/whats-new/article/exclusive-video-smith-moffat-and-coleman-talk-50-years-and-tease-christmas-and-capaldi

So I leave you with this poster for the 50th Anniversary special. And as always do with this post what you will, may God Bless you. ^^

image link: http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/poll-the-regeneration-limit-56536.htm