Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
As I read about Joseph's unwavering faith in all his trials this book came to mind. I had to read Man's Search For Meaning in a AP Psychology class my Senior year of high-school. The existentialism found in this book had already had a profound impact on me. You do not need to be a Holocaust survior, as Frankl is, to identify with man's desperate search for meaning. Man's Search For Meaning is on my list of top 25 books. A must read!
Be Here Now was my first religious book (long before the Bible). I just happened to come across it in my sister's collection of books. A few months later I meet my best friend, Kayla, who had also just stumbled upon this book in her mother's collection of books. Odd coincidence or divine fate I do not know, but the theories and teachings of Be Here Now brought the two of us closer than I had ever been to another person. It is full of metaphysical teachings and religious aphorisms complete with illustrations. Many Christians might find the teachings a bit scary because they are so full of Eastern thought and practice. However Be Here Now is more of a hippy-dippy way of illustrating Jesus awesomeness. Here is one of my favorite passages:
There's a Sikh story about a holy man who gave two men each a chicken and said:
"Go kill them where no one can see."
One guy went behind the fence and killed the chicken. The other guy walked around for two days and came back with the chicken. The holy man said:
"You did not kill the chicken."
The guy said:
"Well, everywhere I go, the chicken sees."
This passage reminds me of the sermon on the mount given by Jesus. Sin is in our heart and can not be concealed by holy actions. The foundation of our salvation must be in the heart. An unrighteous heart can not be hidden from God because everywhere he or she sees.
The best movie ever made!
Again one of my top 25 movies of all time. Harold and Maude is a timeless classic full of wisdom and humor. I chose this clip because of the importance of being unique. God gave us each individual gifts. Whether your gift is song, football, or simply being a nice person, this gift has been given to you to glorify The Almighty. There is something you have that nobody else has and God wants you to let it shine through!
