Sharing with you one of my life's greatest experiences in all of 25 years...

A picture speaks a thousand words, and how much more if its a picture of God's loveliest creation- Man. What sets us apart from a plant of an animal, is the ability to embrace love in its entirety of giving and receiving, to nurtuer and in turn, to remember those who have touched us. Love covers a multitude of sins, it forgives and overcomes, transcending all physical, mental and social barriers.

Hardened by the brutalities of their every-day lives during the reign of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodians of those times knew not what it means to love and to be loved. Unfortunately, the emotional scars endured by them did not diminish over time. Every Cambodian kid we met during the trip had a sad story to tell. Violence had become a way of living, a means of survival. Aggression was the face of many a Cambodian child.

However, looking at the pictures of the the Cambodian kids taken during our visit, I am compelled to think otherwise. What I perceive are reflections of hope and innocence, and the willingness to accept love from those who were ready to give.

Take time to consider this... You are born in a country free of strife, blessed with luxury beyond your basic needs, and surrounded by family and friends. Can life be any better? Yours would be a living paradise to any Cambodian kid. But you are still not happy. Until you take a step back from the deafening competition to ponder over the times you have hurt that scumbag of a colleague with your words and actions, the number of times you have missed a family gathering or lost your friend(s) to pettiness... you will never understand joy.

The only price we have to pay for joy is to simply love. To love your neighbour as yourself, and to love that enemy as much as you do, the neighbour. Because love is sacrificial and giving without expecting to receive, you find more contentment in life and through contentment, joy.
Trust me, you've been blessed in more ways than you know.