Christmas is right around the corner, so we checked the children’s toys to make room for new goodies.

And for heaven’s sake, we discovered that half of their birthday gifts from six months ago are still in the box! And they are nice toys like lego sets, etc, which we thought they would love it.

The most interesting thing is, every time one kid got something, be it a dollar store buy, the others will always try to fight over it.

Isn’t it amusing? Somehow human nature never changes. We just switched from kids’ toys to adult toys.

We think we have to get that shining thing, or a popular friend, or being invited to the fancy parties, then we will feel happy.

But just like every toy that was being opened, after five minutes or a maximum of five days, it lost that luster. Then our eyes are being pulled by the next target.

There is much counterfeit happiness in life. Because for every good and noble thing God has created, it’s guaranteed that the devil will make a counterfeit.

I will end this little post with the full version of serenity prayers. I have always only known the first half of the prayer until a friend shared with me the whole version, and I loved it.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

taking, as Jesus did,

this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that You will make all things right

if I surrender to Your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.