The following was an email update sent by one of my friends, and I was intrigued by the questions that was asked. Please feel free to leave comments on my blog to answer the questions presented. It would be interesting to find out what others think.My Friends,The longer I live, the more people I am acquainted with, the more I am faced with the reality of suffering and pain. Physical trials, broken relationships, emotional and spiritual crises seem to strike everyone indiscriminately, reminders of just how brutal this world can be. We sense that this wasnt the original plan, yet we can do little to avoid the onslaught.These past few months I have had the unfortunate opportunity to watch several of my friends as they have struggled through some incredibly difficult circumstances, blindsided by the fierce trials of life. As my heart has ached for them, my mind has been sobered by the realities of struggle and pain that seem to plague us all, regardless of where we live, what religion we follow, or how much money we have.So, the question is: where is the balance? How much of this life is to be spent celebrating the victories and how much of it is to be in mourning over the defeats? How much are we to allow our hearts to ache for a world that suffers daily, mostly apart from any hope of redemption, and how much are we to embrace and enjoy the blessings, rejoicing in the incredible gifts God has lavished upon us?