Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.  This advice from the Bible is a good one.  Another way to interpret this line is don’t nurse hurts in your marriage.  Let them go.  Start each day afresh.

I am imperfect and so is my partner.  If you don’t forgive your partner at the end of the day for being imperfect (for hurting you), the wounds just fester.

Everyone sins (or should I say is imperfect or human).  You know in your heart you sin everyday why should you expect your other to be otherwise.

Forgiveness at the end of the day wipes your slate clean.  That is why it is healthy not to nurse hurts in your marriage.

We are all imperfect and whether or not you think your partner deserves it you have to forgive your partner at the end of the day.  It is the right thing to do.

I really believe marriage was put on this earth only for two reasons–to teach us how to forgive and love others and these lessons start off with our primary relationships–our mates.

Tags: advice, Bible, don't let sun go down on your wrath, don't nurse hurts, end of the day, everyone sins, forgive, God, hurting, learn to forgive, lessons, love others, my partner, our mate, primary relationships, right-thing-to-do, start each day afresh, we are all imperfect, we are human, wipe slate clean, wounds fester, your marriage
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I don’t have to be ashamed when I don’t know something.  I used to be but no longer.  I think of the passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous essay “Self- Reliance”:  ‘There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance’…

When you are ashamed of what you don’t know you are comparing yourself to someone else.  I had to accept who I was, whatever my portion of knowledge I possessed and go on from there.

Comparing myself to someone else just got in the way.  I had to accept who I was.  There would always be others who knew more and conversely who knew less.

My body of knowledge started off with me, whatever my limitations and that was the way it was.  Envy, which had turned  into shame, just got in the way.  Every time I read those lines of Emerson’s I could relax.  I no longer had to be ashamed of what I did not know.

Tags: accept who I was, ashamed, comparing myself, comparing yourself to someone else, don't know something, education, envy is ignorance, envy turned into shame, essay, knowledge, limitations, Ralph Waldo Emerson, relax, Self-Reliance
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Sometimes people bless you when you least expect them to.  I remember once working at a residential home and taking apart a vacuum cleaner for its passage way was clogged up and thinking nothing of it.

My boss noticed that and commented and praised me for doing that and said in passing another worker is not able to do things like that.

I realized at that point my ability to fix the vacuum cleaner was a gift.  Not everyone can do that.  Sometimes we are so quick to dismiss abilities we have because we know other people can do it better.  Her praise was a gift and blessed me.

Another time I was at my school and showed a teacher some poetry of mine and she rapidly read some of my work and then commented, “I can’t write like that.”  She had multiple degrees and I had none but she blessed me when she said that.

Most of the time people bless you when you least expect it.  We take our own gifts for granted and other people remind us, sometimes, they are really gifts and you have been blessed by them.  Every gift is by grace.  Never forget that.

Tags: abilities are gifts, bless you, blessed by our gifts, boss, college degree, gift is by grace, God, poetry, praise, praise is a gift, residential home, take gifts for granted, teacher, when you least expect it, writing
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Imbalance in your life is not necessarily a bad thing.  I can not tell you when your life becomes imbalanced.  Only you know the signs.  I can suggest some of the signs:  you might feel stressed out, unduly nervous, usually feeling you have left something out of your life.

Your body and mind always tells you when you need to make a correction in your life.  When you have peace of mind, there is usually balance in your life, when you are obeying that tiny voice only you can hear.

But when there is too much unrest in your soul and you have no peace something needs changing.  The imbalance in your life now is a good thing.

The body and mind is always seeking a state of equilibrium.  For example, you eat a meal and your body indicates you are full.  Then enough time goes by and your appetite kicks in and you are hungry again.  And you start this cycle all over again.

And so you are always seeking a state of equilibrium in your life.  Your imbalance either too much in one direction or too much in the other direction indicates you need to make a life change–sometimes they are major and sometimes they are minor or both.

Only you know what changes have to occur.  Only you know.  And you will, also, know when you have made the right decisions.  Every one’s life goes through cycles.  You just have to listen to what your mind and body is telling you.

Tags: appetite, balance in life, changes, cycles in life, eat a meal, feel something is left out, God, hungry, imbalance in your life, listen to your mind and body, listen to your tiny voice, make a correction, make a life change, nervous, peace, peace of mind, soul, state of equilibrium, stressed out, unrest, your body, your mind
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I like all kinds of things so what?  I do not have to possess them.  According to the Bible, ‘Thou shall not covet,” is one of the ten commandments.

There is a reason for that.  There is no end to liking or should I say wanting or desiring something (or somebody).  There is no end to wanting more material things.

Observing this commandment puts a halt to desiring more things.  You make up your mind to be happy with what you got.

Money by itself is not an evil but avarice is.  Being aware coveting is a sin produces peace of mind.  You can be happy with what you have.

Less is more.  And there is no end to wanting more.  The commandment not to covet was designed not to deprive but acknowledge human nature and the danger of money and material wealth.

The more you have the more you want.  There can be an end to this by simply being satisfied with what you have.  Then you can rest.

Tags: avarice, be happy with what you have, be satisfied with what you have, Bible, coveting is a sin, danger of money and wealth, desiring things, God, human nature, less is more, material wealth, money not evil, more you have more you want, no end to wanting more, peace of mind, possessions, sin, ten commandments, things, thou shall not covet, you can rest
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It is important not to get seduced by good things.  There is no end to good things.  When you let yourself be seduced by good things, they become a distraction and you never get to the “meat” of your schedule.

It means first being still and then looking at your life and listening to your tiny voice telling you what is really important for you to do.  Each person has one.  And if you let yourself be distracted by good things you never get there.

Your “mission” is your unique contribution to the world–to the people in your circle.  It has been crowded out.  So be aware of the seduction of good things and say no to them.  There is no end to good things.

Tags: be-still, crowded out, distraction, do what is important, listen to your tiny voice, look at your life, no end to good things, seduced by things, unique contribution to the world, your mission in life, your schedule
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, money, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | 1 Comment »

Don’t linger too long in your tomorrows.  If you fixate on your future, your present will escape you.  You will miss everything for your head will be in the future.

The beauty and wonder around you will pass you by.  It is there every day.  You can not see it if your head either lingers too long in the past or all you can do is imagine your future.  Life will pass you by.  The present will become your past too quickly.

Somehow there needs to be a balance:  you have to have some idea how your past impacts you (so you don’t continually repeat it) and have some expectation where you might be heading and at the same time enjoy what is happening around you.

It is always a balancing act.  Don’t be like the ostrich with its head in the sand always–either stuck in the past or in your future.

Learn to be aware of your life unfolding with (???) and without you.  It is there.  You just have to open your eyes and see what is unraveling right in front of you–your life today.  So don’t get stuck.

Tags: balance, be aware, beauty, don't repeat the past, enjoy today, fixate on your future, head in the sand, life will pass you by, linger in the past, linger in tomorrow, open your eyes, ostrich, stuck in the past, where you are heading, wonder, your life unfolding, your past, your present
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You should never stop making plans for the future.  It implies there is always hope.  No matter how uncertain your future is there is always hope.  It is true nothing is guaranteed.  Nevertheless as long as you are still making plans you have not given up on yourself (and others closest to you).  Keep dreaming and making plans no matter how dismal your situation is.  There is always hope.  And you have not given up.

Tags: dismal situation, don't give up, don't give up on yourself and others, God, hope, make plans for the future, never stop dreaming, nothing is guaranteed, there is always hope
Posted in death, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | No Comments »

I still watch birds after all these years.  I love identifying them and seeing a new species for the first time.  I have four feeders which I can view from my large living room window.

The one filled with suet is placed near the trunk of my large white pine tree.  I still get a kick out of watching the downy woodpeckers come and go up and down the trunk of the tree seemingly at attention.

The beauty of the larger red bellied woodpecker still takes my breath away.  Other species of woodpeckers have come but usually it is only the downy woodpecker and the occasional red bellied.

I spotted a grosbeak feeding on the ground the last two days but I am still trying to pin down the exact species.  I had never seen one before.

I was driving once on a major highway and a ruffed grouse literally “exploded” in front of me missing my windshield by inches.

Every time I visit a friend there is the same blue heron wading in the same spot in the same pond as if it had not moved an inch in weeks.

It was not until I had moved to this state did I see a great egret, a big majestic white bird.  Now I search for a glimpse of him every time as I travel along the Susquehanna River.  They migrate South in the Fall.  The egrets usually can be found wading at the perimeter of the islands.  Usually I see the smaller white snowy egret, though.

God has made so many types of birds and I glory in his creations.  When I least expect it I see a new species.  I still love watching and identifying birds after more than a half of century.  I feel old now.

Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, blue heron, downy woodpecker, Fall, God, God made birds, great egret, grosbeak, His creations, identifying birds, love watching birds, migrate south, new species of bird, pond, red bellied woodpecker, ruffled grouse, suet, Susquehanna River, view feeders from living room window, wading near islands, white bird, white pine tree, white snowy egret
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It is cold and wet and damp.  Even my dog does not want to stay out.  It is forty-three degrees.  I made sure I put a warm, long sleeved shirt on with a sweatshirt.

It is only October fifteenth but I am ready to hibernate until spring and warmer weather.  This is the time of year that all I want to do is stay in my heated (and warmer) house.  To think Autumn is just beginning.  How depressing!

Tags: autumn, cold and wet and damp, heated house, hibernate, my dog wants to stay inside, October, pets, spring, sweatshirt, warm shirt, warmer weather
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Every act you undertake indicates a level of faith.  My wife and I planted some pussy willows that have sprouted in water.  Frost is a week or two away.  And there was part of me that thought it was too late to plant them.

Nevertheless, we planted them.  We knew the plants would not survive in the house and the only way we would have a chance for the plants to sprout was to plant them despite the lateness of the season.

We also planted them together so we can enjoy them later if they took hold and grew.  Gardening always takes faith.  Even tending plants indoors.  You try to do the right thing:  place the plant correctly according to the light and give it sufficient water.  Evey act requires faith.  This is a small example but every act is based on a certain level of faith–some more.

Tags: every act requires faith, faith, frost, gardening, God, indoor plants, late in the season, light, my wife, plants, plants outdoors, pussy willow, sprout, water
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Are you listening to your muse?  Only you know for sure.  I can not tell you.  Different people call it by different names:  your intuition, your “third ear” (Theodore Reich), subconscious.  There are so many different names out there for that.

I find it interesting that communication is nine tenths non-verbal according to some psychologists and we place such emphasis on the rational mind.  There are some signs when you are not listening to your Muse.  Constant unrest in your life might indicate you are not.

Your conscience is another word for your Muse.  It is the tiny voice inside you that if you ignore all the time will not go away completely causing internal unrest.

A sense of well being, peace may indicate you are on the right track.  Only you can truly know what your Muse is telling you to do.  Sometimes it does not make sense and requires a leap of faith.  And you might know only later you have followed your Muse correctly.

The world is full of people who are quick to tell you what to do and you have to pick your friends carefully or they might too easily lead you astray.  Following your muse can be a lonely path.

These are just some indications whether you truly have followed your Muse and again only you can know and can listen to that tiny voice only you can hear.  I hope these words can encourage you.

Tags: communication is nine tenths non verbal, constant unrest, encourage, encouragement, God, intuition, lead you astray, leap of faith, listen to your muse, lonely path, on the right track, peace, people tell you what to do, pick friends carefully, psychologist, rational mind, sense of well-being, subconscious, Theodore Reich, third ear, tiny voice inside, your conscience, your muse
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