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

How many times have you heard those four words:  “I’d love to but…”  If the person is truthful, the fact is he/she really wants to do other things more.  Every person prioritizes their life.  This is an on-going process.  Yes, he may want to do that particular thing but not enough.  There are other things that are more important in that person’s life.  It is something that appears attractive for that person to do in his life yet he never gets to it.  Other things keep crowding it out because the other things (if he/she is truthful) are more important to do.  So the next time a person tells you he/she “would love to do that but…”, point this out:  he does not want to do that particular thing enough.  We have so many hours in the day.  We have so much control over our lives but, at some level, we do the things we want to do the most.

Tags: balance, excuses, other things more important, priorities, relationships
Posted in balance, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

I realized this morning I awoke depressed–something that does not happen to me too often.  I was abnormally busy the last two days.  I did not get enough rest and too many things have gone wrong (though small things).  I have to take better care of myself, reduce my work load, eat properly.  I am going to lay low the next few days.  Then, at some point, the depression should lift.

Nothing happens in a vacuum including depression.  There is an intricate relationship between our body and our mind.  My depression is telling me something is wrong, something needs correcting.  I need to take better care of myself.  I have to learn to listen to my body and mind.  Sometimes depression is just a physical thing.  Fatigue is often a factor.  Everyone has limits.  I have to observe mine.

Tags: balance, body and mind related, depression, depression will lift, eat properly, everyone has limits, fatigue, get enough rest, God, knowledge, lay low, learning, listen to my body and mind, mind/body, nothing happens in a vacuum, observe your limits, reduce work load, sometimes depression is physical, take better care of myself, too busy
Posted in balance, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, mental health, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »

Wonder and mystery is many things.  It is being surprised by a sunset.  Your mind was somewhere else and there it was taking your breath away.  It is knowing you never could have predicted your life and how it was unraveling.  Your wife is a mystery, who you know you did not deserve.  It is so many things you do not understand but strain to.  It is knowing this world could never have been created by man:  it is far too vast and intricate.  That there must be a higher power.  That could be the only answer.  Not that all this is not a mystery.  There is so much I am awed by.  The mystery called sex.  Only God could have created that.  The wind that blows from nowhere and disappears just as quickly.

Knowing your dusk has come and you really have no idea how many dawns will still appear in your life and all you can do is treasure each moment.  Wouldn’t life be boring without mystery and wonder?  And do you have any doubt man was created just below the stature of angels?  And also the universe could not have created by chance.  All that is mystery (and wonder).  So ponder some of those things.

Tags: angels, balance, beauty, God, higher power, how many dawns, knowledge, learning, mystery, mystery called sex, nature, only God, seasons, so much I am awed by, surprised by a sunset, the universe, the wind, time, treasure each moment, vast and intricate world, wonder, world could never have been created by man, your dusk has come, your wife
Posted in balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, nature, seasons, time, wisdom | 2 Comments »

It always makes a difference to you when you do not wear your watch:  my watch band broke.  The last two Sundays I went to church I did not have a watch on.  The time flowed differently.  I focused more fully on the service.  I did not get impatient.  I never forgot the comment of Gulliver in “Gulliver’s Travels” when he was asked by the Lilliputians (the little people) what that large ticking machine (referring to his watch) was and he replied, “It is my God.  I would not do anything without first consulting it.”  Too many people consult their watches way too frequently and lead their lives by the book and heavily regimented.  They never learn to flow with the moments they deem important.  It is an interesting experiment to leave your watch at home and learn to flow with your important moments.  God knows there are enough clocks around to keep your appointments on time.  Try it some time.  Take your watch off for a day or two or even a week.  See how that changes your perception of the events occurring around you and through you.

Tags: "Gulliver's Travels", balance, changes your perception, church, flow with the moments, God, knowledge, learning, Lilliputians, Sunday, time, time flowed differently, wear my watch
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, love, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Less, again, is always more.  It is far easier to be satisfied with what you’ve got than to want more.  There is no end to more.  Riches are all relative.  It is far easier to cut your expenses controlling your desires of more material wealth than increasing your money coming in or simply not living within your means (which usually means using credit).  I do not know how many marriages were destroyed by poor money management.  Creating a reasonable budget and living within your means always creates peace.  Juggling bills and creditors is always stressful.  Putting money aside for emergencies (and they always come) is prudent.  God supplies everything but we are entrusted with using our money (and resources) prudently.  That is under our control.

Tags: balance, be satisfied with what you've got, budget, control your desires, cut your expenses, God, God supplies everything, less is more, living within your means, marriage, material wealth, money, money management, no end to more, our resources, peace, putting money aside, riches are relative, want more
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, money, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Less is always more.  One of the ten commandments is, ‘Thou shall not covet.’  I did not realize for awhile I was breaking that commandment all the time or even it was one of the commandments.  Things are always distributed unequally in this world.  Some people have more.  Some less.  That is reality.  The trick is to be happy with what you have.  I do not like game shows and lotteries because both pander to greed.  God gives to each of us abundantly.  He only promises food and shelter.  Everything else is given to you by serendipity.  The poor will always exist in this world.  We are commanded to help the less fortunate.  In fact, if it is in your power to perform a good deed and you don’t it is a sin.  Thank God for all your blessings all the time and help the less fortunate.  Again, I will quote Mother Teresa:  ‘Do small things with great love.’  Never forget your blessings.  And always pray to God with thanksgiving.

Tags: 'do small things with great love', balance, be happy with what you have, Bible, blessings, covet, God, God gives abundantly, God's grace, greed, help the less fortunate, less is more, Mother Teresa, pray to God with thanksgiving, serendipity, ten commandments, thank God, thank God for all your blessings, thanksgiving, thou shall not covet
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, money, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

I do not have to know everything.  Of course, no one can.  There are few Renaissance people any more.  Yet it is so easy to feel shame if you can not do simple things and envy the knowledge others possess.  It is so hard to know what you know and know what you do not.  This knowledge is the beginning of wisdom.  Ignorance is bliss.  You can relax in the fact this world is interdependent.  We all need one another.

Money can provide the illusion this is not so.  It is truly an illusion.  All you have to do is think of all the services provided for you.  Someone keeps the roads paved.  Someone is raising the crops that provide the food you buy in supermarkets.  The Army and the police assure your safety.  There are scientists, engineers working on solutions to improve your life further.  There are hospitals, doctors, teachers, the list is endless of people out there providing for you and your children.  Are you beginning to get the point?  We are dependent on one another.

In fact the bad economic state we are in even more so forces us to rely on each other.  That is really a good thing.  One does not have to do it alone and can relax.  Still you have to do your part.  Nevertheless, we are interdependent with one another.  We can rely on each other.  That is really the way the world is designed.  In the words of John Donne, ‘No man is an island.’  If we can hold on to that idea, the world becomes a much smaller place and we can relax further.  No one has to do it alone.  We are in this world together.  It is okay to ask for help when you need it and certainly it is okay to reach out to the needs of people around you.  All that can be very comforting.

Tags: balance, comforting, do not have to do it alone, do your part, doctors, economic state, God, hospitals, interdependence, John Donne, knowledge, learning, money, no man is an island, okay to ask for help, raising crops, reach out to others, relationships, rely on each other, Renaissance people, roads paved, services provided, teachers, we all need one another, we can relax, wisdom, world is interdependent
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

I have more than enough unread books and that does not include the steady stream of daily newspapers and magazines that come to my household.  Do I feel guilty I can not keep up with my reading, that I never read the complete newspaper from cover to cover?  Certainly not.  I am reminded of King Solomon’s words in the Bible and I am not sure I can quote that verbatim:  he says we can become weary of too much study.  I read what I most want to read.  I scan newspapers and magazines reading what most interests me.  I do not feel compelled to read every word.  That would be a trap and make reading onerous instead of the joy it is.  The words of Solomon written over 2,000 years ago have not changed.  In an era of instant communication one thing has not changed through the ages–the saturation point.  Each person can absorb so much information and then becomes sated.

Life is always a balancing act.  Reading is only one part of my life.  I need time to absorb and reflect on the significance of what I read and for that matter I need time to simply reflect periodically where I am going or have been.  That takes time and often quiet.  Reading is only one thing I do and is punctuated by empty spaces.  I never feel guilty I have not read enough or thoroughly enough.  It is all relative.  One has to live his life.  Ideas are only one thing.  Then one has to put into practice what he/she learns.  That is only possible if reflection takes place.  And that, of course, takes time.

Tags: absorb and reflect, balance, become weary of too much study, Bible, books, empty spaces, God, ideas are only one thing, joy of reading, King Solomon, knowledge, learning, magazines, quiet, reading, reading what most interests me, reflection, saturation point, time, unread newspapers
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, local, love, time, wisdom | No Comments »

People always do things in their own timing.  It is so easy to forget this.  One can become too self-absorbed with their own needs and desires.  I have to remind myself this.  It is so easy to forget.  One has to give others around them the freedom how to choose to utilize their time.  I can remind my mate of something.  I always have to do it this gently–not demand it.  I have to look at things others want me to do and remind myself I also appreciate it when others let me choose my timing.  At the same time I have to be aware of other people’s priorities.  I do not have total freedom to do whatever, whenever.  It is always a balancing act.

Tags: balance, choose my timing, do not demand things of your mate, God, marriage, relationships, self-absorbed, timing
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »