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

One and one are three. I was in my office, looked around and thought you have improved my life. It is said in the bible it is not good to be alone. I am convinced “The Creator” made marriage for one reason–to teach us to love better. It really makes no difference who your partner is. Each person in a relationship is “stretched”, has to take in their partner with all their strengths and weaknesses and somehow learn to love the other despite their flawed nature. Sure one can break up the union.  Despite that, one and one always makes three.

Tags: Bible, flawed nature, God, learn to love, marriage, relationships, teach us to love, the Creator
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It was a shock when I learned (via the internet) that John Dye died of a heart attack:  he was only 47.  John Dye was the angel of death in “Touched By An Angel”–a role he was perfect for.

He played the role on TV with such humanity.  The show ran nine years.  By the third he had become a regular.  His stance toward death was biblical but his touch was not heavy handed.

He left so many memories in that role.  Even in death he will continue to impact others who discover or view again the episodes of “Touched By An Angel”.  I am sure he is on the other side.

He did not bludgeon you with hell.  Sure it was a possibility.  He did not use that word.  He emphasized the positive–how much God wanted a relationship with you.  He was totally believable and he will be missed.

Tags: "Touched By An Angel", angel of death, Bible, Biblical, death, God, God wants a relationship with you, hell, John Dye, tribute, TV
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If I am upset I want you to react to that.  Don’t be defensive or gloss over my mood.  And it goes your way too:  If I am not acting right, you need to gently tell me I am not behaving properly toward you.

I do not want to get out of control.  I do not want to reach the point of no return.  Please tell me before that happens.  You can tell me quietly.  I don’t want the silent treatment from you.

I always want you to be real.  No phony niceness.  You can cut me off before I go out of control.  It says in Proverbs an apt answer can defray anger.  That is a paraphrase.  Nevertheless, always be real with me.

It can prevent me from going out of control.  I really do not like being out of control.  Always be real with me.  Gentle but real.

Tags: be "real", be real with me, Bible, defray anger, God, out of control, phony niceness, Proverbs
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Life is, indeed, very precious.  It is a paradox:  our life is one drop of water in the vast ocean yet the Almighty cares and knows about you.  So much trouble is caused by individuals who feel impotent, that their life does not matter, that they (???) been passed by, that they have no control of the forces beyond them.

God cares about you.  The world does not revolve around you.  Nevertheless, every life matters.  ‘Every hair on your head is numbered’.  These words from the bible remind you that the Almighty cares about every aspect of your life.

Every life is precious.  This realization forces you to treat yourself (and others) kindly.  If your life matters then you have to act as if it does and find the calling you have been endowed with.

Every person is a snowflake.  Only you can do what God has set upon you to perform.  No one can tell you what it is but it all starts with the realization God cares about you.  You matter.

Tags: "every hair on your head is numbered", Bible, every life matters, feel they have no control, find your calling, God, God cares about you, life is precious, life matters, The Almighty, treat others kindly, world does not revolve around you, you matter
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‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…’ is the opening lines of the Psalm King David wrote (the twenty-third Psalm).  Know when you are struggling, He will never forsake you.  Humans might, but not The Almighty.

Repeat those lines over and over even when you feel out of control and there is no hope.  Cling to those words until they become saturated in every corner of your being.

Know He will take care of your every need, know He will not forsake you even in your darkest hour.  By all means read the rest of that psalm.  Just know he will fill every need you have and will never forsake you even when others let you down.

We are all imperfect and flawed.  ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’  If that is all you have, that is all you need.  Never lose sight He cares about every thing you do and say.

He is always at your side.  Never lose sight of that.  And make sure you do not fight your fight alone for others will pick you up when you slip and fall.

So find a body in a church you are comfortable with.  You have to make yourself accountable to others.  It matters.  Another person can pick you up when you fall.  And we all do.  And God works through others.

Tags: accountable to others, Bible, church, cling to those words, do not fight alone, God works through others, He cares about you, He is always at your side, He will never forsake you, He will take care of every need, I shall not want, King David, let others help you, others pick you up, people let you down, Psalm 23, slip and fall, The Almighty, The Lord is my Shepherd, there is no hope, we are flawed, we are imperfect, your darkest hour
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Every marriage is flawed and it does me no good to point out my wife’s flaws to her.  I just forgive her and go on from there.  We are all imperfect (and sin).

There is no way to get around that.  I have to admit I balked at the statement I read in a book where it says it does no good to criticize anyone:  it just lessens our ability to love that person.

I know I often criticize my partner even if it is only self talk.  Somehow I need to forgive her for not matching up every day.  I certainly don’t.  So why should I expect her to not make any mistakes?  I err every day.

Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath is good advice from the Bible.  Give each other a clean slate and forgive each other at the end of each day.

Bitterness can form an almost impenetrable wedge between you and your mate.  So recognize that both of you are flawed and forgive each other at the end of the day.  Every marriage is flawed.

Tags: ability to love, Bible, bitterness, criticize, don't let the sun go down on your wrath, end of the day, err, every marriage is flawed, forgive, forgive each other, give a clean slate, God, impenetrable wedge, love, marriage, mistakes, my wife, self talk, we all sin, we are all flawed, we are imperfect, your mate
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We think so differently.  My wife and I.  Sometimes that is hard to accept although I know one and one makes three in our case.  It really would be quite boring if we thought exactly alike.

She does drive me crazy but I imagine I do the same to her.  “Isn’t that what all wives do?” my doctor commented when I mentioned that to him.

I know I am more because she is by my side.  Studies over and over prove married people live longer which does not mean married life is not stressful at times:  it is.

But Proverbs says there is nothing worse than a man who falls down and has no one to pick him up.  It is true I lose certain things when I decided to marry but I also gain things.

I like what Scott Peck says about marriage, ‘People get married for the friction.’  His exact words in one of his books.  There is no more common institution to change you than marriage.

Change won’t happen without sparks.  I can testify to that.  And I am sure so can other people who entered that institution.  Will you survive them?  That is the only pertinent question.

Tags: "people get married for the friction", Bible, God, marriage, married people live longer, my wife, one and one makes three, Proverbs, Scott Peck
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Don’t torture yourself with the question why.  There is no answer.  Why did this happen?  Why me?  There is no answer to that question.  As King Solomon (as well as other people) said bad things happen to good people also.

There really is no answer to that question and if you ask yourself that question why this or that happens is all kinds of reasons will cycle endlessly in your mind.  And it is non productive.

I like the much quoted lines from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s mom.  I don’t remember the quote exactly but she said, “Every one gets dealt a certain hand (in cards); what matters is what you do with that hand.”

That is what she taught her son who later became a four star general and our President.  The only important thing is what are you going to do with your particular set of circumstances.  That is it.

No mulling endlessly, Why or Why me?  What are you going to do now?  That is the only thing that matters.

Tags: Bible, don't ask why, Dwight D. Eisenhower, four star general, King Solomon, president, why me, your circumstances
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Somehow I have to refrain from becoming angry.  I need to develop more patience.  There is a time and place for anger but if I fly off the handle too easily something is wrong.

I have to slow down, listen more closely.  ‘Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.’  Those words from Proverbs suggest a formula to avoid anger.

The first part of it forces you to slow down.  That is the only way you can be quick to listen.  You first have to refrain from talking, focus on the words of the person talking.

At the same time you may be able to digest the words spoken to you better.  The last part of the equation ‘be slow to anger’ suggests that if you listen better and also do not talk it may become a little easier not to react in anger.

These scriptures from Proverbs give me hope.  My wife has told me I repeatedly interrupt her.  I have to work on this.

Tags: "quick to listen slow to speak and slow to anger", anger, Bible, develop patience, fly off the handle, hope, listen, my wife, Old Testament, Proverbs, talking
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Sometimes I do not see the birds.  I wonder where they went, whether I am just missing them.  A steady stream of titmouse, downy woodpecker and flocks of slate covered junco come to my feed I put out for them.

Presently there is not one bird out there.  The dogs were out and just charged in.  Now I am waiting for my visitors.  I do not remember exactly where I read it in the Bible but it says if God can feed the sparrow how can we possibly doubt God won’t take care of us.

I think it uses the word lowly to describe the sparrow.  I put out birdseed on the ground and keep three feeders full.  The birds do not, I am sure, spend one second worrying where their next meal comes from.  Even in winter.

If God takes can take care of the lowly sparrow how can we possibly doubt He will not take care of us?  Of (???) ye humans of bad faith!

Tags: Bible, bird feed, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, do not worry, dogs, downy woodpecker, faith, flocks of slate covered junco, God, God feeds the sparrow, God takes care of us, humans, lowly sparrow, our dogs, pets, slate covered junco, titmouse, winter
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Time is always a question of balance.  It is easy to keep yourself occupied.  Every person needs empty spaces in their lives.

It is all too easy to go faster and faster nowhere.  It is essential to slow down, even stop even if that is briefly.  ‘Be still and know I am God’, the words from Proverbs in the Bible.

How can you possibly hear that tiny voice inside you if you are always rushing from one thing to another?  It is so essential to stop periodically and examine your life, figure out where are you heading.

That tiny voice inside you is too often passed by you in busyness and turmoil.  ‘Observe the Sabbath’, one of the ten commandments, is there to encourage you to get off your treadmill and look at your life.

How can your life have balance if you do not give your self time to examine it?  How you use your time is always a question of balance.  That is the only way to hear your tiny voice so easily covered up by other things.

Tags: Be still and know that I am God, Bible, busyness, examine your life, get off treadmill, going nowhere fast, look at your life, need to slow down, observe the Sabbath, Proverbs, question of balance, ten commandments, time, tiny voice inside you, we need empty spaces in life, where you are heading
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Sometimes you just have to let things go.  It does not matter if you or your mate was right.  You have to give your mate a clean slate every day.  ‘Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath’–lines from the New Testament.

The devil uses unforgiveness to pit one mate against the other.  And we are all imperfect.  And each day each person make mistakes so it is important to let them go and start the day afresh.

There is wisdom in those lines from the Bible.  If you do not forgive the other for their failures, resentment builds and drives a wedge between you.

Forgiveness allows you to love your partner fully and with humility.  Each person knows in their heart that they are not perfect so why should you expect your partner to be otherwise?

Tags: Bible, clean slate every day, devil, don't let the sun go down on your wrath, drive a wedge between you, everyone makes mistakes, failures, forgiveness, God, humility, know in your heart, let things go, love your partner, New Testament, no one is perfect, resentment, start each day afresh, we are all imperfect, who is right, wisdom, your mate
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