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

Some people have more, some people less.  It has been that way from the beginning of time.  Poverty has always existed.  You can’t even measure wealth in dollars signs.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, once the richest man in the world, wants a legacy other than his material wealth so he and his wife started a foundation to see how they could impact the world.

Another misconception of wealth is it refers just to material wealth. Each of us has gifts and a personal sphere we can influence by utilizing and giving away our time.

Russia found out their large socialistic farms were unprofitable.  We kept selling our surplus of wheat to them.  Others need to have a personal stake in their success (or failure).

The world has always been that way.  Some people have always had more and some less.  The poor have always been with us.  Maybe, that is why God has commanded us to give to the less unfortunate (???).

He also says when it is in your power to give something to someone and you don’t, it is a sin.  Giving does not always refer to material wealth.  It is also giving of your time and gifts freely.

Maybe God created the world so each person would be dependent on the other.  We are commanded to help each other.  We need to reach out to the people in need within our circle.

Unfortunately money insulates us giving us the idea we don’t need God and others.  And that is the furthest from the truth.  We are interdependent:  we need each other.

Tags: Bill Gates, dependent, giving, giving of your time and gifts freely, giving our time, God, help each other, material wealth, poor always with us, poverty, reach out to people, richest man in the world, Russia, sin, we need each other, wealth, wisdom
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, politics, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Insisting your relationship be fifty fifty creates problems.  First of all the give and take in a relationship is seldom equal.  Consider it like a pendulum:  sometime one gives more and sometimes it is the other.

And sometimes it is just one sided.  Often due to bad health.  The commitment you made said for better or worse or in sickness or health.

Of course when the giving is always one sided problems arise.  I am convinced that God created woman just to teach man how to love.  There is always a flow back and forth.

When you insist it be tit for tat it is not love.  Each person gives what they can.  And sometimes we do not appreciate one another.  That is when most problems come about.  And then one brings out the score sheet.

Relationships are always in a state of flux.  Insisting it be fifty fifty all the time does not recognize this reality and creates major problems–resentment by one party being one.

Tags: appreciate one another, commitment in marriage, fifty-fifty, for better or worse, give and take, give what you can, giving, God, health, in sickness and in health, men, problems, relationship, resentment, score sheet, tit for tat, woman
Posted in balance, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »

It is so hard to ignore the expectations we have of our friends.  We expect sometimes too much and are disappointed when they don’t meet our expectations.  It is far more easier not to have any expectations of others and rejoice when they exceed them and also feel grateful because if the truth be known each person does what he/she can, when the person can, in their own timing.  If you were to look at your own life, you would see this happening, too.  You have your own timing and give the way you can and give what you can.  You need to give the same right to others.  If you have no expectations, everything someone does for you is totally by grace.  All you really can do is tell another of your needs, desires.  It is up to them how, if and when he/she responds.  Everything is by grace.  And the sooner you understand all that, the easier it is to accept others.  Each person gives what he/she can.

Tags: balance, everything-is-by-grace, expect sometimes too much, expectations, friends, give what we can, giving, God, relationships, time
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, relationships, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »

Life is never fair.  Nor is giving.  The pendulum swings in a marriage, sometimes, back and forth.  One person gives more of his/herself and then the other.  A vow was made during the marriage ceremonies:  the words “for better or worse” are there for a reason:  bad times will come to a marriage.  There will be illness, lost jobs, money problems and often conflict, which will need to be resolved.  Sometimes an illness will result in one partner taking care of the other, sometimes permanently (the marriage vow “till death do us part” is there for a reason).  The giving then may become totally unbalanced.  Insisting the giving be always 50/50 puts a strain on the marriage and is really unrealistic.  Really all a partner can do is love the other, not being concerned how equal the give and take is.  Insisting or complaining you are giving more consistently always puts a strain on the marriage.  We are commanded in our vows to love the other in sickness or health (or in any, every situation) (my words).  Each partner only gives what he/she can.  Insisting marriage be always 50/50 is always wrong.

Tags: "till death do us part", balance, each partner gives what he/she can, for better or worse, giving, giving may be unbalanced, God, illness, life is not fair, love, love each other, marriage, one person gives more, relationships, time, wedding vows
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »