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

Every day is a gift.  And a miracle.  There is no way to get around that but to lead a life of despair.  I chose not to do that.  Every thing in my life is only by grace.  I chose to believe every day is a miracle.  And sometimes I wallow in despair.  And have to work through it.  The dawn is always around the next corner.  In fact, it is right in front of you.  And life can be bitter and contain much loss and pain.  I have to work through it.  And walk toward the Light–the Light that is always there.  And sometimes I stop seeing it.  It is there but my vision is clouded.  I have to remove the blinders over and over.  It is a process.  I chose to believe every day is a miracle.  There is no other way to live.  The only other choice is despair.

Tags: dawn around the corner, dawn right in front of you, despair needs to be worked through, every day a miracle occurs, every day is a gift, every thing is by grace, God, grace, life can be bitter, life of despair, much loss and pain, remove the blinders, sometimes stop seeing the Light, The Light, the Light is always there, vision clouded, walk toward the Light, wallow in despair
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Everything is by grace.  I was taking a shower today and had to remind myself the house I lived in before had no shower and for fifteen years I could not take a shower.  I remember being thrilled every time we were in a motel:  they had showers.  I thought about all that briefly.  Everything is by grace–even a shower.

Tags: Everything is by grace even a shower, everything-is-by-grace, God, grace, taking a shower
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Peace always revolves around grace.  Each party commits mistakes.  Conflict always exists.  There can not be peace without grace.  And grace does not come about without forgiveness.

If you talk about conflict between nations, there are always atrocities committed by both parties.  Conflict is on-going.  The only thing that breaks the vicious cycle is forgiveness.  We don’t earn that.  Only grace enables a nation to forgive the other.  Then the cycle is broken.  It is done one person at a time.

Let us get more specific.  Let us talk briefly about Iraq.  Thousands of civilians in that country lost their lives in the fray and civil unrest.  No one talks about them.  Many civilians died.  Many people are mourning their close relatives who died there.  Yes, many Americans died there or were injured, too.  And their survivors are mourning them, also.

There is only one thing that will stop the carnage–forgiveness brought on by grace.  And as I said before you can’t earn it.  Each party has to forgive the other.  Vengeance does not solve anything.  That only happens by grace.

Tags: conflict, forgiveness, God, grace, peace, peace and grace and forgiveness, war and conflict in Iraq
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Everything is given by grace I am reminded again.  And the spirit of mercy.  Both are closely related.  You can’t have one without the other.  My wife has gone through a hard time with me, again.  And I know I don’t deserve her forgiveness.  I have done nothing to deserve that.  But she has bestowed me with that.  And all I can do is to thank the One above me for that gift.  So Jesus thanks, again for that free gift.  Grace and mercy.  I did nothing at all to deserve that.  So, thanks, again.  Everything is by grace.

Tags: did nothing to deserve that, everything-is-by-grace, forgiveness, free gift, give thanks, God, grace, grace and mercy, Jesus, my wife, spirit of mercy, thank the One above me
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It is by grace I am here.  Alive and well.  I knew too many who did not make it back.  They became lost in the labyrinth of their minds.  And did not find their way back.  I did.  I knew many swallowed by the “system”.  After awhile it no longer mattered why they were there.  The damage was done by the caretakers.  My family could have easily given up one me.  There were points in my life where my situation seemed hopeless.  It is only by grace I am here–only by the grace of God.  I am a walking “miracle”.

Tags: "the system", caretakers, family, God, grace, grace of God, labyrinth of their minds, mental health, miracle, only by grace, situation seemed hopeless, your mind
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Every thing is by grace.  God really does not owe us anything.  On Christmas eve, a gray partridge (a Chukar partridge) appeared and fed on the ground and stayed for at least an hour.  I spotted it from our living room window and excitedly called my wife so she could see it too.  I never had seen one before and it took me awhile to properly identify it.

Finally we let out our four dogs.  They had to go out and we delayed it so they would not flush the bird.  I was amazed the bird simply froze near our big white pine and the dogs never spotted it and ran right past it.  Finally the bird ran across the yard, through the fence and disappeared.  We were curious whether the quail-like bird will come back (very similar in size to a bobwhite).

I got up this morning and put on my L.L Bean moccasins my sister bought me.  I had forgotten how comfortable they were.  Now I have to keep them out of reach of my dogs.  They could destroy one in one bite:  they are leather, very temping for one to chomp on.

There are plenty of gifts still to be opened.  Lynelle is not up yet.  I was feeling very grateful and thankful for everything.  I know everything is by grace.  Over two thousand years ago a baby was born in a manger.  We do not deserve Him.  And He died for us.  And it is a free gift.  That is totally by grace.  I did nothing to deserve it.  It is only by grace.

Tags: baby born in a manger, bobwhite bird, chew on slippers, Christmas eve, chukar partridge, everything-is-by-grace, feeling grateful and thankful, fence, flush the bird, four dogs, gifts to be opened, God, grace, gray partridge, He died for us, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is a free gift, L.L. Bean, living room window, Messiah, moccasins, my sister, my wife, pets, quail-like bird, totally by grace, two thousand years ago, we do not deserve Him, white pine tree
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Every moment is precious.  And it is so easy to take your life for granted and every ability you have.  Every thing is a privilege until you lose it and realize what you had was really on loan.  Everything is by grace.  And to the degree you can consciously realize every moment is precious the less you will take for granted the gifts granted to you are only by grace.  Every sunset and sunrise you come across are only by grace.  Every moment is precious.  And you have to remind yourself of this over and over.

Tags: every moment is precious, everything is a privilege, everything-is-by-grace, gifts, gifts on loan, God, grace, privilege, sunrise, sunset, take for granted, your life
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Every thing is a privilege and it is so easy to take every privilege we have for granted until we lose it.  I was so used to have the internet until our computer broke down.  Now there were all kinds of things I could no longer do:  for one I no longer had E Mail, something I use every day.

I did not have access to my stored files.  I could no longer access the internet.  All of this I took for granted when the truth was every thing I have is a privilege.  Every thing is by grace.

There are so many other things that are privileges, simple things:  like being able to type, talk, move.  My aunt lost all those abilities when she had a severe stroke.  Everything is a privilege and often we don’t understand that until we lose that privilege.  Everything is by grace.  And may I never forget that.

Tags: aunt, computer, email, everything is a privilege, everything-is-by-grace, God, grace, internet, simple things, stroke, take for granted
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Everything is by grace.  The first dog I ever raised from a pup, “Daisy”, who died over two years ago, I missed terribly.  She was one stubborn dog and the first one that I trained.  And I trained her when she was an adult.

Her training started when I got tired of replacing broken windows in our front door.  “Daisy” would go crazy every time I left my house.  She would jump at me repeatedly and bark uncontrollably.  When she startled me once and I slammed my front door a little too hard cracking the window again, I decided despite her age it was time to do something about it.

Every time she barked at me when I was leaving the house, I would put my hands around her snout and keep them there for a short time.  When I released my hands, if she then barked I did nothing but if she did not bark I praised her.  I repeated this technique countless times.  Finally at some point I realized I broke her of the habit of barking at me frantically every time I left the house.  All I had to do was “Shush” her and she would immediately quiet down.

My wife was amazed that when she slept on our bed she would go to the furthest most corner and curl up.  She had no idea how many countless times I had pushed her away from me.

Daisy would never take her eyes off of me when I was in the same room.  She was my dog and when she died I missed her terribly.  I never thought another dog would come along like her.

Well, one did, finally to my surprise:  “Atilla The Hun” or “Tilla” for short.  Unlike “Daisy” he was very eager to please.  He was just very undisciplined.  I never had a dog that would want so many belly rubs.  I, almost, never denied him.  It was hilarious.  He would turn over every time I went to bring him in the house.  The turning point with him was when I started giving him walks.

I knew he had become my “Dog” when just about every night he would join me in the bedroom and usually curl up at the base of my bed.  He is not “Daisy” by any means but I realized God had sent me another dog.  Everything is by grace.

Tags: bark, belly-rub, Daisy, dog sleeps on bed, dog training, dog walking, dogs, eager to please, everything-is-by-grace, God, grace, my dog, my wife, pets, puppy, Tilla, undisciplined
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I want to grow old gracefully.  Death is the final frontier.  People do not want to talk about it.  From dust you came and to dust you shall return.  These are not my words.  Everyone knows this is true yet we pretend this will not be our fate.

Sometimes death comes suddenly:  An heart attack, stroke or even an accident we could not predict.  I want to squeeze every bit of life I can that is given to me.  And go out gracefully.

My Dad lived until ninety one, my Mom eighty.  I do not know for sure if I will make it any where near that.  Yes, I will take good care of me, eat properly, exercise and sleep properly but death is not my calling.

It is God’s timing and if God gives me more time I will accept it with grace.  Love those around me.  After all that is what life is about:  Love, work and grace.  Wasn’t that Freud’s definition of health:  to be able to work and love.

I can not think of a better definition of health–to be able to love and work.  That sums it all up.  When my day comes I hope there will be a celebration of a life well spent, of a life of a person who truly loved the people around them.

Amen.

Tags: able to love and work, Amen, Bible, celebrate life, death, dust-to-dust, Freud, God, God's timing, grace, grow old gracefully, health, life well spent, love, love those around you, my Dad, my Mom, take good care of me, work
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Life is simply unfair.  Someone thinking it should be is not thinking clearly.  Life can’t possibly be fair.  Some people have more and conversely some people have less.  That is a fact of life.

Some people are incredibly talented and can almost do anything.  While others are only talented in one area of their life.  Talent is not everything either.  Some parents pushed their kid into being a doctor.  And they became a competent one but it was not where the person’s heart lay.  Maybe, the person would have become an outstanding mechanic (or artist for that matter).

Every person is dealt a specific hand.  You either like it or not.  One thing you can do is accept it and do your best with your specific situation.  Yes, life is not fair but if you rant and rail you make those around miserable not to say yourself also.

Everything is by grace.  I have no doubt about that.  So accept your station in your life and do the best you can with what you got.  You may be surprised at the results.  And I firmly believe what the Bible says:  excellence is always recognized in whatever pursuit you follow with all your heart.

And maybe, you are just good.  There is nothing wrong with good.  Good is better than half.  No matter what you do, do it honestly and do it with all the skill and energy you can muster.  Yes, life is unfair.  Play your cards you are dealt.  You will be far happier.  And in the process so will the people your life is intertwined with.  Happiness spreads and is contagious.

Tags: accept yourself, Bible, do things honestly, do your best, everything-is-by-grace, God, grace, happiness, life-is-unfair, play-cards-you-are-dealt, skill, skill and energy, talent, with all your heart
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Everything is by grace.  Your new day, the next dawn, is only by grace.  I am so aware of that.  I have gotten a solid night sleep, drunk my morning coffee and now await the dawn.

I know that is a privilege.  It is so easy to take the next day for granted.  And sometimes I do.  But not today.

I am waiting for the darkness to lift and then see the steady stream of the birds come to my feeders.

Today I see my optometrist.  I am glad I can.  I have never seen one who has such a gentle touch.  I think of the many people who service my wife and me, the shop we bring our cars which we depend on.  Bob’s customer service is so good.  I do not take it for granted.

There is my family doctor who I go to for checkups (and their support team).  There are so many people whose services I use who I try not to take for granted.  I am well aware everything is by grace.  And I appreciate everything given to me.  They are all gifts.  I did nothing to deserve them.  And that is such an incomplete list.

Tags: bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, customer service, dawn, do not take for granted, doctor, everything-is-by-grace, gifts, God, grace, morning, morning coffee, my wife, new day, optometrist, service, they are all gifts
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