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

‘The poor man thinks money will buy his happiness, the rich man knows it won’t.’  The first time I heard that said it was my pastor (and friend) who told me that.  I am sure it was not his original words.  It is true when you are struggling to pay your bills it is a common illusion.  And not being able to put food on your table is certainly anxiety provoking.  Money can’t replace your sense of purpose.  It is true sometimes your job is a good fit.

You always wonder how it would be not to worry about money.  King Solomon was the richest man in the world, had it all, lacked for nothing and all he could say in the book he wrote was, ‘Vanity, everything is vanity.’  Riches can not buy peace of mind.  If you read Ecclesiastes, the book he is credited with writing in the Bible, and do not read the ending; you miss the whole point.  In it he said the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.  Every person needs a relationship with the Almighty.  It all come down to that.  Money never satisfies.  Ask the billionaire who can buy anything whether money can buy him happiness.  I think you know the answer.

Tags: "vanity everything is vanity", anxiety, beginning of wisdom, Bible, billionaire, Ecclesiastes, fear of the Lord, God, King Solomon, money, money can't buy happiness, pastor, pay your bills, peace of mind, poor man, put food on the table, rich man, riches, sense of purpose, The Almighty, the Lord, wisdom
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“Thou Shall Not Covet’ is one of the ten commandments.  There is a reason for that.  It only makes us unhappy to covet.  There is less and more in this world.  No two people have the exact possessions (or talents for that matter).  Coveting what someone has be what it may only gets in the way.

To be satisfied with what one has brings peace of mind.  Each person is a snowflake with an unique set of qualities (and possessions).  It is our gift to enjoy what God brings to us including the most precious of all our gifts–our time.

There is always more and less in this world.  That is the way it always has been.  We are commanded to share what we have with the less fortunate.  And it is a sin when we don’t.  Hoarding is always wrong.  When you see someone in need and you walk away and it was in your power to help that person, you have done something wrong.

Coveting only brings you discontent.  And being satisfied with what the Lord has given you brings you peace of mind.  That is why ‘Though Shall Not Covet’ is one of the ten commandments.

Tags: be satisfied, Bible, covet, God, hoarding is wrong, our time, peace of mind, share what we have, sin, someone in need, ten commandments, the Lord, thou shall not covet, unique
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We need to accept certain things are out of our control.  There is always an illusion we are in control of our lives but is only relative.  When we accept that there are always things in our lives that we have no control of, it is easier to accept our limitations.

If we insist that we control everything which is really impossible it is batting our heads against the wall.  And the things that are in our control become harder because of the frustration which has to ensue when we can’t accept our limitations.

Every person is going to die, age and eventually lose the level of control you once had in your life.  That is reality.  If you can’t accept the eventuality of that, you lose what is always in your control.

Your attitude is always in your command.  Accepting that there will always be things out of your control and making the most of what you can produces peace of mind.  There are always things in your control.  And you just have to exert them.

The serenity prayer illustrates this perfectly and this is a paraphrase:  accept the things you have no control of and change what is in your power and have the wisdom to know the difference.  There will always be things out of your control.

Tags: accept our limitations, aging, bat our heads against the wall, change what is in your power, control our lives, everyone will die, exert control, God, have wisdom, life, lose control, make the most of what you can, not in our control, peace of mind, reality, serenity prayer, we have no control, wisdom to know the difference, you control your attitude
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Your life crystallizes when the end is near.  Let me say, no one knows when his/her end comes.  We continue to keep the illusion our life is forever.  It certainly is an illusion.

Everyone knows the only thing certain is death and taxes to use a cliche.  Yet we act as if that truth is false.

My declining health put this truth in sharper focus again.  I do not want to waste time, which is my most precious resource although there are times I squander it.

I realize the more I can do His will, the more I can fulfill my calling the less regret I have.  I certainly can not tell you what your calling is.  Or what your tiny voice is commanding you to do.

First you have to allow open spaces in your life.  And then you can listen to the tiny voice only you can hear.  And life is full of others who are eager to tell us what to do including our loved ones.

No one knows how much time they have on this earth.  That is a great mystery.  Sometimes when you are ill you think you have an idea how long you have here but you really do not know.

What I do know is the more I listen to that tiny voice nudging me the less anxiety I experience in my own life.  And I am concerned less when that time will come.  Peace of mind usually accompanies doing His will.

I have to face each day prayerfully and allow for those empty spaces so I can listen to that tiny voice only I can hear.

And the more I obey it the more peace of mind I have.  And I thank God for each new dawn I face.  It does not really matter as long as I am doing His will.

Tags: a great mystery, anxiety, declining health, do His will, do not waste time, face each day prayerfully, fulfill my calling, God, how long do we have, illness, illusion, life is forever, my life, new dawn, obey God, only thing certain is death and taxes, open spaces in your life, our loved ones, peace of mind, regrets, squander time, tell us what to do, thank God, the end is near, time is a precious resource, time on earth, truth, your calling, your life crystallizes, your tiny voice
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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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Coveting is always wrong.  There is a reason one of the ten commandments was ‘Thou shall not covet’.  The truth is everybody has something that someone does not have.  Some people have less and some people have more.  Poverty has always existed through the ages.

Be thankful for what you have.  Then it no longer matters what someone does not have.  View all your possessions with a spirit of gratitude.  If the truth be known, what you have is only on loan.

If you can be thankful for what you have you will have peace of mind, which is priceless.  So guard against covetousness.  The world is full of good things.  Accept what you have and thank God for it.  You will sleep easier at night.

Tags: accept what you have, be thankful, Bible, covet, coveting is wrong, God, peace of mind, possessions, poverty, sleep easier at night, spirit of gratitude, ten commandments, thank God, thou shall not covet, what you have is only on loan, world full of good things
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