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

We never meet the expectations of our mate.  Sometimes they are reasonable.  Sometimes they are not.  Each of us are very flawed.  Another way to say the same thing is each person sins.  Not one would say they are perfect (or never makes a mistake).  That is why forgiveness at the end of the day is so important–to wipe our slate clean.  We never completely meet the expectations of our mate.  It is impossible.  We are all imperfect.

Tags: each person sins, end of the day, expectations, forgiveness, God, make a mistake, our mate, perfect, sin, we are all imperfect, we are flawed, wipe our slate clean
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Life ain’t fair.  There is no way to get around that.  Wealth is not distributed evenly.  Financial wealth is just one kind.  Gifts given to each individual are never equal and some people are more gifted than others.  That is why coveting is a sin and why each person is commanded to help those less fortunate and it is a sin to walk away and not help someone when it was in your power to do so.

Railing at your misfortune never accomplishes anything.  It makes it harder.  Instead of making the best of your situation.  It diffuses valuable energy that could be directed elsewhere more positively.  Life simply is not fair.  Some people suffer more than others.  And someone pointing out to you that you are better off than X or Y does not help much.  You do what you can and then rest.  And help those around you with whatever you got.  Give cheerfully and you will never be unhappy.

Tags: coveting, do what you can, financial, gifts, give cheerfully, God, help others, life, make the best of your situation, misfortune, sin, suffer, talents, wealth
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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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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
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Discouragement is really a sin.  Down deep within you you know you are not doing your calling.  It gave me hope when I realized that.  I had to switch gears. I had to answer my tiny voice prompting me and obey it and that gave me hope.  I have been discouraged as of late.  I needed to obey the tiny voice I had been ignoring.

Tags: discouragement, gave me hope, God, obey my tiny voice, sin, switch gears, your calling
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God does not owe me anything. Life is not always fair. I do what is in my power to do and the results then are out of my hands. I rest then.

Some people have more. And some less. Coveting is a sin for a reason. I am happy with what I have. Sometimes I have more, other times less.

One can make up his mind to be satisfied. Everything is by grace. And your life is, also, by grace. There is life and there is death. And that is reality.

Enjoy fully the bounty given to you. All God promises you is shelter and food. Every thing beyond that is only by His grace.

I am aware God does not owe me any thing. And face my day with a spirit of gratefulness. And rest. There really is no other way.

Tags: be satisfied, coveting is a sin, do what is in my power and rest then, everything-is-by-grace, God, gratitude, happy with what I have, life and death, life is not always fair, reality, sin, some people have less, some people have more, spirit of gratefulness, your life is by grace
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The face of evil just changes. When Communism died, people thought peace will now reign in the world. The Berlin Wall fell.  That did not happen.

In fact, we may be embroiled in more wars (the world that is) than in any time in history.  Evil always has existed.  The devil is always doing his handiwork.  The face of evil just changes.

Further more humans were always flawed and sin. That is a fact that will not go away. I don’t know if there has ever been a time been there was at least one war going on somewhere in the world.

That does not mean it is not important to strive for peace. It is but do not be deluded that evil can be eliminated.  It is always changing its face.

Though, we know who the ultimate winner is going to be.  At least, according to the Holy Book.  In that knowledge, some people can gain solace.  God is always in control.  And the devil loses in the end.

Tags: Berlin Wall, Communism, devil, gain solace, God, God is always in control, humans are flawed, humans sin, peace, sin, the face of evil, the Holy Book, the ultimate winner, wars
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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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Never put down a drunk.  Who are you to judge?  That is that person’s weakness.  And you know damn well you are imperfect.  So who am I to judge simply because alcohol is not one of my problems.  God knows I have many weaknesses and sin every day.  So never put down a drunk.  Remember how imperfect you are and have compassion on that person for you are not there only by the grace of God.  So again, never put down a drunk.

Tags: alcohol, compassion, do not judge others, drunk, God, grace of God, have compassion, sin, we are all imperfect, weakness, wisdom
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I was lying in bed and thinking as I was trying to fall asleep.  I must thank the Lord for everything–even this comfortable bed and pillows I am resting my head on.

Everything Is by grace.  There is no way around that.  You can think otherwise but it is futile.  You can rail how unfair life is but that is futile, too.

Less is always more.  And God does not owe us anything and everything we have is by the grace of God.  Life is never fair:  some people have more and some people have less.  The poor are always among us.  The war on poverty–a campaign by Lyndon Johnson, the president of the United States, in the late sixties was a failure.

It is true each person has to help the other in any way you can but the poor will always be among us.  Blessed are the poor in spirit.  Being poor sometimes forces us to rely on God for our provisions.  Money can insulate us from God.

There is the illusion we can provide for ourselves when we have enough money but that is only an illusion.  We need one another.  No man is an island, the famous words of John Donne.

It is far easier to lead your life with thankfulness.  Gratitude is a blessing and each person needs to reach out to others in any way they can.  In fact, in the Bible it say that if it is in your power to help someone and do not you have committed a sin.

I have to count my blessings each day.  My wife is only here by serendipity.  My attitude of thankfulness for the provisions of the Almighty gives me grace that I can not earn.  And everything is by grace.

Tags: attitude of thankfulness, bed and pillows, Bible, blessed, blessed are the poor in spirit, count my blessings, everything-is-by-grace, God, God does not owe us anything, God's Word, grace of God, gratitude, help others, John Donne, less is more, life is not fair, life-is-unfair, Lyndon Johnson, money, my wife, no man is an island, poor, poverty, president, provisions, reach out to others, rely on God, serendipity, sin, sleep, thank the Lord, thank the Lord for everything, thankful, The Almighty, the Lord, the poor always among us, war on poverty
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