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

I want to add something positive to the people the Lord puts in my life.  That is how I am driven:  I want to encourage others.  That is my mission.  Sometimes I forget it but I keep returning to that.

If I can only focus on that, I will be doing God’s will.  I can not tell you what your mission is but that is mine.  No matter how much or how little time I have I will focus on that.

If the truth be told no on knows how much time he/she has been given on this earth.  If I can continue to focus on my mission, I will be fine.

Even if I only can only do small things that would be fine.  Isn’t life composed of many small things?  The big things only come along once in awhile, so I will not stop doing whatever I can to encourage and inspire others around me even if they are only small things.

Do little things with much love:  a paraphrase of Mother Teresa.  People never forget the kindnesses bestowed on them.  Others always remember how you made them feel.

Tags: add something positive, do little things with much love, do small things, encourage others, focus, God, how much time we have, inspire others, kindness, life composed of many small things, mission, Mother Teresa, people remember how you made them feel, the Lord, your mission
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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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Life without problems to solve would be incredibly boring.  It is problems in our lives that make it a challenge.  And we mature as we learn to deal with them.

There is only one place that we don’t have any:  and that is when the Lord takes us.  We should be grateful for the opportunity to solve them.  And some never will be solved.  And others we just adjust to.  Our brain is designed for solving complex problems.

Conflict usually brings out the best in us.  Finding compromises and win-win situations is always a challenge.  If no one is satisfied with a solution, something is wrong with it.

Politics is just that–finding the best solutions which are almost always some kind of compromise between opposing parties.  There is really nothing wrong with politics.  It is in every area of our lives:  the family, government, the church, every institution you can think of.  The only question regarding politics is how fairly the compromises were worked out.

Politics almost always involves solving thorny problems.  As a rule, there are no easy answers and not everyone can be satisfied.  Problems are what make our lives interesting and challenging.  So do not bemoan them.  Problems keep us going and gives us a reason to get up each morning.  Be glad you have them.

Tags: brings out the best in us, challenges, church, compromise, family, finding solutions, God, government, make our lives interesting, no easy answers, our brain, politics, problems, solve problems, the Lord, thorny problems
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The parable of Jesus (of the talents) illustrates how important it is to use our talents wisely.  Talents in biblical times referred to a sum of money.  I will let the scriptures speak for themselves.

Matthew 25:14-46

14   For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15   And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16   Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17   And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18   But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19   After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20   And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21   His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22   He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23   His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24   Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25   And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26   His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27   Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28   Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29   For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30   And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Tags: abundance, Bible, God, Jesus, joy of thy Lord, kingdom of heaven, money, parable of the talents, responsibility, scriptures, servant, the Lord, time, well done thou good and faithful servant, wisdom, your talents
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We always have unfinished business.  Everyone.  We pick up the threads of other peoples’ unfinished business and when the Lord takes me, someone else whose life I have impacted will pick up where I left off.  Sometimes we complete a task only we were meant to take on in life.  No one is indispensable no matter what you do or the reputation you have earned (or notoriety in some peoples’ cases).  That is only an illusion.  Life goes on and so does decay and renewal.

Tags: decay and renewal, God, life, life goes on, living, no one is indispensable, the Lord, time
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »