I have conquered the yard today...
I am in charge of watering the garden and taking care of the chickens right now... so I woke up at about 5:30 this morning and noticed it was already light outside. UP! I had to let the chickens out of their little coop!
Then the dogs needed to get out for their potty break before I could go back to bed. So letting them get their business done while I watered the garden seemed like a great idea. In the process of watering the garden spaces, I got all the way awake... so, I continued my yardwork challenges.
It took a good hour and a half to finish the watering part... surprising to me.
Then it took another hour later on to do some clean-up at the berry vines from yesterdays mess.
Then I decided to collect blackberries and that took an hour.
Somewhere along the way I took a shower, and then started the laundry. I ate too much in little pieces of time... micro-baked potato, salad, popcorn... interesting breakfast plan. :-)
Now it is after 11 and I am ready to stay inside and thinking about a NAP!
The sun is going to be very hot today, which was my motivation to keep going in the coolness of the early morning. Once you get going, it isn't so bad. I don't mind the early hours. I actually prefer them. I just can't seem to get my schedules going.
I hope to recover my strength and get more accomplished inside the house.
*
Focus on the Family had a guest writer who made the comment, "A half truth is a whole lie." A nice way to clarify the problem we have throughout society and the church. I think the "little white lie" is the reference point many would understand as a half-truth.
I remember the distinction in the Catholic church I was raised in between mortal (BAD!) and venial (little) sins... but the Bible says a sin is a sin...and they are all BAD! I don't remember if they teach that both kinds of sins can be "worked off" in "purgatory," but that concept is also NOT in the Bible. Once we die, our judgment is settled... we can't be baptized into heaven (the belief of the Mormons, I think) and we can't eliminate our sins, or change our faith. This life is all we have.
Another statement in the program today, that I noticed, was about retaliation or retribution... defining it as "returning the punishment" -- or, "getting even." I hadn't heard this definition before... and it sounded right... what we want to do as human beings. Leaving the consequences of our pain to GOD is a very hard thing to do... but that is what GOD requires. I keep reminding myself and others that if I decide to do something to hurt another person, no matter how justified I think I am, it means I am putting myself in sin and making GOD responsible for judging me as well. In order for GOD to be true to His Word, He has to treat all of us the same. I found this a hard reality to accept.
I guess it is the same difficult reality to accept as the forgiveness of GOD through Christ.
*
Well, that's about it for today... If I need to, I will return later.
Until next time,
In Christ,
Deborah Martin
work2gather.us
*
*
*
May GOD help us to meet the needs of our week... to grow us into better people... to help us to find our way into goodness and GOD and heaven.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your interest in this blog. Your participation in this discussion is welcome, but I would like to ask that you do so with respect toward me and toward the audience that would be reading it.
Please keep your comments focused on the blog entry... using clean language and a respectful tone. If you disagree with something, explain your view without resorting to profanity or abusive statements.
Discussions are important to understanding different viewpoints. I hope you will share yours and allow others the same privilege.