Open Grave

How do I live my life?  Am I taken captive by shenanigus behavior because my fancy has been tickled?  Are there times when our team wins a championship and the happiness is so overwhelming we start cars on fire and trash our surroundings?  What is that?  Let's see...my favorite team just won I think I'll go light someones car on fire. Are we all nuts?  Do we get in a big group and our minds explode?
 
      "I wouldn't do that!"

     "Not me..."

     "Would I...?"

What about my job...Am I willing to use someones head as a step-stool to get to the next level?  Do I point out someones idiosyncrasies to boost my groove factor?  Maybe I "like" someone to make them think I'm all in to their ideas.  How about, "I'll pray for you" and then not lift my eyes toward heaven?

Is all this much different then burning a car because I'm ecstatic?  Could it be worse?  At least when I get up the next morning and all the hubbub has burned down I may understand that I was an idiot and hopefully make restitution.  But what happens if I wound a heart and turn them away from the Savior?

These types of willful acts seem to easily become part of my life that I justify, continue....and oh so righteously.

                                     Psalms 5:4-6 says:

                                You are not a God who
                                       takes pleasure in evil;
                                With you the wicked
                                       cannot dwell.
                                The arrogant cannot stand
                                       in Your presence;
                                You hate all who do
                                       wrong.
                                You destroy those who tell
                                       lies;
                                Bloodthirsty and deceitful
                                       men
                                The Lord abhors.

Abhors, ooh, that's not good.  I used to read these words and think that "our" world was going to the dogs.  Is it much closer than that?  Could it be "my" world?  Am I paying attention?

                                      Verse 9

                               Not a word from their
                                     mouth can be trusted:
                               Their heart is filled with
                                     destruction.
                               Their throat is an open
                                     grave;
                              With their tongue they
                                     speak deceit.

Sure, group behavior easily turns to raucous nonsense and corrals all it's followers into the "open grave". But what about me? Does my throat spew things that pull others away from this God I love tossing them into a longing tomb of confusion about my Savior?  Grumbling, bickering, gossip and pride...I guess I have some work to do.

Now what?  Well, like always, God opens His arms to me?

                                    Psalms 5:11

                            But let all who take refuge
                                     in you be glad;
                            Let them sing for joy.
              
                           Spread your protection
                                     over them,
                           that those who love your
                                     name may rejoice in
                                     You.

                           For surely, O Lord you
                                     bless the righteous;
                          You surround them with
                                    your favor as with a
                                    shield.

How is my shield?  I must keep my faith strong. I must pursue God with my whole heart. If I do, He will help clear my throat and shut that open grave.

Fiscal Cliff

Are you jumping?  What is this cliff we're leaning over?  Is it rhetoric?  Is it new?  Are we just going back to what was?  To me this all seems more like a mountain than a cliff.  Everyone seems to be so "carey" and "concerney".  Are we sure we're not all dumb and thoughtless?

I don't profess to know or understand much.  I can't understand all the financial wizardry that is continually redefined and re-finagled.  So I par down governmental situations to a level I can't understand.

One example of this mountain I may look at, is the wayside rest area.  "You're crazy" you may say  "Who's still reading my blog?" I say.  A family is traveling to Duluth and little Jimmy gets sick, grandma had too much coffee and sister Louise's gold fish exploded in the heat.  Of course, in America, it's our right to have an area to rest in on the way.  Hence, the wayside rest was born.  A little wood shack to take care of the necessary pitfalls of life.  Sure, none of us mind since towns are sparse and nature seems to bid us to it's calling.  "Build away", we say, and build they do.....and never stop.  What now?

Heading back to Minneapolis/St. Paul, we are two miles from all the places of commerce you could ever imagine.  We pull into the biggest palatial resting "vendtropolis" area this side of Atlantis.  I breath a sigh of disturbance.  How many full time jobs, benefits and pensions are needed to maintain such luxury?  How about the cost of land, maintenance, utilities, and new projects being dreamed up.....for what?  Nothing is created or gained.  This is all being paid for by taxes that aren't being generated because commerce is being refused.  No one has a need to stop and do this commerce thing in a town two miles away because everyone is stopping at the irrational extravaganza.  This is just one example.

It is.....it's a mountain. Why do we climb it....because it's there?  The jump from the cliff may be less hazardes than the climb up the mountain.

Oh, I almost forgot.....
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