Under Pressure!

Yes. My last few blogs have been very silly indeed. But that's my life.

I'm under pressure to write something meaningful today. Hmmm....

But FIRST! A word from our sponsor (not really).

This is Vavoom Design Pulse Glow to Pieces Shine Wax. This is what I use in my hair that makes it all awesome. I'm putting it on here as a reference for my Mother. She knows why. LOVE YOU MAAA!!!

I was going to do one of those "Open the Bible, point your finger, and that's the verse you talk about" things, but my Pastor told a story this week about doing that. (I'm sure this is not a new story, but it made me laugh.)

"There was a man who was depressed and he opened his Bible randomly to see what God would say to him and he came across the verse 'And Judas hung himself...'. Horrified, he opened the Bible again at random and came across 'Go and do likewise'. Dejected, he opened his Bible one last time and came to the verse 'What you must do, do quickly'."

I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned in that one right there. (Obviously... don't take Bible verses out of context.) But I'm looking for something a little more meaty.

Taco Bell meat? No. I'm not going there. Makes me angry. (Not at Taco Bell, at the yahoo who decides to sue a fast food company over fast food! Come on, it's smothered in fake nacho cheese! Are you going to sue them for the cheese too? I shouldn't give them ideas. I should also stop this wild tangent...)

Let's see. Today is January 26th (oh, by the way, Happy Birthday to my Daddy!!!), so therefore 01/26. Let's go to Proverbs 1:26 and see what it has to say. (Just for grins. Just to prove the whole out of context thing.)

"I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you--" (NIV)

Hmm... not exactly the uplifting word I was looking for (point proven)... what does the whole chapter have to say? (And let's turn to The Message because it's easier to understand.)

Proverbs 1

Wise Sayings of Solomon

A Manual for Living.

1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David's son, Israel's king --
Written down so we'll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it's going;
A manual for living,
for learning what's right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There's something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn --
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Start with God

7 Start with God -- the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.
Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair,
like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don't go along with them.
If they say -- "Let's go out and raise some hell.
Let's beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let's pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.
We'll load up on top-quality loot.
We'll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it's share and share alike!" --
Oh, friend, don't give them a second look;
don't listen to them for a minute.
They're racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,
Yet that's what these people are doing --
they're doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that's what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.

Lady Wisdom

20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:

22-24 "Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I'm ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I'm ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I've called, but you've turned a deaf ear;
I've reached out to you, but you've ignored me.

25-28 "Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect
an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

29-33 "Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn't take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you've made your bed -- now lie in it;
you wanted your own way -- now, how do you like it?
Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy -- you're in good hands."


Wow. Harsh. Yet true. Way harsh, in fact. But sometimes we need way harsh.

I don't think I have anything to say after that. (Just be glad I didn't post Proverbs 26...)