Monthly Archives: March 2014

Daily Bible Study

March 12, 2014 Bible Study — Trembling and Bewildered

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 11:7

    Those who place their hopes for the future on wicked mortals will discover that their hopes come to nothing because no matter how powerful everyone dies. Only by when we place our hopes in God can we see lasting results.

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Psalm 55:1-23

    The psalmist warns that while we may guard against external dangers, the real threats to a country is the wickedness within it. When we as a people no longer turn to God, wickedness rises up within us to destroy us. Friends and companions turn against each other. It is no longer possible to trust those who should be our closest, most trusted companions. People think nothing of breaking promises and using smooth words to fool others into trusting them, then betraying that trust when it suits them. This happens when people do not fear the Lord. Yet even though people do not fear God, He will hold them accountable. Those who give their burdens to God will be cared for. God will care for the godly. He will not permit them to slip and fall.

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Mark 16:1-20

    The most reliable early manuscripts of Mark end with verse eight. The ending seems abrupt and many think there must have been more, although none are sure if any of what later manuscripts contain is that more. Today, I like the way the passage ends at verse eight. When the women were confronted with the announcement that Jesus had risen from the dead, they were bewildered and frightened. The same thing often happens to us when God begins moving in our lives. We are bewildered and frightened. God takes us out of our comfort zones and we find that disconcerting. Oftentimes we would prefer staying in a place of grief and depression rather than accept what God is doing if it means leaving where we are comfortable. The good news of the Gospel is that if we are willing to listen to God, He does not leave us trembling and bewildered.
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Numbers 16:41-18:32

    Despite the way in which Moses handled Korah’s rebellion the people blamed him for the deaths. As a result of their continued rebellion, a plague broke out among the people. Aaron and Moses acted quickly to stem the plague getting in among the people, between those with the plague and those who were still healthy. Once this crisis had been averted, God instructed Moses on how to settle the problems for people. The people were to bring Moses twelve wooden staffs, one for the leader of each tribe of Israel. They inscribed the name of the leader of each tribe on a separate staff, with Aaron’s name being inscribed on the staff representing the tribe of Levi. Moses then placed the staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant. In the morning, Moses retrieved the staffs. Each of the leaders claimed his staff. Aaron’s staff had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds. The rest of the staffs were still staffs.

Daily Bible Study

March 11, 2014 Bible Study — This Man Truly Was the Son Of God

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 11:5-6

    This proverb reminds me of a saying I have heard and which I like. “It is easy to keep your story straight if you tell the truth.” Those who are righteous and honest will walk straight paths and avoid troubles because of their righteousness and honesty. Those who are wicked will find themselves tripped up by their own wickedness and lies.

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Psalm 54:1-7

    God is my helper. He is the one who sustains me. I will praise His name. This psalm reminds us that we will be attacked by violent people who care nothing for God, but that if we turn to God for protection He will rescue us from their assaults.

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Mark 15:1-47

    When the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus before Pilate they accused Him of many crimes. Jesus made no attempt to mount a defense to these charges, much to Pilate’s surprise. When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, rather than answer Pilate, Jesus said, “You have said it.” This was neither a denial nor an affirmation. Jesus did this because different people would mean different things when they said that someone was the King of the Jews. Jesus did not deny that He was the King of the Jews, because by some meanings of that term, He was indeed the King of the Jews. On the other hand, He did not affirm that either because by other meanings of the term (especially the meaning which Pilate would have most likely understood) He was not the King of the Jews. As Pilate listened to the various accusations the Jewish religious leaders made against Jesus, he realized that there was no real substance to their accusations. This is an important lesson for us when people who hate us because of our faith accuse us of wrongdoing. There are times when we should just remain silent because it will quickly become obvious to those listening to the accusations that our accusers are making things up and/or projecting their own wrongdoing on to us. I need to learn that there are times when it is counterproductive to attempt to answer accusations. In those times, if I allow my accusers to continue to speak, they will refute themselves.
    As Jesus hung on the cross, the people who passed by mocked Him. The religious leaders made reference to His miracles, acknowledging that they had failed to believe in Him as a result of those miracles, but claiming that they would believe Him if only He would perform one more and come down off the cross. How often are we like that? Just one more sign/miracle and we will believe that God is calling us to a course of action? Yet as they stood there not believing, Jesus’ message was reaching into the heart of someone. The Roman centurion who oversaw the crucifixion, when he saw how Jesus died, declared, “This man truly was the Son of God.” We sometimes forget that God’s actions are not aimed at us, sometimes they are aimed to bring God’s grace to someone unexpected. The Roman centurion is the last person any of those present would have expected to be reached by the Gospel on that day. Yet he was the one who found faith from witnessing the crucifixion.

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Numbers 15:17-16:40

    While the Israelites were in the wilderness, one of the Levites, a man named Korah, stirred up rebellion among the Israelites against Moses and Aaron. Two prominent members of the tribe of Reuben and 250 other leaders of the people of Israel joined them in their rebellion. Moses did not gather his forces and start a civil war among the Israelites, as Korah and his followers appeared to expect. Rather Moses called on God to settle the dispute. Moses called on Korah and those Levites following him to present themselves before God with incense burners and Aaron would do the same. Then Moses said that they would see who God would accept. Many of the people came behind Korah, offering him their support in what appears to have been an attempt to prevent Moses from using military force to put down this rebellion. Moses warned the people to move away from the tents of the leaders of the rebellion. Most of the people did so and the ground opened up and swallowed the tents and those who remained near them. There are many ways we could interpret this, but the key factor is that Moses did not use military force to put down the rebellion. Rather he allowed God to show the people that he was the leader whom God had chosen for them.

Daily Bible Study

March 10, 2014 Bible Study — The Fool Says, “There Is No God”

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 11:4

    The day will come when God will judge us. On that day, our material possessions will be of no value to us. On that day, the only thing that will matter will be whether or not we have turned to God and accepted Jesus as our Savior.

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Psalm 53:1-6

    This psalm starts with a statement that, for me, is the starting point for faith and for logic. Those who say that there is no God are foolish. My experience is that if you look at the lives of the “great” philosophers who believed that there was no God, you discover that the psalmist is correct. They are/were corrupt and their actions are/were evil. The philosophers who argue that there is no God do so because they wish to justify the evil in their own lives. However, before I become to complacent and proud of myself the psalmist says one more thing for me to note. The psalmist tells us that when God looked at the earth to find those who were truly wise, He discovered that all had turned from Him. All have turned away from God and become corrupt. I will acknowledge that I have done this and I will pray to God for His forgiveness and ask Him to remind me that I too was one with those fools who say there is no God. It is only through God’s wondrous grace that I came to accept the truth that yes, He does exist. I thank Him and praise Him for bringing me to this knowledge.

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Mark 14:53-72

    When the Jewish Council brought Jesus to trial they brought before them various witnesses. Yet these witnesses could not get their stories straight, so the Council could not convict Jesus. Finally, the high priest asked Jesus if He was the Messiah. When Jesus replied that He was indeed the Messiah, the high priest declared that He had spoken blasphemy and they needed no further witnesses. I do not know if anyone else has pointed out the logical flaw here. While I am willing to accept that if someone who was not the Messiah answered the way Jesus did, it would indeed be blasphemy (and not just because He was claiming to be the Messiah, but also because of the phrase He chose to make that claim). However, it seems to me that calling Jesus’ answer blasphemy rests on that assumption that He was NOT the Messiah. If He was indeed the Messiah, than I do not see how His answer was blasphemous.
    Mark recounted how Peter denied Christ just as Jesus had predicted. Every time I read the ending of this story, “And he broke down and wept.” I cannot help but think of
Don Francisco’s great song, “He’s Alive”. Every time I hear the line in that song, “When at last it came to choices, I denied I knew His name” I cannot help but think of the times in my life when I have denied my faith in Him. As I read this passage I am reminded that I too have denied Jesus as Peter did. I thank God that I have the example of Peter to know that I too can be forgiven. “He’s alive and I’m forgiven.” What a statement of great joy!

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Numbers 14-15:16

    When the people of Israel heard the scouts’ report they were frightened and plotted to choose a new leader to take them back to Egypt. However, Caleb and Joshua, two of the twelve scouts, tore their clothes and begged the people to not turn aside from God’s plan. They told the people that since God was with them they could take the land, that they had no reason to fear the people of that land. Rather than listen to them, the people began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. It was only because of Divine intervention that they did not follow this plan. At that point God declared that He would not allow them to enter the Promised Land, it would be the next generation who would experience His promise. When they heard this, the people decided to enter the land anyway. This passage is a reminder that when God gives us a mission, there is a time period in which it occurs. If we do not follow God’s instructions when He gives them, it may be too late to do so later. NOW is the time to do as the Lord commands.

Daily Bible Study

March 9, 2014 Bible Study — Not What I Will, But What You Will

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 11:1-3

    Deception vs honesty, pride vs humility, duplicity vs integrity. These are the choices we have to make. These go together, people are generally on the same side of every one of these choices. People who are honest are generally humble and always live lives of integrity. Those who are proud are typically unfaithful and rarely honest in their dealings. I will strive for honesty, humility, and integrity although I do not always succeed at any of the three.

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Psalm 52:1-9

    The psalmist warns those who boast of their crimes and are proud of deceiving the weak. God will strike them down. I will trust in God, not in my strength or my wealth. The psalmist does not explicitly state it, but the implication is clear, those who trust in their own strength and in their own wealth will treat others with contempt and will se no reason to deal honestly with them.

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Mark 14:22-52

    When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane He gave us an important model for our prayers. Jesus prayed to the Father desperately asking to avoid the suffering which He knew was coming. Yet, as desperately as He desired to avoid the suffering, He prayed that God’s will be done, not His own. Do I do the same? When I ask God for something, am I willing to accept that His will may be for something different? Do I desire God’s will to be done more than what I want? Do I accept that His will is better than anything I can imagine? Am I willing to suffer in order to further God’s will?
    When Jesus returned to the disciples and found them asleep, He singled out Peter and asked him if he could not stay awake for a single hour to pray? Jesus’ words here strike deep into my heart. He told Peter “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” This is both great advice and a great comment on my life. My spirit is definitely willing, but my flesh is weak and, all too often, I fall short of fulfilling God’s will for me. If I would just follow Jesus’ advice to Peter, perhaps I would more often follow through on the things God desires me to do. I need to spend more time watching and praying. Definitely more time praying.

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Numbers 11:24-13:33

    In yesterday’s passage, some of the people had been grumbling and complaining about the lack of variety in the food which God provided them. When Moses went to God to ask Him why He had burdened him with these complaining people, God told Moses to gather the 70 elders of the people to the Tabernacle. God’s Spirit would come down upon the 70 elders and they would share the burden of leading these people with Moses. Further God told Moses to have the people purify themselves because on the following day He would provide them with meat for them to eat for a month. The following day God did indeed supply the people of Israel with enough meat for them to eat meat for a month. Many of those who had been grumbling ate too much of the quail, perhaps without cooking it properly, and they died. In this case, the people were not grateful for the provision which God had given them. They complained because He had not provided them with the luxurious foods they had eaten in Egypt. In light of my theme, they paid a price for not turning to God and saying, “Please Lord, we want variety in our food, but not as we will, let it be as You will.” They were selfish and demanded God provide them what they wished for without considering the possible negative consequences. When God provided them what they asked for, they suffered the consequences.
    Later in today’s passage, Moses sent scouts into the Promised Land. When they returned they reported on how the land was a land of bounty. They also reported that the people of the land were powerful and well defended. Caleb immediately spoke up saying that they should march at once, they could conquer the people of the land. However, the other scouts disagreed and expressed their fear that the people were too powerful for them. They allowed their sense of inadequacy get the better of them. They failed to remember the great things which God had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt. How often do we fall into the same trap? When God gives us a mission, we scout it out and conclude that it is beyond our abilities. Then, rather than trusting in God to bring us through, we retreat and refuse to do as God had called us. All too often, we allow our sense of inadequacy overcome our faith. Let us remember that while we may be grasshoppers, God is leading us and will see us through to victory.

Daily Bible Study

March 8, 2014 Bible Study — Whiter Than Snow

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 10:31-32

    These two proverbs are a good way to judge myself. Do I say things that are helpful to others? Do others find wisdom in my advice? Or am I speaking about perversion? They remind me to weigh my words so that others may benefit from what I say.

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Psalm 51:1-19

    This wonderful psalm is the basis for many songs and hymns. There is a great hymn whose chorus is:

Whiter than snow; yes, whiter than snow;
Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

This song brings back memories of great worship services from my childhood. Then there is a Keith Green song which I sometimes sing as I am driving as a prayer to rededicate myself to God. This psalm reminds me that God does not desire my sacrifice. He desires for me to acknowledge how broken I am, He wants me to recognize my need for His healing. And, importantly, He desires that I approach Him with contrition for my failure to live a righteous life. If I do these things, He will cleanse me of my sins, so that I need not experience them anymore.

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Mark 14:1-21

    This passage contains the story of the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. This passage gives me problems. Not because I disagree with the sentiment it presents, but because I am not quite sure what we are to make of it. I will tell you what I think of it, but I am not sure if this is the correct interpretation. Those present (including at least some of the disciples), scolded the woman for “wasting” the perfume when it could have been sold for a large sum of money and that money used to help the poor. Jesus rebuked them. He told them that they should not condemn the woman for doing a nice thing for Him. He told them that they would always have the poor, but they would not always have Him. So, it seems to me that while we are to do what we can to help those less fortunate than ourselves, we are also to show our appreciation of those around us when we have the chance. There are times when we are to do things to make those who are serving the Lord with us feel appreciated and special. Let us take time to make those around us know how much they mean to us.

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Numbers 10-11:23

    The last instructions God gives to Moses before the Israelites set out from Mt Sinai were to make two silver trumpets. These trumpets were to be used to signal the people to break camp and begin to march. Using different signals they were to be used to gather the people to assemble. God instructed Moses that when they got to the promised land they were to use these trumpets to sound the alarm when an enemy attacked. They were also to use these trumpets at their celebrations and festivals. I was going somewhere when I started writing about these trumpets, but I’m not sure where that was now. I got distracted by thinking about trying to use our emergency notification alarms as part of our celebrations and worship of God. Can you imagine trying to use the sound that is played over the radio before an Emergency Alert System announcement, or an Amber Alert, in our worship services?

Daily Bible Study

March 7, 2014 Bible Study — Watch For Him!

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 10:29-30

    The path which God has laid out for us will provide us with protection and safety if we do what is righteous, but if we do evil that path will lead us to destruction. The godly will rest comfortably in God’s care, but the wicked will have their lives disrupted time and again.

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Psalm 50:1-23

    God praises those who are righteous for the offerings and sacrifices which they give to Him and to His service. However, He reminds them that He does not need their material possessions, all of earth belongs to Him. What God desires from us is our thankfulness and for us to keep the vows which we have made to Him. Then He asks the wicked why they bother to pretend to honour Him. They may offer sacrifices, but the rest of their behavior demonstrates that it is just for show. Offering out of our material possessions to God serves no purpose if we do not live a life of thankfulness to God and walk the path of righteousness.

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Mark 13:14-37

    Jesus tells His disciples that a time of terrible trials are coming. In those days, many will need to flee without taking time to gather their possessions. During that time false Messiahs and false prophets will arise, but we are to be careful not to be fooled by them. When Jesus returns, everyone will see Him. He will not be hidden away, but will come on the clouds so that everyone will know of His arrival. Let us keep watch because the day of His return is coming. No one knows the day when He will return, so we need to take care that He finds us doing His work when He returns and does not find us sleeping. Jesus’ return will be soon, I pray that He finds me doing His work when He arrives.

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Numbers 8-9:23

    God had Moses set apart the Levites to His service. As part of this process God reminded the people of Israel that He had claimed the first-born sons of all of Israel as His when He struck down the first-born sons of the Egyptians. The Levites would be dedicated to Him in place of the first-born sons of the rest of Israel. The passage describing the dedication of the Levites to God is a description of the second Passover. What I find insightful are the men who came to Moses because they were unable to take part in the Passover at the prescribed time. They wanted to know how they could still celebrate this pivotal and meaningful ceremony. Do we have a similar desire to take part in ceremonies designed to worship and praise God?

Daily Bible Study

March 6, 2014 Bible Study — How Much Should I Give?

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 10:27-28

    Those who fear the Lord will do things which improve their health and extend their lives. On the other hand, those who indulge in wicked activities will destroy their health and shorten their lives. Righteous people hope for things, and then work for those things, that bring happiness to many people. Those who use evil means to attempt to fulfill their hopes will have their hopes dashed by the results of their actions.

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Psalm 49:1-20

    Let everyone listen to what the psalmist has to say today. If we place our faith in God, we need not fear when troubles rise against us. God will come to our rescue and our life will not end in the grave. I will not be dismayed when the wicked gain wealth and power. In the end they will die, just like everyone else. When they do, they will leave behind their material wealth and worldly power. None of that will do them any good when they stand before God on that day. No matter how much wealth, or how many things one acquires in this life, they will be of no use when death comes calling. None of our material possessions will be there for us when God calls us to account for our lives. Then the only thing that will count will be what we have done to bring glory to His name.

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Mark 12:38-13:13

    Jesus warned His disciples against falling for religious leaders who give every appearance of righteousness in public but cheat widows and the powerless when they think no one is watching. However, this warning is not just against falling for their pretense. It is also a warning against becoming like them. Jesus then gives His disciples, and us, a lesson on giving. It is our natural tendency to honour those who give large amounts, but Jesus tells us it is not how much we give. Rather, the question is, have we given to the point where we have to rely on God to meet our needs? If we just give to God out of what is left over after we pay our bills, we have not really given anything. This passage reminds me of the importance of giving to God first and counting on Him to supply my needs.

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Numbers 6-7:89

    The passage discusses the vow of the Nazirite. Those who take such a vow are dedicating themselves to do something in service of God. It is not clear to me whether they take the vow of the Nazirite as a form of preparation for the act which they are vowing to do, or if they undertake the rights of being a Nazirite while they are undertaking the act. It would seem to me more likely to be the former. As I read this it seems to me to suggest the importance of setting ourselves aside into a special state as we prepare to undertake a task which God has placed before us. The vow of the Nazirite as described seems to me to be a perfect ritual to bring one into focus on allowing the Holy Spirit to direct one in fulfilling a task which one has undertook in service of God.

Daily Bible Study

March 5, 2014 Bible Study

    I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day, or more. in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

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Proverbs 10:26

    If you are lazy, it will irritate your employer far out of proportion to any problems your laziness creates, just as smoke irritates the eyes far out of proportion it any injury it causes.Keep this in mind, sometimes that one extra step is the difference between making your boss upset and receiving a commendation from that same boss.

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Psalm 48:1-14

    As I read this psalm two thoughts/feelings go through my mind. The first is one of praise to God and gratefulness for His wonderful, unfailing love. The second is to think of modern Israel and wonder how much this psalm’s proclamation of God’s defense of Jerusalem applies to it. I do not like to go into the second much because it is tied up in politics and I am never sure to what degree God’s promises to the people of Israel have transferred to the Church. I know that the members of the Church have been grafted into God’s people as the descendants of Abraham. Yet, it is also clear that God still has a place in His plans for the biological descendants of Abraham. Reading this psalm I am reminded that those who have chosen to be enemies of the modern state of Israel have chosen to attack people God has chosen as His own. On the other hand, I know that those governing the modern state of Israel have done things which earn God’s strong disapproval (like those governing every modern state). Nevertheless, I will praise God when I see His hand at work in the world. When I look at the modern state of Israel, I see evidence of God’s unfailing love for the people of Israel. It gives me comfort, knowing that He has extended that same unfailing love to myself and to all who have chosen to follow His Son.

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Mark 12:18-37

    When the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, asked Jesus what they thought was a clever trick question, He not only avoided the trick, He showed them to not have much faith in God’s power. In His answer, Jesus gives us some insight into what Heaven will be like. He points out that when we are resurrected we will be like the angels and neither marry nor be given in marriage. Jesus finishes His point by showing that when God talked to Moses He talked about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the present tense.
    What happened next tells us something that is often overlooked. A teacher of religious law who overheard the previous exchange asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Every exposition has focused on Jesus’ answer, and His answer is indeed important. However, I have never heard anyone take note of the fact that the man who asked the question affirmed Jesus’ answer. He followed up Jesus’ answer by saying that it is more important to love God with all of our heart, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves than anything else we can do. As we see here, not all of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day failed to understand and follow God’s word any more than all of the religious leaders of today do.
    There are two important reminders here. First (and this one runs throughout all of the Gospels), we cannot accept something just because a religious leader says it. We need to see what God has to say for ourselves. The second is that we need to judge every religious leader on their own merits. Just because we have witnessed that some religious leaders are hypocrites does not mean that every religious leader is a hypocrite.

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Numbers 4-5:31

    Moses gives careful instructions for how the Tabernacle will be packed up for travel. He describes how each clan of Levites will be responsible for various pieces of the Tabernacle and are to carefully pack things in a particular order. These instructions remind us of the care which we should take in our worship of God. We do not need to be ritualistic about it in the way described in these instructions, but we should think through what we are going to do when we worship God.

Opinion

Anger

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Warning: Rant ahead. If you are the easily offended or quick-to-judge type who call this a first-world problem, please, enlighten me so we can all be perfect like you.

“Anger”

Not the most creative title, I know, and I typically try to be creative…

but today, it’s not happening, and I don’t care.

You may think this is a rant against the weather people…it’s not.

You may think this is a rant against my boss or work in general…it’s not.

You may think this is a rant against God…it’s not.

If you think this is a rant about anger, you win the internet! After all, I did attend the Madeline Kahn School of Anger Management

You may also think, “Wow, she overreacts a lot!” How observant of you! Show me someone who *NEVER* overreacts, or thinks they have it All Together because of their faith, or because they were Saved, or whatever reason, and I’ll show you someone who is *LYING* to themselves! (or perhaps, you only think they think they have it all together)

Today is Monday, March 3rd.

Remember that pesky 12-inch snowstorm that was to happen, oh, about 14 hours ago…and ala Scumbag Steve, it didn’t?

I’m okay with that. Weather is weird. It’s challenging to predict. I get that!

“16 days until Spring! :-)” someone wrote on Facebook.

If this means crocuses will come up even quicker, then yay!

Weather prognosticators make mistakes. We ALL make mistakes. It happens!

But what got my back up was the hype.

It all started Thursday: Schools, government buildings,major road construction projects, etc., were canceled.

Even my fencing class was canceled! Attila and I *LOVE* to fence (as you probably figured out from the photos that adorn his blog)

Road treatments like sand and brine are everywhere.

And it was all for naught. What a waste of time and resources!

I pull up weather pages, and gleefully sit back and read slamming and damning comments towards the weather “experts” for getting this one wrong, for the lack of accountability, etc.

(An aside: In medieval times, theatregoers threw produce at the actors if they didn’t like the performance. Not much has changed in 415 years.)

Now I’m not one to lend credence to conspiracy theories, but when the weather sites and news stations call for a significant weather event to take place, and they hype it *FIVE DAYS* ahead of time…well, I can’t help but think they did it for the ratings, or whatever agenda they’re currently pushing.

And so, when it became apparent that today’s Snow Day was not to be, along with schoolchildren and other working stiffs, I returned to my Monday routine…

Except there was a growing ball of anger in the pit of my stomach.

Before leaving for my “real” job, I log into my website, to try and build up my little business. Yes, I have my own business as an independent consultant (I sell Tastefully Simple), and while I do try to be positive and upbeat, I’m here to tell you that most, if not all consultants, have bad days here and there (read: we do not poop rainbows all the time like a nyan cat).

Nothing goes right:  My contacts are lost. Emails don’t go through. The “How May I Help You” button, is not there to help me.

Remember that ball I mentioned that’s in the pit of my stomach? It grows a little bit bigger.

So I head into work. I am at my desk and my boss gives me grief about something I did incorrectly on a project I busted my butt on for the last month. I was under a tight deadline, and I missed stuff. My bad; I should have been more diligent.

And said ball grows larger.

My work day ends, I get into my car, and begin to drive home.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know the road conditions:

<swerve>

<thump>

<tires squeal>

<thump>

Come to Pennsylvania! The potholes are lovely this time of year!

The growing ball continues to expand.

So I turn on the radio to listen to Praise music, and I pray as best I can with eyes open, while driving, and I ask God to take this ball of anger away before I drive into a ditch…

And I hear about the One who goes before me, to paraphrase Isaiah…

The relief is not instantaneous (I’m still somewhat fuming…ugh) but I am not afraid to lay it all before Him. I know He accepts and loves whingy little insignificant me.

I do have a point here, really, I do!!

And that is, when we’re children, we’re taught that no problem is too big for God to handle. The inverse is also true: No gripe, no first-world problem, is too small, too unimportant, for God. Don’t ever feel afraid or embarrassed to bring your problem to Jesus. Whether your toddler made a mess on the kitchen floor that you just cleaned, the guy in front of you in traffic just got on your last nerve, or if you’re like me, and you have a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat…whether your issue is anger, impatience, jealousy…NONE OF IT is too insignificant for God. If you let Him, He will remove it from your stressed, burdened, heavy-laden heart/mind/soul.