...Dreamin' on such a winter's day

Gardeners
Dream

Bigger

Dreams

Than

Emperors.

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Happy Valentine's Day

YYY The next kiss is always better than the last word. YYY

Get Ready

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:44

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"If dreams were lightin' and thunder was desire; this old house would'a burnt down a long time ago." John Prine (Angel From Montgomery)

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"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." Jesus (Matthew 7:24-25)

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Curse or Blessing?

Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:17b-19)

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I've heard it said that hard work is good for the soul. I also heard the lyrics of an old folk song; "Work your fingers to the bone; what do you get? Bony fingers, bony fingers!" In this age of labor-saving devices and outsourcing, we have learned late some of the obvious benefits of work (besides the paycheck.)

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Statistics show that those who yield their bodies to physical labor live longer and enjoy better health. Strangely, they have less fatigue and anxiety. Other known benefits to hard work are; respect, strength, thoroughness, endurance, and a certain persistent, "can do" attitude formerly termed 'work ethic'.

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What activity other than working toward a common goal evokes both the sense of community known as team spirit and the creative drive we call a competitive edge? Yet we shun good, hard, honest work like the plague. We all want 'something better' for our children. Even if she's too fat to get up from the couch, we buy Mom another labor saving device for her birthday and Christmas. We hasten Dad to his grave with remote control, electric screw drivers and riding lawn mowers.

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A few still embrace work if it's carefully cloaked as recreation. But for everyone working to make a basket or a touchdown, there are at least a hundred spectators. Even sex, for many, has become an effortless, impersonal, electronic sceptical. Call me old fashioned, but I'm beginning to suspect that there might be a correlation between work, ethics and morality. Maybe there are spiritual benefits to work.

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From Eden to Gethsemane to New Jerusalem's trees; the Biblical saga of God and man begins and ends in a garden. It's almost as if God said, "You want to be like me? Get your face down here close to the earth. Reach in to the dark earth and tuck in a seed. Now breathe. Believe..." It's not the effort or accomplishments of work that can make us acquainted with the meek and lowly heart of God. It's the source of every virtue and the part we dread the most; humility. Heed the wise advice of an ancient King:

"Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you in this world. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. What ever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom" -- King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 9:9-10)

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