Happy 50th Don!

So here is a little advice and some ramblings for you don, on your 50th as you drink your morning coffee watching your budgie who just fell into the soapy dishwater.....

1. love the lord your God with all of your heart and all your soul

I was going to explore so many other tips and advice's but really, if I were to just do number one, then I know I will continue to lead a happy, joyous, peaceful and meaningful life. Yes, life can really suck sometimes. Life can be hard and full of pain and disappointment. One friend told me I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and that there is no way I have experienced the depths of pain. I was told it was easy for me to love a God who has given me so much. This whole argument can be explored in the book of Job and I rekon its something people have played out for 1000's of years.

I believe the book of Job is the oldest book in the bible. I want to be like Job who just kept loving God despite all the  trials and tribulations. But I also want to be like Jobs friends who stood beside him. Sure they offered all sorts of misguided conventional wisdom that turned out to be poo, but they did stand beside him. They loved him and were there for him. A friend of mine was quite angry that God would play such charades with a persons life and that in itself was inconsistent with Love.

I read the book for the message and I dont get caught up on things that are literal, but I try to understand why and what. Why am I being told this and what does it mean to me and my relationship with God?

The Holy Bible is like a double edged sword. How does one interpret such a complex book? Is it that only scholars should know and the rest merely be taught or legislated? Is the book to be taken literally or figuratively or or both....and what happens when we disagree? Does the message get lost while we play with the words?

Why is it that we turn the book into legislation? We had the law already. Now we have grace and love and Christ within...so why dont we live like it? Why do we enslave ourselves with the law again, when clearly, the Christ came to unite us with God.

I love and appreciate the Holy Bible, but I think that the greatest problem is the fact that we use it to divide and conquer people. We use it to build up our own righteousness. We read the bible and interpret it based on our own colored glasses; based on our culture and our circles and our place in life. We turn the bible into a mathematical equation in order to earn Gods love.

So here is a little summation of what the Holy Bible has taught my mind and being.....

1 God created the heavens and earth and breathed His breath of life to all things.
2 There is a beginning and and end to all things except Alpha and the Omega
3 I was made in His image and Spirit resides in me
4 I am free, forgiven and loved
and the first and final word....
1 I will love the Lord my God with all my heart AND I will love my neighbor as myself.

Happy Birthday don....you are loved...you have purpose....and you are complete.
...just like the great engineer designed
.....now live like it.