Faithfullness

I was at home eating breakfast by myself today, when the Ellen Degeneres show came on. I seldom eat breakfast alone, but Shannon is on a mission trip and the kids were at school. Anyway, my breakfast was later than usual because I had volunteered to feed my neighbors cows so that his hired hand could go on the mission trip. I began watching the news, but before I was done eating the Ellen show came on. Since I could not find the controller and was too lazy to get up and change the channel, I watched her opening monologue.

She began by talking about these signs that have sprung up all over California. The are huge billboards that say "Life is short, have an affair" and then give a web site for married men and women to find a person to have an affair with. Ellen was horrified and "disturbed" by these signs. She went on to say that if two people are married and agree that they can have sex with other people that is okay with her, but then that is not really being married, it is a reality show on MTV. She also said that she thought the sign should read, "Life is short, be faithfull."

First of all it so awesome to here a Hollywood celebrity actually promoting good morals in our culture. Most of the time it seems to me that Hollywood is promoting an amoralistic society where everything goes and there are no absolutes. Here we have Ellen Degeneres saying that it is better to be faithful in marriage. Whether you agree with her lifestyle or not, it is good to hear her promoting faithful marriages.

Secondly, it brought a reminder to me that faithfullness to our marriage begins before we are married. When someone has sex with somebody that they are not married to, it is cheating on thier spouse to be. God calls us to be faithful in marriage as a reminder of being faithful to God as well. Well, of course it makes a happier marriage and a better life, this is true. However, according to the Bible, marriage is shadow of our relationship with God. God calls us to be faithful to God and God alone. There are multiple oppurtunities to join with other gods, but we must be faithfull.

I think faithfullness will be my word of the week. Although, I never thought I would be saying this, I think I will take Ellen's advice "Life is short, be faithfull." However, I think I will take it a step farther than what she said. I will be faithfull in my marriage. I do not have time to deal with the problems that having an affair or whatever would cause. I want to enjoy every minute with my best friend that I can. Shannon is an awsome wife and mother. Why would I want to mess that up? Also, I will be faithfull to God. Every day and every minute, I want to follow God. Life is too short to waste time on sin and the consequences of sin. Instead, I want to enjoy my time with God that I have here on earth.

I can think of many ways this mantra could apply to our lives. In our work, in school, in sports, in every activity we do. We should endeavor to be more faithful and enjoy more of our lives.

Life is short, be faithful.

What's Important

In 1990 I discovered a series of books that were wonderful fantasy novels. They were the Wheel of time series written by Robert Jordan. There are currently eleven books in the series and the twelfth is promised to be the last. It is an awsome series. Robert Jordan is the authors name and I do not know for sure, but he must be very excited about ending the series and the seeing the culmination of his writing. However, yesterday he died of a rare blood disorder. I did not know him personally, nor would I dare to say I know what he was like in the least bit. However, his premature death before finishing the twelfth book has gotten me to thinking.

There are many things in life that I dream of having. Sometimes I put those dreams off because of life cirumstances or just because I can do it later. I often forget that I am not garunteed a later. Some of the things I put off are very important. Like playing with my children, enjoying life, spending time with my wife and things like that. Other things are trips I would like to take, education I would like to have and so forth. I do not know if Mr. Jordan procrastinated about his final book. It does seem to me that the series could have been much shorter and his work could have been done before he died. I do not want to die not having accomplished my dreams and not having played with my children enough.

If you read my last Blog, then you know that I have a thirty-six year old friend that is dying. Her husband talked about all the places that they had wanted to go and see, but now never would. I do not want to be that way. Now, I am not going to rush off and get into debt so that I can go whereever I want to, but I will go play with my children and take a date with my wife.

God does not garuntee that all of our dreams will be accomplished. However, I do believe that God wants us to try and accomplish them. I am not planning on dying young, but who knows what will happen. One thing I do want, though, is to not have any regrets when I die. I do not want to say that I put things off too long and now will not be able to do them.

Mr. Jordan, I hope that someone will finish your series for you. As for me, I am going to get off the computer and go play with my children. Then I might work out for a while, because one of my dreams is to thin again one day. After I work out, I am going to have a family meal and talk to my whole family. Life is too short not to enjoy it and that is what I plan to do.