It is the last day of school before SPRING BREAK! Not only is it Tater Tot’s 4-month birthday today;
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It is ALSO the 6th week since my surgery. I have bought some compression socks which were hard to find! They needed to cover my foot, and only a few places carried them. I had to go to Endurance Rehab, and they were not cheap! But at the point of PAIN, you’ll pay the moon for comfort. $45 later, I felt less swelling.
This week, I plan to really soak in each moment with Tatum, visiting family, mom, and friends! (Oh, and the Cotster). But as I wrap up this week, I am awestruck by how the book we are reading in English has me reeling with hope of influencing young minds. I read Fahrenheit 451 years ago, and thought it was about book burning, but now, it means so much more. I see a lifeless society, consumed with zero substance and complete nothingness. However, everyone is occupied and busy all of the time.
This somewhat reminds me of this (by unknown author)
The Devil was speaking to his angels. He continued, “This is what I want you to do. Distract them from Bible study, prayer, and meditation.” “How do we do that?” asked an angel. “Keep them busy with nonessentials. Invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade wives to go to work for long hours and husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them away from their children as much as possible. As the family becomes fragmented, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.”
Satan added, “Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot concentrate on the Word for more than just a few minutes. Entice them to play the radio or CD wherever they go, to keep their TV, VCR, CDs, and PCs going constantly in their homes. Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news
24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards, talk radio, and Top 40. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional pamphlet offering free products, ‘essential’ services, and false hopes. In their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return angry, exhausted, and disquieted. Don’t let them stop to see nature and reflect on God’s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and suggestive movies.
“And when they do meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in socializing, gossip, and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Let them be involved in good causes, but crowd their lives with so many ‘good causes’ that they do not have time for church activities. Soon they will be sacrificing their health and their family for the good of the cause.”
It was quite a convention in the end. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments. Christians everywhere got busy, busy, busy and rushed here and there.
How successful has Satan’s scheme been? Look at your life, and the lives of your family and friends, and be the judge. Someone gave this anagram of busy: B—Burdened U—Under S—Satan’s Y—Yoke.
(God wants us to enjoy life, but He wants to be first (Matthew 6:33). He must be life to us (Colossians 3:1-4))
I have always been busy. But, my goal is never to be of “nonessential” things. I rarely watch TV. However, I rarely stop moving. ENTER: AT rupture! Many would say that I was being punished or I dug my own hole. Others, me included, have surmised that this has completely changed my perspective on life. No longer can I rush; No longer can I accomplish my mile long list. Things must wait, and I must say NO more than ever now.
What have I gained? Well, in Fahrenheit 451, the character named Clarisse, enjoys picking dandelions. She drinks in the rain as she lays back her head. She has many one-to-one meaningful conversations about “meaningless (depending on what you consider meaningless)” things. She engages in LIFE; in PEOPLE; in PURPOSE. The rest of society? They “plug in” to their talking walls and don’t need to give anything back. They don’t even think and they don’t realize they don’t think because they have lost their capability to have any introspection. The “devil” has succeeded in taking their eyes off what matters: Relationships and finding purpose (and I would say that comes from having a personal relationship with our Father through Christ who gives us the ability to LOVE/LAUGH/CREATE..)
I guess being grateful today is what I am. I have not gained “the world” but have gained insight into what matters. BE INTENTIONAL with your time 🙂
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