Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness. Question Evolution. Don't Get Caught! Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Don’t Cut Corners on Kindness

"A common axiom today says that we should not “cut corners” in life. An ancient biblical law could also be summarized by a different application of these words.

God gave many commands to ancient Israel. One of the commands may be confusing to people who don’t live in an agrarian society.

Notice Leviticus 23:22: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

You could summarize this command as: Don’t cut corners. The Israelites were commanded not to fully harvest their crops. God wanted a portion to be left in the fields and available for the poor to glean. The biblical heroine Ruth benefited from this law (Ruth 2:2-3).

Modern application of an ancient law

But how does this biblical law for an agrarian society apply to Christians today? Most of us don’t have farms. How can we avoid cutting corners today?

The answer becomes apparent when we understand the principle behind the law. Ancient Israel was not to forget the less fortunate and poor; the citizens of this nation were to make provisions to care for them. Though most of us cannot apply it in the same way the Israelites did, we can still apply the principle today.

How can we not cut corners today?"

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/blog/dont-cut-corners-on-kindness/

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A Science Teacher’s Bold Confession

"Although I’m a science teacher, I don’t believe in evolution. Let me give you two reasons why.

Why should we believe gravity, or any other natural law, for that matter, just somehow happened—appeared on its own out of nowhere?

Interestingly, all scientists call these natural forces “laws,” and indeed they are consistent rules that govern all things that exist.

Even more interesting, a source long predating Isaac Newton tells us where gravity and all the other laws of nature came from! That source is the Bible.

James 4:12 tells us, “There is one Lawgiver.” That Lawgiver is the Creator God who designed and made the universe and this planet we call earth. In doing so, He created the rules that control it, both the physical laws governing the behavior of creation and the spiritual laws governing the behavior of humanity.

The complexity of nature

Mankind has a long and fascinating history of attempting to comprehend and probe nature’s complexities.

Around 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Democritus imagined that matter consisted of tiny particles. He called these particles atoms, which in his language basically meant “indivisible,” (atomos, literally, “not cut”). Other Greek philosophers believed atoms came together to form molecules. They also thought atoms and molecules had mass or weight. It turns out they were far ahead of their time. Sad to say, other mistaken philosophical ideas gained precedence over these notions, suppressing for hundreds of years the concept of atoms."

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/is-there-a-god/proof-of-god/science-teachers-confession/

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Don't Get Caught!

"What does temptation have to do with getting caught?

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/christian-living/dont-get-caught

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Update:

Still no word from Ray, but he did send someone over to pick up all his potted plants that were in the front yard of the guest house.  We moved all his things that were in the living room into the bedroom and there is so much of his stuff that it has the bedroom  piled high. Very strange for someone to just leave all their stuff.  This time he has been gone over 5 weeks now, but legally, I can't get rid of his possessions.

Somehow a rock hit the patio door on the guest house, so now it is all crazed and waiting to fall into a million pieces.  I think a weed eater did it.

The new helper, Roy didn't work out at all.  He worked on the floor for a few hours on the Monday, and then worked on his own job, mowing lawns, the rest of the week.  He always had landscaping tools spread all over the front yard and everyone thought I was having a yard sale.  I got so tired of people stopping and calling, that I asked him not to do that again.  When I went into the guest house I found out that Roy had moved a bunch of his personal stuff in at night time, and had planned on living there.  I told him that it was a construction area, not a living area.  On Monday, 12th. his niece came by and told me that Roy had been put in the hospital and it took two car loads to get the small stuff out of there.  I am still waiting for Roy's brother to pick up the large stuff, like a refrigerator and a trailer that Roy towed behind his riding mower. 

So back to Jay and me!   We have been cutting out the bad flooring in the kitchen/dining area in the guest house.  

 

When we removed the kitchen cabinets we found out that Ray had let the drain leak under the sink, then that water had gone through the floor and caused termites to climb up into the wall.  Needless to say, the lower cabinets fell apart as we were removing them. 

Then when we went to remove the upper cabinets we found that they were full of canned goods.  Now who puts canned goods in upper cabinets??  As an old RVer, I know not to do that.  Anyway, so many upper cabinets are held up there with just a few screws, and aren't made to support the weight of a lot of cans.  This was so mystifying as there is a big canned goods rack built in one of the big cupboards.

Yesterday, Jay and I went to church.  I took Opo Squash and Ginger Chicken Soup, and Jay made a strawberry pie with real whipped cream, not Coolwhip.

The Bible readings were Num. 30:2-32:40, Jere. 1:1-2:3, and Mat. 5:33-37.  The Teaching was about "Trees planted by water"  Psa.1:3 and Jere.17:7-8.  Another new couple came for the first time, and I think that they will be regulars.   Everyone enjoyed the potluck, and a lot of talk and teaching was done around the dining tables.  It was so sunny that we were glad that we had put four sunshades up around the front of the van.   These are the hottest days.