Living Awake

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."   ... James 1:27

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Some Christians hate tv, but me? I like it. (And ok, I probably enjoy liking what other people dislike a bit too much.)

The best shows are those which remind me there's a huge world out there and it's certainly not all about me. We introvert types spend so much time alone that we must fight inching toward the center of our own quiet universe.

Have you ever watched Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown? Wow. Tom and I spent the weekend with Anthony (via Netflix) and when he took us to broken, depressed Detroit and then The Congo, God pretty much told me, "See? This is why I've asked you to stop complaining. So many people have so little, but you've been given so much--

"Your family,
home, friends, pets,
books, sunshine, health,
supermarkets, groceries, money,
yard, flowers, trees,
creativity, paint, imagination,
computer, laughter, joy--and Jesus."

Oh, watching all those people struggle for just a few dollars and slogging though such horrid conditions and--well, my complaining about the weather, broken appliances, slow Internet times or Facebook stuff, cleaning cat barf, waiting in lines, shoveling snow, back aches on walks--felt like sin.

Really. Ungrateful, unappreciative, clueless to what matters in Life sin. And it reminded me, also, of the myriad times I've complained about the weather in this blog, thus creating throw-away posts, actually, ones with only crumbs of substance.

If I'm not watchful, careful, I could create a whole throw-away life.

See? This is why I appreciate tv. It reminds me of what I've forgotten and have you noticed that in Today's world, distraction sucks meaning out of us like a magnet? Oh, that we'd seek God to replace that meaning every hour.

Because of God's using a tv show, I'm praying more this week that He'll place a watch upon my lips and that I'll remember to pray for those in need and that I'll send our latest check to our favorite ministry which helps the poor here in the U.S. and many other countries.

May I remain on fire to help others in every way I can.  May I someday step over the threshold of Heaven having fulfilled my purpose, my destiny, and may I catch every reminder, anywhere, even on tv, and allow them to change and center me (in Truth) again.

And may I live Life awake.





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"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."   .... Hebrews 13:16

"I ... entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience,"   ... Ephesians 4:1,2

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning ..."   ... Philippians 2:14


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Well! This made me look at Stephen Colbert in a whole other way...  (Scroll down a tad for the film.)


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