Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth. Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind. The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide. One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work— More spitting into the wind. I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business. It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough!
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4 Days
“Till death do us part”-words I vowed before God, family, and friends. I believed marriage meant enduring every storm, no matter how painful. I promised to stand by my husband through better and worse, but when the “worse” came, it was beyond what I imagined. My marriage became unhealthy, yet I felt trapped by my vow. I needed God’s Word to teach me what it truly means to be loved, safe, and protected-not just to silently endure pain. This journey is about moving from hurt to healing and freedom, with God guiding me through the storm.
5 Days
Success often times breeds trouble. Rick Boxx identifies and discusses five possible snares of success and recommendations to overcome these snares.
As apprentices of Jesus, we are called to live with purpose, seeking to make the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven our highest priority. Living with purpose and intentionality opens the door for generosity to come in and take up residency in our hearts. In this reading plan, we will consider five practices from the Way of Jesus that can help us cultivate a heart of generosity.
8 Days
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a yearly reminder of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). The theme of this year is, “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).” was prepared by The Minnesota Council of Churches, based in the USA. Join our journey of prayer! To reflect beyond the confessional divisions that exist among Christians.
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