Flee from sexual immorality.  Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.              1 Cor 6:18

Why is every other sin outside the body?  Lots of sins are only in the mind, so I suppose those don't affect your physical body, but what about drug/alcohol abuse?  What about overeating?  Or physically harming yourself?  Those certainly defile the body, don't they? 

Yeah, I am being picky, I know.  But I do like precision...  Am I missing something here?

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 
Rom 14:21

I have a question.  How do you live this?  You shouldn't do anything that causes your brother to stumble?  And how do you know when he stumbles?  Do you just not worry about it until he tells you that a practice of yours is causing him to stumble, or do you watch for the stumbling?  Because watching for another to stumble certainly seems to be a bad thing to do, and yet, how many times will someone confess to you that your behavior is a snare to them?

I have spent a large portion of my life being a people-pleaser, trying to fit the image, fill the bill, act the part.  I didn't feel good about that, but for a long time the pressure was just too great.  I had to erect the facade in order to survive.  In the past few years, I have finally felt freed from this, but reading this today causes me to question.  

When I refrain from something that is not sin in order to protect another person from stumbling, is that performing to please another person rather than God?

What is the difference?  What is the key to being sensitive to others, while still playing to an Audience of One?   How do you keep a healthy perspective on living to please other men vs. following only God's standard?

We received our economic stimulus check today. Two days late.  How do I know that? Because they sent us a letter about a week ago saying that we could expect it by July 5.  Now maybe I'm not seeing the big picture, but I seriously need a little explanation here. 

Question #1  Since my country's economic status has sunk to the level of being the world's greatest debtor, why did they borrow more money so that they could send out cash bonuses to all of us who are so privileged as to be taxpayers?

Question #2  If I now go and "stimulate the economy" by spending this money, how will that help my country to lessen their incredible debt?

Question #3  Why did the IRS send a notice ahead of time telling me exactly when to expect the check and how much it would be?  Why not just send the check, rather than to double the amount they are spending on postage for this whole thing by giving us advance notice that they will be sending it?  (probably a dumb question, but humor me...) 

Not to mention that it was late anyway.  Though on that pre-check letter it did have a disclaimer:  If you do not receive it within six week of this notice, please contact us at the number shown above.   Well, okay, it should be there on July 5, but if it's still not there a month and a half later, THEN we'll check up on it.

Boy, that gives me great faith in the system.

I've actually been doing a little reading on economics lately, and finding it surprisingly fascinating.  Maybe I should recommend the book to some of those government dudes.  I think they could use a refresher course.

I'm trying to enjoy the feeling of receiving a check in the mail, but it's hard.  This whole situation is sort of like the people who vote for "change"-- they aren't really looking ahead, just living for the moment.  We have become a nation of hedonists.  God help us.

~Trying to decide whether to buy a new computer or invest it all in beans, rice, and bottled water...

We just got Dr. James Dobson's newsletter today, and it is so sad.  How can a government that was created to be "of the people, by the people, for the people" deteriorate to such depths?  Even though the majority (61%) of voters in California wish to define marriage as between one man and one woman, four (yes, FOUR) Supreme Court justices were able to reverse that.  Our justice system has become so warped that it is hardly recognizable.  How can four people's opinion overrule the wishes of over 4.5 million people they are supposed to represent?

And to top off that atrocity, a court in LA has outlawed homeschooling.  That one is incredible.  They based the ruling on ONE family who they ruled to be dysfunctional and abusive.  By that logic, if one public school teacher abuses or otherwise harms a student, all public schools should be shut down, right? 

If things like this are allowed to happen we have forfeited all our freedoms as individuals to an elite handful of people who call themselves, ironically, justices.  What a mockery of true justice!