Xanga seems to be as dead as a door nail right now.

I have been conversing on one of the genealogy lists I am on today, and had a very long post written. And then the power blinked off before I sent it. Three times.   

It's homemade chicken and noodles for dinner.  And Rachael came over this afternoon and brought Blue Bell Tin Roof ice cream.

It's nasty outside today. Chilly and rainy.

Beth's Old Navy jacket got stolen at work. So now she's lost one in a car fire, and one to a stupid person. She said several people have had jackets stolen in their department, when they left them under the counter.

Has anybody noticed how tv shows are written dumber and dumber? So many are written now for ever decreasing intelligence levels. I was just watching part of one where 2 guys were arguing, trying to "one up" the other one on how many times they had had sex, and whether or not they had ever slept with the same girl.  You know...."I'm better than you because I've got more notches in my headboard than you do."

Please. They're both idiots.

Luke 19:26.....26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given , but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.  NIV

Now, on the surface that scripture seems kind of mean. God will take away from those most in need. The ones who have nothing. Until you study the whole passage.

Luke 19:11-27.....11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. '

Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16 "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'

17 "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

18 "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'

19 "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20 "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

25 "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given , but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"  NIV

See, these men were given a certain amount of money to invest while the master was gone. One made a great investment (which takes a lot of time and hard work), and he made a lot on that investment for his master. The second made an investment that was not quite as fruitful, but still he multiplied the amount. The third just held onto the money and did nothing with it.

The master made the first man in charge of much. He made the second in charge of a little. And from the third, he took away what was given. But there were originally 10 men given the money. The ones who hated the master had to pay with their very lives.

God starts us off, giving us a certain amount of information about him. When we put that knowledge to work and make it multiply in service to Him, He gives us more, according to our ability. But if we don't use that knowledge at all, He's not only not going to give us more, He's going to take away what we had.

If you gave your son a gift and he squandered it, would you give him more? Wouldn't you want to take back any he still had, since he couldn't be trusted with it?

I believe that's happening with the intelligence of a lot of people. They use poorly what they were given, or they do nothing with it at all. Or worse yet....they kill all their brain cells with some substance. And God takes away what He gave them to begin with, because they can't be trusted to use it responsibly. 

Reverence toward God, and obeying Him, is the beginning of wisdom.

Ps 111:10.....10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  NIV

How are you using what He gave you?

Luke 12:48..... Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given. NLT