Friday, May 15, 2026

You shall not surely die

You shall not surely die
  You shall, of a surety, die
    Surely you shall die
      You shall die

Children of disobedience deny death ~ they believe in death defying capabilities, yet to be actualized. Not a man, as yet, has managed to secure immortality, and the risen Lord is the envy of every reprobate that thinks he can imagine his way into eternity in this world, by his own might and self-obsessive brilliance. Watch the earthlings age, despite their brow and face lifts ~ no amount of plastic or fat placed or injected strategically, to give the allusion of youth, can stop death from calling their deli number. 

Who are the self-deceivers trying to kid? Age has a number: the number of a person's days, shows up in unmistakable ways. Try, dear one, to erase bed sheet creases, impressed upon the face during a night of sleep; or those crinkles at the edges of your eyes that are evidence of years gone by. And what about pruning fingertips that have not been soaking in water? Or crepe like skin that cannot be smoothed with hand nor hot iron? Implants and injections sub-plant the soul, and regardless of effort upon effort to forgo aging, we humans just cannot help ourselves, we put on days to years in no time at all.

Eventually, all systems will go down and grind naturally to a halt, and you and I will no longer be in the flesh, and I ask you, Where will you be then? It is thought twisting and mind bending to consider becoming decrepit with body decay ~ no one wants this, and yet, desperate man cannot stop this process, and the trajectory for each human on the path of life, is ultimately, to one day die. The soul shouts No, no, it isn't so, and the evidence screams louder, Yes, yes, this too, will happen to you! 

You shall not surely die, said the Devil to Eve and Adam. Funny thing about this deceptive statement spoken by the snake, Adam and Eve were alive, and they surely, were not dying, when this lie was told them. The Devil continues to hissper this lie to vain and self-deceiving men and women, and they believe him. One day, to their horrified shock and shame, they will find themselves in dire and inescapable straits, existing in a living hell, for denying the One that rescues and resurrects the dead, to eternal life in heaven. 

You shall, of a surety, die, dear one. You haven't a clue when, but do you have a clue, to whom you belong, and where your spirit will go, when your body expires and you are no longer tethered to the flesh? 

Surely you shall die
You shall die

I have no fear of death, and this is not true for the majority of the millions of people that roam the earth, that eat and drink without considering the state of their soul. Most people are terrified of death, and I tell you now, they should be, because pleasure ceases for the heathen when the heart stops beating and the lungs stop pumping - eating and drinking and pleasure seeking ends, and Christ deniers have nothing to look forward to in the after life, and much to be petrified of. 

1 John 2:22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

You, dear one, are an antichrist, if you deny Jesus as the Christ. Jesus rose from the dead without decay or delay on the third day following his prophesied crucifixion. All prophesy has been and will be fulfilled without any falling by the wayside. Those that do not believe God is in command of their now and their future, will surely die, and suffer the anguish of being forever separated from the God that made them. What a crying shame. 

It does not have to be this way! You can do differently from what you have done before. I suggest strongly that you go to God on bended knee and ask him to illume your mind and instill wisdom into your spirit, making you brand new, and holy too. 

I have three recommendations, four if you are very serious about your eternity:

1. Plead for forgiveness
2. Love God with all your heart, mind, body on spirit; and love your neighbour as yourself
3. Read scripture and get Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible, and study what you find there for the sanctifying of your soul
4. Pray all the live long day, and live as though you are a child of God Almighty

Jesus is our perfect example, and the Father wants nothing more than for us to honour and obey him, with Christ as Mediator, and the Holy Ghost as our God power within our very being. 

You and I will surely die, but let us be about the business of truly living, while we still, walk God's green earth. 

Thursday, May 14, 2026

A Sin is a Sin

A sin, by any other name, is still a wretched and wicked assault on the soul. Here is an R. C. Sproul quote: If you commit sin in good conscience, it's still a sin. 

You and I can't make what is wrong, right. We can't take a bad thing or action, and turn either, into something worthwhile or beneficial. Notice now, how wicked mischievousness works. You do you, follow your heart, listen to your instincts, do what is best for you, let your conscience be your guide, are suggestive instructions that lead to permissive impressions on those that are susceptibly vulnerable to recommendations. In other words, loosey goosey thoughts and behaviours take over the flesh, when a person, or many persons, get a green light to do as their mood or urges see fit. 

For instance, some people had the urge to continue working during covid, and some, in fact many, felt that their conscience would be assuaged after getting injected with recommended and propagandized not-good-for-anyone toxins. The regret and remorse for going against conscience is constant for those that now suffer the after effects of having gone with the crowd, which by the way, is never wise, when viewed from an ethical and moral perspective. NOTE: Crowds can turn into angry, restless, resentful mobs, and this we did witness, when hatred was generated and aimed toward anyone that did not get in on the protocol action during the covid craze. 

Conscience is an early warning system to stop a person from wrong doing; conscience isn't do what you think is right, even when it is terribly, horribly wrong, but you feel it is perfectly okay with you. Stated differently, wrong is wrong, right is right. Truth cannot and does not, masquerade as a lie, and deception does not have sympathy and affection, for honesty. The two are diametrically opposed, and in saying this, I point out the confusion that is caused when conscience is used as an argument to commit sin, and I repeat what is quoted above from the mouth of Sproul, If you commit sin in good conscience, it's still a sin. If I break the law, and don't get caught, it does not suddenly make me innocent of wrongdoing. 

Regret for convincing ourselves to do what is offensive to the soul, is a gift from God. The conscience can speak subtly or scream and shriek in horror, and these are valuable alarms that can jangle the senses, and have us snap back to reality. We can't manipulate facts to make ourselves feel better; people that do this are in the deepest of troubled waters, and may never reach the shore of truth. 

The Bible makes many issues clear for our consideration, and there is no room for you or me, to play around with what God does, and does not, want us to do. If you got injected and regret it now, I pray you go on to the next step, and all the ones that follow, namely:

1. Repent before God by telling him you are sorry for disregarding your built in conscience that works for you, not against you.

2. Ask for help and healing if you are unwell: God is the Great Physician and what seems impossible for you or me, is well within his capable Almighty hands. 

3. Read scripture to increase your wisdom factor and spiritual strength, so that when wicked men make suggestions, you will see through their shenanigans, and resist their vile attempts to impose their will on your life and being. 

4. Live as a Christian in every God fearing and obedient way, and sin no more. You will feel insulated from the influences of the secular world, while remaining capable of interacting with your fellow-creatures. 

5. Just to ensure safety and effectiveness, live God's commandments, and refrain from relying solely on your conscience, or suggestions for what is right for you from people you do not know or trust, that have no rights or authority over you. God is Sovereign, not the rulers or governors of this world, and he is the one we are to obey, even when people all around us, are live streaming in the opposite direction. 

A sin is a sin is a sin, and dear one, you and I always know, when we are sinning against God. 

Sunday, May 10, 2026

The Value of Veracity

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25).

Truth is a debt we owe one to another; and, if we love one another, we shall not deceive nor lie one to another. We belong to the same society or body, which falsehood or lying tends to dissolve; and therefore we should avoid it, and speak truth. Observe, Lying is a very great sin, a peculiar violation of the obligations which Christians are under, and very injurious and hurtful to Christian society (Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 570). 

Think with me, about owing a debt of truth, one to another. What a fascinating concept: love does not lie, and if I love you, I am beholden to being a truth teller. I owe you the honour of being honest when we interact, and when we are out of each other's sight too. Deception, falsehood and lying, tend to dissolve society, and interpersonal relationships, and ought to be avoided, with only truth being spoken. 

Matthew Henry calls lying a very great sin, a peculiar violation of the obligations Christians are under, injurious and hurtful to Christian society: Do you agree with this assessment? 

What are you willing to do for the love of your life, dear one? What extremes will you go to, to secure and keep hold of what you adore? If what you want is out of reach, will you do anything, everything, to get closer, and make a grab for the object of your affections, as soon as you get close enough? How hard are you willing to try to have that precious item you crave and desire and can't stop thinking about, that haunts your dreaming hours and dogs your daytime mental meanderings? The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil: Why money? What do you make of this love?

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). 

If the love of money is the root of all evil, perhaps the love of truth is the source of all peace and happiness, purity and righteousness. You and I cannot buy love, it is priceless, but those that love money, believe they can buy anything they want, and that it will scratch the perpetual itch, that is want to be relieved. Will there ever be enough money to fill the void in souls gone sour on what really matters most? What matters most, you ask? Relationship with God and our fellow-creatures, matter the very most, dear one. 

The expression, Making an honest living, just popped into my head. Honesty and truth are hand holding best buddies, and an honest person sometimes loses a business deal, by staying committed to veracity. Look now, to the top dog camera whores that sell their souls for a bit of air time, and how willing they are to slaughter their own spirit, and that of their neighbour, for the sake of financial gain, prestige, power, and even more camera time. Our society is deception soaked and sickened too, with cankers and sores marking and marring humanity. The masses have eaten and absorbed falsehoods, fibs, misleadings, manipulations, and malpractice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks, for decades. Is it any wonder people are dying of cancer in droves, when deception is their main source of sustenance? 

Lying, as Matthew Henry aptly pointed out, is a peculiar violation of the obligations Christians are under, and if Christians are liars, one to another, what hope does a Christ-less global society have in the way of showing love and being love, to their neighbours? Love cannot, and does not, lie. 

Lying is a very great sin. I ask you again, Do you agree with this Matthew Henry's assessment?

Coveting after money has people erring in their faith, and there is a piercing through with many sorrows, when a man or woman decides to forgo all the goodness God proffers, in favour of making their own way in the world, to secure the riches they crave and lust after. To err in faith is to mistrust God, by believing we must grab for the gusto, and make our own lives great and prosperous, separate from his provisions and blessings. We lie to ourselves when we actually believe we are in charge of our own existence, while knowing full well, we are not promised another tomorrow, and that death may come knocking at our door, at any given moment in our own timeline of life. 

Lies nibble away at character. Lies chomp on integrity. Lies besmirch and belittle. Lies erode trust and cast dispersions. Lies mute and murder relationships. Satan is the father of lies, and if lying is your way of life, then the Devil is your daddy. 

Truth fortifies the soul. Truth strengthens the bones. Truth shoots brilliant rays of divine light abroad. Truth encourages and edifies. Truth builds with bricks of beauty, bonds of friendship, kinship, brother and sisterhood, and a sense of holy familial unity, that is pure and spirit enriching. Jesus is the Truth, and if truth telling and living is your way of life, then God is your Abba Father, dear one, and I am very very happy for you!

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Mental Tenacity

What do you grip firmly, taking hold with steely strength? Does mental tenacity play a role in your every day life, or are you on auto pilot cruise control, coasting along, with the same old same old get 'er done approach, that doesn't require concerted effort, for most of your tasks? 

As you may already know, I watch the tv show Survivor. The challenges that thrill me are the ones that have persevere or fail, stamped all over them. In group challenges, the stronger, athletic, and agile players, can somewhat carry the weaker participants when they lag, but the individual challenges are a different breed of animal, highlighting the stamina built into those that hang on, and continue to do so, even while everyone around them drop out of the game. It does my soul good to see strength on display in some characters that look like a gentle breeze could knock them over. How, pray tell, do they do what they do, winning rewards and immunity, by being the last guy or girl standing, hanging, balancing, etc? 

I was finishing a half-hour strength training workout and when I checked the timer for about the fifth time, I saw I had one minute to go. I selected abs for my last set, and at about repetition number twenty, I started wondering, How much longer? How is a minute so looooong... and I recalled the Survivor players and how admirable they are, each time they commit to not quit. So I suffered that one minute of abs, and today I have the reward of soreness in my midsection! One moment please...

In one moment, one minute of time, we can make horrendous mistakes that impact a lifetime of living. In one moment, one minute of time, we may choose wisely and in a way, that ensures the future will be bright with a sense of peace and delight. 

Jesus hung on a cross, weighed down with the sins of the world. He could have gotten off, being the God/man, but he did not. He endured the suffering, not for a moment in time, not for one little minute, but for excruciating hours. It wasn't just physical pain he endured, it was the grotesque and heinous wickedness we have committed as creatures, all the sick sins amassed atop Jesus, since man first walked the earth, with the sin accumulation continuing to this day. He died for us, dropping down, condescending to our lowly state, to elevate us to his majesty and glory, demonstrating what perfection acts and sounds like! Only God has the power to bestow strength, and only God has the power to resurrect the dead and enliven. 

Some people endure suffering for the right reasons and rewards, while others suffer needlessly, with nary a prize in sight. Christian: you will be tempted and tried, you will be cut off and called names, for the sake of Christ: Are you prepared to mentally, emotionally, spiritually, tenaciously grip tightly to your faith in Christ as your Saviour? 

Being strong is not an overnight achievement. Muscles of the physical and spiritual variety, require repeated and consistent attention and exertion. Maybe your abs are weak and you need to train them; and maybe your faith is weak, and you need to attend to it too. Chances are good you need work in both areas, and so: 

1. Work-out daily
2. Read your Bible
3. Pray without ceasing 
4. Eat food God created for human consumption
5. Drink plenty of water

Rinse and repeat.

Grow your mental tenacity for the hard stuff coming your way, and when challenged, you may find you have what it takes to endure to the end, long after others have dropped out of sight. 

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

Monday, May 4, 2026

A Sliver of Soap

Eyeballing the sliver, I considered getting a new bar... would the worn down piece of well used soap, be enough for the shower I was about to take? That sliver might be slippery and hard to grasp, and the quick question before starting the bathing process, was this: Do I bother with a hint of cleanliness, or rid myself of the left over and start anew, with a bar promising to be handy and helpful, rather than a remnant of what previously, had potential? 

I have my doubts, when the sky gets murky from chemical trail smudging. I sometimes flounder in my faith, when darkness attempts to close in and block the light; then the rays beam in, with dappling light interceding and reminding me, God goes before me, he goes before us, and we are heirs to his kingdom, as regenerates, redeemed children, that once, perhaps not long ago, were far from him and his glory, but are now drawn near by his grace and mercy through Christ the LORD.  

Is the sliver of soap enough to wipe the sky clean and clear of its murky smudges, and can I use the same shrinking bar, to wash my mind of all irritation for what the evil and wicked ones have done thus far, in their attempts to destroy God's creation, and namely, his prized possession, humanity? Can I take that sliver of soap and rub the smirks off the faces that arrogantly display their cruel intentions of harming their fellow-creatures, via airborne, injectable, and ingestible toxins? 

It is to God I go for my answers, for the reassurance I need, to know that he is well aware of the circumstances and situations we now find ourselves in. The apostle Paul spoke truth in the face of being terrorized by the enemy of souls, and nothing has changed since the dawn of man regarding some being haters of God's word, will, and way, and some of us being adorers of our beloved Abba Father and being desirous too, of obeying his commands, with his Holy Spirit strength giving us the power to resist the Devil and his trickster influences. 

The sliver of soap is enough to wash away the sprinkling of doubt that has a tendency to shade the shine of faith, when I go to the source of great light. The men in the air will one day have their wings clipped. They fly like eagles, soaring high, and they forget, that God gave them the gift of resisting gravity, for a time, and that abusing privilege's bestowed, will one day have them pulled into the grave, disabled and without choice, and punished too, for daring to demand death from humans God gave life to. 

See the photo, a colourful playful pig made of metal, a plant called a spider, a desert cactus blooming corral flowers with yellow middles: the joy of the Lord fills me with hope each new morning, and I pray this is true for you too, dear one. I pray that the sliver of hope that you have translates into prayers for the lost, the lonely, the ones that have given up and believe that there is nothing more to look forward to because the wicked rule and reign without stoppage. This, quite simply, is not true. God is Sovereign over all and always has been and forever will be. 

It matters what we say and do and how it influences and impacts our fellow man. It matters because we can help or harm others, to our commendation or to our damnation. The tampering with weather is diabolical, and I grin as I type this reminder to you and me both: 

Mark 4:39
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

May the peace of Christ fill your soul in stillness, and in life's storms, dear one. 

Friday, May 1, 2026

We Have Ants

The ants go marching one by one hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching one by one hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching one by one, the little stops to suck his thumb and they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain, boom boom boom. 

It is ant season once again, and apparently, there are teeny tiny, Welcome, signs hanging out side of our home, because the little cuties are coming in, in droves. While I admire and appreciate the industrious nature of ants, I prefer them as outdoor critters, as opposed to finding them on counter tops, or clamouring in and around couches, where snack crumbs are want to hide. Ants aren't particular about where they get their food, they will take it from whence they find it, and I always grin when I think of their unstoppable inclinations to carry on with the work of gathering, even when some of them go mysteriously missing after being disposed of, by irritated humans that don't enjoy their army ant invasions!

Now, I have to confess the reason for writing this blog, and I ask early for your forgiveness as I forge my way into a comparison between ants and some humans, knowing full well that humans are created in the image of God, and ants are one of the Master's adorable reminders, that we are to be about our business in this world, not resting on our laurels, and wasting the time he has allotted each one of us while we walk the earth. Here is my guilty confession: I compare ants this morning, to shamelessly excessive, obsessive, obnoxious, persistent, annoying, relentless, intrusive, and empty minded tele and email marketers. Daily I am inundated with unwelcome calls and emails. One solicitor had the audacity to schedule a coaching session with me, and when I followed up to confirm the session date and time, the person shared that they had to be "transparent" about their reason for booking the time with me: the person had a proposal, in other words, I was a potential cash cow, and it wasn't my services they were interested in, it was my money in exchange for the great things they could do to promote my work... I ask you, dear one, How can relationship be built on an upfront lie? Does a person with one iota of understanding, actually believe that they will be trusted, after falsely presenting themselves, and misleading the one they have targeted to do business with? Just before starting this piece of writing, an email popped up on my screen from yet another, seller of marketing goods... 

Now, here is the crux of the matter. Many marketers sell tchotchkes... items that are not functional, and are merely decorative, or in the case of ugly tchotchkes, items that are utterly a waste of money, plus, an insult to the senses; things one might shutter to look at. Tele and email marketers sell non-tangibles when they push promotion for say, a book I published that is no longer available for sale, or services I provide as a coach, or growing my instagram following, by boosting here there and everywhere, in a saturated market where people become famous for eating entire pizzas the size of a small flat earth planet, in front of their phone cameras. I can't compete for market share with people displaying these grotesque gluttonous behaviours, nor do I want to! My point is this: my work is a calling, and the people that want to help me empty my pockets and promote me in my calling, actually don't have a calling at all: I dare declare, that these people are a plague on our society; they are parasitic, and when I see one has called or emailed, I think of the descriptive word, pariah, outcasts that have not a clue how to live a meaningful and purposeful life, because they make a paycheque as unwelcome, unwanted pests, that have never been invited in. 

You may be thinking, everybody is selling something, and I will say this in response, Not so, this is simply not so. There is work to do, and there are workers to complete tasks, and we each play a role in what must be done. You and I make garbage, and there are men that pick-up that garage from our curbs, and man alive, I am so grateful for their efforts! You and I eat food, and there are stores that sell edibles to us, and again, my gratitude abounds daily for God's blessings - but really, do I really have to have nonstop, all day long, incoming messages from hundreds of humans with empty offers that do nothing for me, my body, my family, my soul? How, pray tell, can they waste their days, being ignored, hung up on, blocked... doesn't this hurt their ego, their heart, their very being, knowing they are doing nothing to contribute to society, and knowing too, that when they catch a fish on the baited hook they cast, that the fish will end up poorer for having believed business would boom after being "marketed"? 

The ants go marching two by two hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching two by two hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching two by two, the little one stops to tie his shoe, and they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain, boom boom boom. 

Ants work for each other and by doing so, they work effectively for themselves. Every ant that finds a dot or dusting of food, carries it to the family or colony, to share. Watching ants communicate with one another and perform their duties as a crew, is fascinating.

Proverbs 30:24-25
There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.

Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathering her food in the harvest. 

I can only imagine how empty, hopeless, and sad a life must be, when spent on nothingness, when exhausted daily, on fruitless endeavours that leave the soul devoid of meaning and purpose. Tele and email marketers are sluggards that have yet to dive deeply and discover their calling. God made each human with a divine design, meaning he made us to serve one another and by doing so, we feed ourselves too! We aren't to scam our way into someone else's schedule, or promise to promote them for pay, knowing full well, that there are no guarantees that can be made, that marketing another will bring them business success. When I work with a client, it is for their benefit, and it just so happens that I receive payment in compensation for the services I provide. The give and take is an even Steven exchange, and it feels clean on both sides of the equation. 

Sigh... I am done now, with the bare bum spanking of shameless solicitors. My hope for them is that they realize they only have one life to live, and wouldn't it be grand, if when their numbered days were done, they met their Maker, and he said, Well done, good and faithful servant... rather than you sluggard, you wasted the talents I bestowed, get thee away, from me. 

The ants go marching three by three hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching three by three hoorah, hoorah, the ants go marching three by three, the little one stops to scratch his knee, and they all go marching down, to the ground, to get out of the rain, boom boom boom. 

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Piggy & Spiddy

There once was a pig, who with delighted surprise met a spider, that just so happened to be straddled contently, on the pigs back... 

Piggy hadn't a clue of how adorable he looked, adorned in his multicoloured and crimped skin; meanwhile, Spiddy took to striking stripes in shades of green and white, without fanfare, and with much admirable modesty. The two were an unlikely pairing, and yet, their happiness was in the seed of friendship.

With a wag of his bouncing head, pig nods frequently in agreement with many things spider has to say. Encouragement from Piggy always feels comforting and uplifting to Spiddy - from his lofty spot atop pigs back, spider has a breathtaking view of his surrounds, and sharing what he sees with pig brings him great joy. Pigs, as you may very well already know, have tendencies toward cheerfulness, taking pleasure in playful banter, and goofy rutting about, with a bit of harmless and mutually entertaining mud slinging, thrown into the mix. Both Piggy and Spiddy get great satisfaction from their dynamic duo antics, and they do count on one another in numerous ways. Daily, in each other's most excellent company, Piggy's multi-coloured panels of skin brighten; likewise, Spiddy's stripes become sharper, more distinguishable, and more defined. 

The seed of friendship was long ago planted, and now flourishes uniting forever, Piggy and Spiddy. Oddly, the two hadn't a clue, that what they thought they were was really something quite different, from what they actually are. Strange, isn't it, to think one way, and have reality be another? The pig was made of tough stuff that could be shaped into waves of wonderment. The spider had long reaching for the stars and down toward the earth, extending arms with pointed tips. Piggy looked like a pig, of the best sort of course, making himself useful for planting good ideas and kind thoughts, and Spiddy was brilliantly breath giving, cleaning the air and clearing it too, of all that needn't be in a room. But as I stated earlier, the two oddly hadn't a clue, that they weren't who they thought they were...

How can a pig outside of a pen be a pig, without being a pig at all? How, pray tell, can a spider climb upward and drop downward too, without for one second, existing as a web spinning spider? Ahh, the great mysteries we face and try to figure out, have us riddled with curiosity, don't they?!

Judges 14:4
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

Judges 14:9
And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. 

Faith truly is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. The seed of happiness is planted in those that put their trust in God through Christ the mediating King, and one day, many seeds will blossom and bloom gloriously in the heavenly presence of God's Almighty magnificence. Things aren't as they seem, and this, I do declare, is a very good thing, for you and me, while we walk the earth. 

The adorable pig and delightful spider share a bond that is unbreakable as God's creatures, and this bond we have in common, when God gives us our others, our kindred, our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Do, I encourage you, look for the seed of happiness in your surroundings, and in your relationships. The seeds are plentiful and what springs forth from a seedling, promises much delicious and soul satisfying fruit in the future. 

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.