Kindred,
How to express goodwill and wishes in a way that is meaningful?
How to break through the trappings and distractions, especially false teachings that prevent real connections with yourself, the Lord (Holy Spirit) and humanity?
Everything belongs to the Lord, including people and people's time, talent and treasure.
Whether people realize it or not, people serve the Lord and at the Lord's pleasure.
You are responsible for upholding the Lord's Commandments.
The covenant is spelled out in scripture (as we are called to be the stewards of the earth).
But when sinful people forsake the Lord in sin(s) and selfish desires, then the unholy sinners no longer belong, no longer receive and no longer serve the Lord.
We cannot undo sin, but we can stop sin, confess, repent and atone, and become again part of the holy community and serve in a manner consistant with the expectations of the Lord.
I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to addresss the multitude of false and bad teachings that move people away from the Holy Spirit and good and best practices.
This holiday season the problem of treasure seems to be at the top of the list.
All treasure belong to the Lord. You are merely stewards for, in the end, you cannot take any treasure with you.
Your gifts of treasure can help to create memories of communion and to make differences in the lives of people and families in need and humanity as a whole.
If I can convey in total the sentiment of what it means the difference between treasure and living life, it would be already conveyed in the movie, It's A Wonderful Life*.
Watch, remember and live the Life.
*It's A Wonderful Life by Frank Capra,
based on the short story booklet, The Greatest Gift, which Philip Van Doren Stern
