anger

i ask myself the question, "am i an angry person?" i think i can unequivocally say no. do i get angry? this time i can unequivocally say yes. so, what is the difference. well, an angry person is one that is constantly screaming at drivers when they do anything that interferes with their driving. or an angry person is one that is constantly running their grocery cart into other grocery carts at the supermarket. a person that just gets angry ocassionally gets upset with another driver - like when they run a red light and almost hit them. or a person that just gets angry ocassionally runs their grocery cart into another when the driver of the other cart maliciously plows into their cart and curses at them (and then only if that person appears to be a wimp). regardless, the world has way too much anger in it. listen to the politicians. aren't they a shining example of how we aren't to be, especially right now leading up to election time. so far i haven't been able to tell what anyone is for. but, i do know how much the candidates dislike the people they are running against. i don't know about you, but i don't like anger. when i get angry i feel bad later. and when someone is angry with me i shut down and don't communicate. even more so i don't want to be on the receiving end of God's anger.

poor

poor. poor! aaaaagh! just the mere mention of that word makes peoples skin crawl. poor. no one wants to be that way. everyone wants food, clothing, shelter, toys (which vary according to age), transportation (in america preferably a car), drink, job, friends, ipods, computers, 1.5 vs 512 internet, pets, sbox 360 (until the next bigger gamer comes along - and then we'll want that one) and on and on and on and on. why do we hate poor? because we find value in wealth. we find personal value in things. but do we find happiness. many would say yes. let me ask you a question. why is it then that we get bored with what we have and always want bigger and badder? because we're still not happy. yet God said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. is there anything better than that?

fear

i was talking with a friend earlier this evening and we were discussing fear. now, i have to confess i really don't like that word - not at all. the very thought of the word strikes fear in me. i mean there are so many things to fear. people who drive stick shifts while talking on their cell phone. people who run red lights while talking on their cell phone. people who fail to yield or use their turn signals while talking on their cell phone. pit bulls. thinking about your future and knowing that your bank account is empty. rattlesnakes. a person that is suffering from a severe hangover pushing a shopping cart around the grocery store. a rude person - a very rude person. sharks. whether i will get the grade i need to maintain my scholarship or not. that my child might fall and hurt themselves while playing. whether a tornado will hit my area, let alone my house. whether we will have another katrina or not. termites. is this sickness unto death? did my neighbor figure out that i was the one that drove across their yard? being stuck in an elevator. heights. isn't it wonderful that if we see God as the sunshine in our lives and fear Him that all the other fears fade away?