The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25 1:13 reads, "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

9 'No,' they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!'

12 But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.'

13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

When I read this, I feel really bad for the virgins without oil.  I feel that if this was me, I would share my oil and if we both missed the party, then so be it.

All of us has a light within us.  But in order to let that light shine, we need to fuel the light, seeking after things that are good, like peace, joy and self discipline.  These holy things are represented by the oil that keeps our light shining.

There are people in the world that do not care for their own spirit.  They do not seek after oil.  When they are drained, they come to us.  It takes a lot of wisdom to know who we are really helping when we offer our abundance to those in need.

In whose life are we really making a difference and who are we enabling so that they do not do for themselves what they can do for themselves?

Galatians 6:1 reads "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted."

I knew a drug addict and alcoholic, who one day decided to leave the partying behind.  People would leave free drugs and alcohol on her doorstep, hoping that she would return to her old life.

We are compassionate human beings.  When we see someone without food, we would happily give them some food to eat.  When we see someone cold, we would gladly share our coats.

I hear these 3 cautions within this parable.  Be careful of what you share, only sharing from an abundance, otherwise you will not have enough for your own self care.  Be careful of where you share, because in some circumstances, what appears to be helping may actually hurt.  Finally, be careful of whom you share with, because they may end up bringing you down with them.

<SI> Scott Izu, PhD

Copyright December 2019

Perspective in the Midst of Trials

James 1 reads...

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:

Greetings.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The first thing I hear in this chapter of James is a curse.  Unfortunately, God has filled this world with both curses and blessings and I always perk up my ears when a curse or blessing is revealed.  Nehemiah 1:5-11 contains a prayer describing the curse to be scattered among nations:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Most people, at some point in their life, experience a time when God's curse may seem impossible to live through.  During this time, each moment seems unbearable and emotions flood through one's mind in an overwhelming manner.  So how can we endure such times?  James offers some tips on how to modify one's perspective.

1. First, we can have a joyful perspective.  This can help us to avoid trying to escape a trial but accept is as an important season in our life.  It may not make sense to most people, but I believe one can be in miserable circumstances (uncomfortable, mourning, struggling) but still have joy and gratitude.  We may have joy because we know that trials will lead to maturity, wisdom and increased faith.
2. Second, we can have an eternal perspective.  In other words, we can realize that all comforts in this world are fleeting.  Jonah 4:6-10 reminds us that comforts are fleeting... 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.  When sticking to your moral compass or struggling with some temptation, it can seem like you are missing out.  Others might even call you closed minded, indicating that you are closing the door on some opportunity.  However, no matter what you choose, you will close a door, closing yourself off either to the fleeting comfort which yielding to temptation brings or to the crown of life which standing your ground brings.  For instance, how can one ever mentor young men in battling sexual temptation if one has never faced and overcome those temptations.  Maybe early on in life, a sexual conquest might seem more rewarding than a life long relationship and the significance that comes from mentoring a young man.  1 John 2:15-17 also states 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
3. Third, we can have a clarified perspective.  Sometimes we think that it is our friends, our partner or even God who has brought calamity upon us.  However, if we know that it is the devil who tempts, this can help us in our fight.
1. First of all, when we do fall to temptation, we tend to label ourselves.  However, it is important to know that we already had that evil within our hearts.  The action did not change us.  As an example, a murderer was a murderer long before he committed murder.  The action of murder only revealed the evil within the murderer's heart.  Understanding this will help us to avoid shame and guilt which the devil can use to keep us paralyzed instead of moving forward on a redemptive path.  If one moves forward through healing, cleansing and purification, a sort of gratitude can occur that simply would not be possible if such evil were not revealed in the first place.  We all are human, after all, and evil exists somewhere within our hearts and desires.  No one can claim complete purity but everyone can move towards it.
2. Second, when we know who the enemy is, we can fight that enemy and knowing the enemy and who to fight gives a better chance of success on the battle field.
In my life, I have experienced death.  Death to me looks like wandering around in a place far from home, becoming a foreigner in a strange land, being fueled by pursuit of fleshly desires and considering prostitution as a way to fulfill desires of intimacy, companionship and significance.  Knowing that I never want to go back to that place of death can sometimes help me to resist temptations that gave birth to my own personal sin in the first place and which eventually lead to my own personal death.

<SI> Scott Izu, PhD
Copyright July 2018

The Original Curse

Men and women are very different. Somehow, society has led us to believe that we are built the same. However, equality is not the same as being similar. We should have equal rights, yet we are very, very different. Have you ever heard a woman say, "If you love me, just do the dishes." Or somehow, if a man does not make the bed in the morning, a woman feels less loved. It is as if her senses are stimulated in a positive way, an internal effect that is simply not the same as the internal response for a man. A man might walk by an unmade bed, not even noticing anything out of place whereas a woman must start the day with a made bed. In addition, the woman somehow connects the dots between being loved and having the bed made in the morning. They are one and the same. "If the bed is not made, he must not love me." Have you ever heard a man say, "She spends too much money." Or maybe he complains that she doesn't help out enough or pull her weight. What is this about? Something about love, requires us to be aware of each other's burdens, then to sacrifice our time, energy and resources to lighten the load, when possible. How do we do this? First of all, we must know what each other's burdens are.

When the fall of Adam took place in Genesis 4, God gave man a curse:

"Curse is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the seat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken;
For dust you are and to dust you will return."

The internal effect of toil, is simply different for men than women. While the burdens of life and work and responsibility are equal, they are simply different. When a man complains about a woman just running off, or not taking the job seriously, or pulling her weight, he simply is asking for one thing. Respect. Silently, each day of his life, he has toiled and worked hard to provide. The weight has been a silent curse to which he determined early on that he would simply not complain about. This is a maturity a man must find when he converts from boyhood to manhood. "As long as I have two hands and two feet, I will work." But it leaks out in the form of cynicism or negative comments because what lies in a man's heart eventually leaks out of his mouth. It is the weight of the curse that drives the negative comments.

What can you do? Throw in a thank you, a big hug, acknowledge the provisions. If you do not realize the curse of man, you may find yourself trying to do more, to make it right, simply exhausting yourself. But it is not your problem to fix, nor do you have the ability to do so. Or you may somehow take this as a personal insult, and find yourself defending how much you do and sacrifice.

God gave woman this curse:

"I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
With painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you."

From a very young age, women are forced by nature to take better care of their bodies. They endure a suffering versus freshness dynamic, that becomes embedded in their very core. So where do their complaints stem from? Their very essence is to make the ground they walk on fertile, nesting in such a fashion, that a beautiful warm nest equates to one thing: Love. Everyday, women feel the weight of holding the family together. A man visits his kids once every other week and he is a great father, while a woman misses one day, one moment and she becomes a terrible mother. This is the weight of the woman. Cursed by the clock ticking on a small span of time when they may find a mate and conceive a child. Cursed by the weight that a human being's future rises and falls on the consequences of their actions.

As a man, you can do the same thing. Throw in a thank you, a hug. Not a hug that desires sexual intimacy, a mistake the will inevitably trigger, the ever present sensation that she is not enough. Because now, she cannot even satisfy her husband sexually, leaving a feeling of being unattractive. An additional emotional exhaustion adding to the existing physical exhaustion. While a helping hand is warranted, focus on love is even more important. How can I love, one should contemplate. Otherwise, they may fall into the trap of cleaning more, only to be rewarded with the complaint that they simply didn't do it right.

Realizing the personal weight of one's curse, one can make sure not to blame their partners for this burden, because it doesn't come from a deficiency in a significant other. Going to other relationships, community, support and God Himself is the key to attacking that powerful void that exists within. A partner simply is no match. Realizing the partners weight of the curse, one can focus on addressing the root of the problem which in turn can be perceived as better support over time.

In the end, equality lies in the fact that men are physical beings, masters of the physical universe while women are emotional beings, masters of the emotional universe. The trinity is completed by God the master of the spiritual universe. Each role, while completely different is equally important. Together, they make a three cord braid that cannot easily be broken.


Scott Izu, PhD
Copyright December 2017

Two Denari

To overcome sin, like any other change, requires first and foremost a game plan.  To be successful, you must also have these three things: a coach/mentor, accountability partners and a supportive community.

To change, is like stopping a mighty avalanche with one's bare hands.  It is simply impossible.

Yet, if you have faith like a mustard seed, I tell you, you can say to this mountain, "Move" and it will move.  It is not the great action that will stop the powerful avalanche.  It is the two denari, given by a man who is spiritually poor, choosing to give all he has, though he has nearly nothing to give.

...
<SI> Scott Izu, PhD
Copyright September 2016

Dinosaurs and Predictive Models

I spent yesterday morning and evening with my members of my Christian family.  A morning drive included dreary eyes and me, almost half asleep, trying to answer the question from one of John Piper's CDs "Do you enjoy being with your Christian family?"  If the answer was, "No", he said perhaps you need to ask yourself two other questions: 1)  Do you even know any real Christians? and 2)  If you do know Christians, what does it say about you if you do not enjoy being with a people that embodies the likeness of Christ?

I can say that I love my Christian family a ton so fortunately, I did not have to spend my morning brain muscles, while half awake trying to answer the next two questions.

On the ride home from Moss Landing, a fellow brother and I discussed how people can take the facts before them, mix them with their current understanding and somehow create an explanation that is completely off base.  In this case, the people of the time, expected a Savior as predicted by Isiah almost 500 years prior to come to conquer the Roman people.  That was based on human understanding.  But Jesus, then came, almost in ridiculousness, with such a radically different form than expected.  Based on God's understanding which points to the limitations of the mere mortal, the limitations of the human mind.  It points to how small we think and can comprehend.  Jesus came and conquered something entirely unexpected that no one could have ever predicted: death.

Jesus has taken everything I have known in my life and completely flipped the script on me.  All of a sudden, what I thought made me strong, suddenly made me weak.  What I thought was secure has suddenly become temporal and fleeting.  The people I thought I was saving, I was actually hurting.  Or more importantly, when I thought I could save others, I discovered it was really me that needed to be saved.  While I thought it was everyone else that needed to be fixed, I happened to be what was wrong with the world.

What have I learned from this in my life?  Unfortunately, I have learned that I cannot rely on my own understanding.  Why?  Because my own understanding can completely change over time.

When I was young, there used to be 9 planets.  Now, all of a sudden, there are only 8 planets.  Pluto somehow got re categorized.

Take a look at the models of the atom.  These have changed over time from the Bohr Model to Quantum Physics (see www.everythingmaths.co.za) to who knows what in the future.  So are models useless?  No, a model is an inaccurate representation of something, anything, that by design limits the parameters involved and oversimplifies the object in question in order to make a predication.  In other words, for models of the atom, we can used this oversimplification to make predictions about the near future (ie predictions within proximity of time and space).

Take this linear predictor...

Close to the dot, the line actually predicts fairly well.  However, the farther you get away from the dot, the worse the predictions become.  Now, look from the following perspective...

The prediction is now completely off and the oversimplification of the line becomes readily apparent.  It is clear that the other parameters cannot be ignored.

So what does all of this have to do with dinosaurs?  My argument is that so called dinosaurs existed so long ago that their existence to me is completely in question.  A radical view, I know.  But nevertheless, I probably would have been the kid in class who questioned whether the Earth was actually flat, when all of my classmates knew it to be true.  Simply because all of the facts pointed to it.  And, everyone else believed it.

The models for dating may include carbon dating or counting tree rings or counting layers of the Earth's surface.  However, these models are only accurate where there is not a catastrophic event.  Or in other words, these models are only accurate where the parameters missing within the model of prediction do not have a large impact on the prediction itself.

The Clay Math institute, will give one million dollars to someone who solves the Navier Stokes equations which represent solving a fluid dynamics problem to predict air turbulence.  Today's, air planes typically wait two minutes between flights because no one can predict the turbulence in the air.  So, somehow, I am supposed to believe that we humans can predict something that happened thousands of years ago, yet we can't even describe two minutes of how wind will work.  Our weather prediction for tomorrow is only 50% accurate.  The truth about the wind is that no one knows from where it comes, when it will come or where it will go (spiritual reference intended).

According to  en.wikipedia.org, Lascaux cave paintings are over 17,000 years old.  I remember being told that humans worshiped animals and would paint on the cave walls so that they could encourage the gods to allow successful hunts.  But, with me the simple story is just as good.  Kids discovered that they could draw.  And kids do what kids do.  They draw all over the walls, the couches, everything.  Even when you tell them over and over not to.  Why would this not apply to an old civilization?  I mean come on.  Take the modern day man.  He goes to work.  He comes home exhausted and is stereo typically known for being the lazy husband who doesn't want to do anything but watch TV or play video games on the couch.  Now, you are trying to tell me that the ancient man, with the same makeup all of a sudden came home after hunting large animals and he wanted to draw instead of rest?  I'm sorry.  Men like to hunt.  Kids like to draw.  Pretty clear to me.

So in the end, how do I explain intricate sets of bones that appear to fit perfectly together and form the bone structure of what we know as dinosaurs.  Well, I don't.  The story is great.  It is believable.  But somehow, with a million other possible explanations that come up within a matter of minutes (ask a few teenagers to come up with some theories), I somehow just don't completely believe that dinosaurs ever existed.

Personality Types and The Bible

I first learned of the temperaments from Personality Plus, which discussed Aristotle's temperaments: Choleric, Phlegmatic, Melancholy and Sanguine.

Personality types have played an important role in my life.  I strive to follow the axiom "Know Thyself".  They have helped me to understand my family of origin as well as each of my kids.  They have helped me in how to guide each of my children differently and discover their emotional needs and how they are motivated differently. I wrote this poem of my children: Four Elements of Life.

Revelation 4:7, Ezekiel 1:6 and Ezekiel 10:14 all discuss the four faces of the cherubim.

1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’

who was, and is, and is to come.”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”

The four faces of the cherubim are the lion (Choleric), ox (Phlegmatic), man (Melancholy) and eagle (Sanguine).  They align with the four apostles (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

They correspond to the four elements: fire (Choleric), water (Phlegmatic), earth (Melancholy) and air (Sanguine).  They also correspond to the four seasons: Summer (Choleric), Winter (Phlegmatic), Autumn (Melancholy), Spring (Sanguine).

These temperaments arise in movies like The Last Air Bender, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo), Harry Potter (Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor).

The ways people typically deal with conflict can help identify which they are.  Typically, the four conflict resolution styles are: Fight, Accommodate, Flight, Collaborate.

Notes:

1. For the mapping from Cherubim to Apostles I agree with www.4personalities.com but disagree with eyesright.speedofcreativity.org (see comment from Adrfian Gray on the page which backs my view and maintains the order in which these appear in the bible) and www.samuel-beckett.net.  For Cherubim to Temperaments, I disagree with www.businessballs.com.

2.  For the mapping from Elements to Temperaments I agree with en.wikipedia.org (Temperaments) and en.wikipedia.org (Humorism) and www.temperamentorder.com.  Fire and Water are often considered direct opposites as are Choleric/Phlegmatic.

3.  For the mapping from Seasons to Temperaments, I agree with www.inspiredworld.com and en.wikipedia.org (Humorism) and rosegardenbuffalo.blogspot.com.  Summer and Winter are often considered direct opposites as are Choleric/Phlegmatic.

4.  There are so many disagreements on Myers-Briggs that I did not try to include this from above (these all differ: www.pinterest.com, www.temperamentorder.com, fisheaters.com, getcontrolofyourlife.org). In general, I think that Extroverts which rely on their own intuition are Choleric, Introverts which rely on sensing are Phlegmatic, Introverts which rely on their own intuition are Melancholy and Extroverts which relay on sensing are Sanguine. Of my search, this diagram aligned best with the four temperaments in terms of characteristics: getcontrolofyourlife.org.

Many separate the Myers-Briggs into Idealists, Guardians, Rationals and Artisans.  The two questions involve how people make decisions.  With this split, the first question is where one gathers information from sensing (outer world) versus intuition (inner world).  The second question asks how one receives/processes that information.  For sensing, this means perceiving via experience or judging via observation.  For intuition, this means feeling or thinking.  For Sanguines and Phlegmatics, they are motivated much more by their senses.  For instance, if they excitement and anger, motivate them, respectively.  For Cholerics and Melancholies, they are motivated much more by their intuition.  They will tend not to believe you if you tell them they can't do something or believe you are sincere if you give them a compliment, respectively.

Looking at spiritualpractice.ca... One that processes their their inner world with feeling (compassion) primarily and their outer world with perceiving (daring), is most Choleric (ENFP, Champion).  One that processes their outer world with judging (observant) primarily and their inner world with feeling (relational) is most Phlegmatic (ISFJ, Protector).  One that processes their inner world with thinking (analytical) primarily and their outer world with judging (hesitant) is most Melancholy (INTJ, Mastermind).  One that processes their outer world with feeling (compassion) primarily and their outer world with perceiving (stimulating) is most Sanguine (ESFP, Composer).

5.  Other classifications

• Lion, Golden Retriever, Beaver, Otter
• DISC - Dominance, Steadiness, Conscientiousness, Influence
• STAR - Action, Stability, Thinking, Relationship
• Warrior, King, Lover, Friend
• BANK - Action, Blueprint, Knowledge, Nurturing
• Jackal, X, Mouse, Elephant (Alligator, X, Rock, Fox)

6.  Curious about how the love languages (Gary Chapman) map to personalities: Physical Touch, Gifts, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Quality Time

7.  Curious about how traumas (Gary Smalley) map to love languages: Abandonment, Invalidation, Defectiveness, etc

8.  Curious about how the 3 realms and the Holy Trinity relate:

• God, Jesus, Holy Spirit
• Emotional, Physical, Spiritual
• Love, Word, Spirit
• Mind, Body, Spirit

Friendship

This weekend, I saw something quite spectacular.  A story of struggle and of victory.  And in each victory, there is always the hand of friendship that extends to life one up at the point where it is needed most.

In my life, I had faced a crossroads.  One of dropping out of school, when a teacher went above and beyond to help me on my journey.  And a few friends who encouraged me to visit this teacher.

Friendship.  When life brings you to your knees as it has a way of doing, a friend is always there to help you get back up.

I have struggled with avoiding addiction to pornography, sex, gambling, alcohol.  You name it, I have struggled with it.  And it is always friends that help fight this battle.  We journey together.  We cover each others blind spots.  We do what we can, when we see there is something that needs to be done.  And we don't get bitter or resentful if we realize that for everything we see and do, there is always someone covering us, doing things that we don't even notice.

I used to get mad at homeless people because I thought they should just work hard and contribute.  I thought it was me that did all the work.  I thought I was simply being rewarded for my efforts.  Then, I realized, that I only did 5%.  I only did what was in my control.  The rest, the 95% was done by all the people around me.  The ones who were watching my back when I didn't even notice, didn't even acknowledge, didn't even thank them.

Galatians 6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Ecclesiastes 4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 3 But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. 4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. 6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. 7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business! 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor.16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.