Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 12-14; 2: 1-23 (links validated 7/6/22)
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Illustrated Resources from the Archives
A Chasing after Wind
Pete Seeger, in his time, wrote plenty more songs, including one called "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" The answer, as you may have heard, is blowing in the wind. All this is testimony that if we study the wisdom books long enough, if we seek the ordinary wind long enough, we will touch the Holy Wind, the Holy Spirit. If we study ordinary Nature long enough, we will be studying Supernature, the supernatural. It is then, at that moment, in that gust, that we realize the ultimate reality: it is not us chasing after the wind. The ultimate reality is that the wind is chasing after us.Vanity
I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment's gone; All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind. All they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind. Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.Vanity of Vanities
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway...Dust in the Wind
I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment's gone; All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind. All they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind. Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.You can view the video here.
Everyday Jesus Spirituality: The Discipline of Hands-On Labor
A few years ago, I came across an article on CNN, “Meet Khe Hy, the Oprah for Millennials.” I’m not a huge Oprah fan or anything, and I’m not a millennial - I’m on the tail end of Gen Xer generation. But nonetheless, I was curious. Khe Hy was a successful Wall Street businessperson, but at 35, he quit his job, without a clear plan of what he wanted to do next. The article said that he “looked around his fancy New York office and realized something: More money wasn't making him happier. So many people he knew on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley believed if they could "just make" another $1 million or $10 million or $100 million, they would be set and life would be great.” He started writing an email newsletter called “Rad Reads,” and sent it to his friends. Over time, the newsletter has grown, and he has thousands of subscribers. A lot of the content is about productivity and optimization - organizing your life in the best possible way. But another major recurring focus in his newsletter is a movement called “F.I.R.E - Financial Independence - Retire Early.” I’d never heard of it before, but it seems to be growing in popularity...Whoever Has the Most...Loses
A number of years ago I visited a retired lady who told me that she had allowed her entire life to revolve around making money. She was industrious. She was successful. I visited her in her dream house. Her living room looked like the display room of an expensive department store. She had anything and everything she could possibly want. You know what she said to me. She said, “Father, I am so empty. I’ve killed myself all my life for what I have, and it isn’t enough. I’ve wasted all my energy on things. Honestly, I would be happy to give all this stuff back if I could relive those times when money was more important to me than God...