I've been reflecting about the things I have to change in life and stumbled upon the NIV Holy Books excerpt. I was looking for something else...inspired by my friend Rev. Bobby Lewis...and ended up here. My comments are in another color.

Matthew 7

Judging Others
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
6"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Mum is the word...still the mind. Why does anybody have to judge anyone? Ewww. That person rides a Honda not a Harley mean uncool. Mean thing to say. Not that I say that, it's what I've heard. Honda's are cool bikes, too. I'm itchin' for a vintage Honda CB750.

And I need to take the logs out of my eyes. Too many. I could build a log cabin...what's going on here? Get your love in line, girl, I'm tellin myself....we're all one bottom line even the sucky mean people who...I can't judge and say they're sucky, right? Jeez. And it's important to stop decorating pigs with my pearls...you know what I'm sayin'.

Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

I'd so love to be given as soon as I ask...without so much as pounding on the door to opportunity. Bang Bang BANG! May I have this opportunity that I'm seeking? Then I need to follow that, or maybe preceed it with , Hello, God, it's me, Sasha. Um. Can I have [it] according to YOUR WILL? Instead of Hello God. Gimmme. 'Cause I want [it].

Yes, there are those that'll smile with a gift-wrapped stone and say, bon appetite! And there are those that'll give you a snake with a side of lox and a bagel and say, dig in! I love to give good gifts to friends and family. But the gifts come in small packages, like... hey man, I'll drive you to the airport. or simply, I'll watch your kitties while you go on tour. Maybe it's, hey, let me cook for you, relax. Or any little thing that means alot. But I say that I need to give more...give it all away with nothin in return. Yes, I like to Be good for nothin'.

The Narrow and Wide Gates
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Wide open, perfectly smooth pavement, 70 miles an hour. Nah. I'd rather have the tiny, random backroad that gives me that rich deep experience of REAL, TRUE, HONEST...stop and smell the roses and look deep into the soul of another. Let's go.

A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Oh my. Can somebody say NAIVE? Hello, my name is Sasha Naive. Pretty name ain't it? Pretty little sheep how come you're barking instead of saying baaaaah. Do you have a cough? Pretty little sheep come closer. Sit in my lap. Let me snuggle with you... OW! Why did you bite my head off? Hey! I need that heart. What the heck?! How come my pretty tree is bearing rotten fruit? Oh crap. There are worms in my fruit? How can that be I tended and tilled? Oh, it's a bad tree? And it won't grow good fruit? Is that the same as decorating a pig with my pearls?

Doin' the WILL of the Father. Yeah. Lord Lord....I was running through life doing everything IIIIIIII wanted to do... yeah yeah you mentioned something about wanting me to do something for you but IIIIIII thought if IIIIIIIIII did what IIIIIIIIII wanted, it would satisfy your I AM.

Nope in that Hope.


The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Rock. Rock. Rock. Rock. Remember always to ROCK the throttle of life and lean deep into the palm of the ONE. It's okay to admit you did wrong and you made the wrong thought decision, and you were angry and it's all okay.

Just remember... you're in the midst of a journey. Course correct.