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1 Corinthians 5 This is about sexual immorality so it's always good to remember how adultery is given a separate place, but I also read it for new ideas about honesty. I found something that goes along with something I have been thinking about for a while, that it isn't OK to be 99.9% truthful, it's that last little bit that is actually the most important. When looking at a problem, it's easy to hide behind being technically truthful about so many parts of it, but that's not honest and the part that I leave in hiding or am dishonest about will eat away at everything.

Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. . . .therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 7

There's a lot on marriage and relationships and I find it comforting that it's not just this day and age that have to work that out. But in the middle, notes to be true to self, which accords with my reading on honesty

However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. . . .Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called. Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever.

I am post 2007 and am still hurting so bad. H still has wandering eyes and I still hurt so bad when I see this happening. Plus he is not forthcoming when he messes up. He is in CR at our church but I don't believe thus is helping. We are married 50+ years and for the last 3 years he has been sick with congestive heart failure and I have been taking care of him. I have to say that I have not been happy for a very long time and my heart just hurts that he can't be happy with me. As long as it is just him and I he is fine but if a blonde walks past - that's all she wrote. I do not have a pension and only live on SS so it's not a choice to move and live on my own. He squandered away a lot of money over 25000+ so I'm stuck in so many ways. I just can't get over this or through this or whatever you want to call it. I know what a dumb butt I am for staying all these years. I don't know what I'm asking but I guess it's prayer for strength and healing and more patience. My attitude sucks sometimes and I am belligerent and nasty - so unlike me. I feel like i need to hurt him back. I should be passed this by now but I'm not. Sorry for ranting but it sure felt good. God bless all here.

(((iamsurviving)))

I will add you to my prayers today, for strength and healing and patience. Your husband's wandering eye and unwillingness to change doesn't mean that you are not enough. I don't think it's that he can't be happy with you - it sounds like he hasn't figured out a way to be happy with himself. I pray that you find peace and don't use him as your measure. You are more than enough. Sometimes when I feel low, I try to look around and see all the things in creation that are wonderous. Dragonflies! Volcanos! Hairy anglerfish! And then realize that God made me, and you, and loved us most of all.

John 16

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I've been thinking about this passage all day and trying to figure out how it works with honesty. I have a strong habit of finding points of agreement with other people and can make friends and find common ground pretty much with anyone (in real life! not so much on the internet ). I've thought of that alternately as a strength and a character deficiency. The difference I think is that Paul was accommodating himself in order to spread his message, while I'm just being simpatico.

1 Corinthians 9

For though I am free with respect to all, i have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

I read Skan's Embrace the Suck thread and bookmarked, in order to keep in mind - seven years later, waywardness can resurface. Honesty needs to be a daily commitment, for as many years as I have left.

I was on a long walk and working on trying to remove the God as grandfather on a cloud image from my head to try to understand what God is. What helped on that walk was thinking about the world all around, in all its wonder, the depths of creativity that we see even during a walk, and that creativity must flow from love. Artists don't hate their creations or have indifference to them; they love their creations (when the creation accurately reflects the idea they had). And God as love/creativity helps remove the grandfather on a cloud idea.

1 Corinthians 10

"All things are lawful," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.

and later

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (love). Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved.

The honesty in this for me is that nothing is true unless it is for the glory of God (love) and for the benefit of many.

1 Corinthians 11 with a lens of honesty is interesting.

At first, the head coverings, I thought - this is the part where the inspired word lost a bit of inspiration and I can be an independent thinker and ignore it or think of it as a product of the time and Paul doing what he said and conforming to his audience to get the message across. Then I gave it a bit more time and prayed to find some understanding. As a symbolic act, covering the head works. So I will symbolically "cover my head" during prayer, leave my own thoughts out and invite in thoughts form God, and see what comes of it. Maybe I'll cover my head literally for a cue.

The part about men needing short hair and women long hair. That's the part I'm going to be an independent thinker about! That's silly! Unless it's symbolic of men and women reflecting different aspects of God and hair being symbolic. But for today, I'm going just say that I can refer ideas, even in the Bible, back to my own understanding and have faith in that.

I'll read 1 Corinthians 11 again tomorrow and see what else I can get out of it.

For today, something to hang on to that I know for sure while I'm thinking about head coverings and hair, Psalms 139

Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

And Proverbs 4

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

Also, my husband said that my daily prayer threads have inspired him to return to his daily bible reading (though he reads Christian Science work almost every day, I think). Maybe I will ask him to sit with me when I do my evening prayers. I would love that.

On being enough as is.

1 Corinthians 12

Now there are varieties of gifts, but of the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

I want to offer up prayers for those who are in the path of Tropical Storm Barry. May the Lord protect everyone and allow the storm to come through and weaken significantly more.

I am in the middle of a few days/week of busy-ness and not checking in much. So, not checking in much.

I'm leaving prayer for waywards I'd like to respond to and don't have time at the moment. ChanceatLife35, Change4theBetter, Pyrite, ff4152, Antihero, JBWD, axj131, Steve123, Girl123, Morris45, HopefulKate, Daddydom, Hutch, Sayuwontletgo, TheBedImade, ManyRegrets and lurkers who need prayer as they struggle. You are all in my prayer:

Romans 5

...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Prayer for those helping the strugglers:

Exodus 17:12

When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

For those in the path of Tropical Storm Barry (thanks Want2BeHappyAgain)

Psalm 57

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purposes for me.

For DragnHeart, and anyone else who can't be on SI when they would like to be

Genesis 31

May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.

For Maia

Ecclesiastes 8 (no supercession!)

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

John 16

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

for my husband

Matthew 25

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

And for myself, honesty. For continuing to peel back the protective layers.

2 Timothy

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

[This message edited by Pippin at 2:29 PM, July 13th (Saturday)]

For today the part I have been waiting for! 1 Corinthians 13. I may stay with it for a few days, through the lens of honesty.

Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

As a study, truth as key aspect of love:

Truth is patient, truth is kind, truth is not envious or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

And finally, I think this is a paraphrase of Thomas Aquinas but can't find the original.

Mercy without truth is enabling.

Truth without mercy is brutality.

Truth and mercy together are love.

A more practical prayer for now. My sleep has been disordered for nearly two weeks. I know why but it doesn't make it easier. So, for anyone on SI who needs to sleep and is having trouble.

Psalm 127

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Again, rest for everyone on SI who is weary

Psalms 4

In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone Lord, make me dwell in safety.

1 Corinthians 14

What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

Romans 12, grateful for new insight!

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

for today, for anyone who needs help in tough times. Eldredge

When things get hard, it can feel like the foundations of your life are giving way. It is good to remember that our foundation is firm, based on the finished work of Jesus Christ for us. There are some things that remain true, at all times and for all of God’s children no matter what. It’s good to let your mind and your heart rest in these truths. Read these aloud. Remember:

I am loved. (Jeremiah 31:3)

I am secure. (John 10:28-29)

I am forgiven. (Colossians 2:13)

God is with me. (Hebrews 13:5)

Type these up and keep them handy for when the storms come. Paste them in your journal. Tape them to the bathroom mirror.

For the storms will come beloved. The wind will howl and the waters will rise. And Jesus, who calmed the storm, who is indeed able to calm all storms, is now and ever will be your ever present help in times of trouble.

For today, some fun for the prayer thread.

In the car, kids are bickering about music. My husband puts on "You Say" by Lauren Daigle. After a few minutes:

Teen feminist daughter: "Dad, this is the most dependent woman EVER! What the heck!?"

Husband: "She's not singing about a man. She's singing about God."

Silence.

Teen feminist daughter: "oh."

And for daily prayer for honesty. This is one I use a lot.

Ephesians 4

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

^^^Pippin, that was so cute about your daughter and husband in the car. Made me chuckle. :)

dotterofTheKing, I chuckled too, but only in my head, because Teen Feminist Daughter does not countenance her parents laughter these days (which is in itself funny!)

Today I'm praying to know Truth, and what truth and honesty have to do with each other.

John 8:32

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

It seems like just walking around with your eyes open doesn't lead to Truth. Truth is not as easy to find as it initially seems and a daily search is important. Maybe coming to God with an honest heart, knowing it is still imperfect, opening it up, and asking for more Truth? I'll replace my honesty prayer with that for a while. I'm getting better at catching lies in my head.

‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

Numbers 6:24‭-‬26 NLT