Smoke

I always thought Ecclesiastes was like Proverbs. That's probably because of the "to every time there is a season. . ." passage. So when a friend of mine read Ecclesiastes from "The Message," I wasn't prepared for her reaction.

Her first comment was, "It made no sense." I tried to get her to explain that. She couldn't. She just kept saying things like "It's so negative. He just keeps saying everything is smoke. It makes no sense." Finally in desperation, she said, "You read it, and see if it makes sense to you."

Now I know a nudge from the Holy Spirit when I see one. So I went the next day and started reading. She was right. It was negative. It didn't seem to fit in the Bible at all. Depressing is a word that comes to mind.

Throughout the whole book, the writer talks about life as smoke, an illusion. He says it's pointless because all you do is work and work and then you die. What is the point?

At first, I was as taken aback as my friend, but as I kept reading, I realized what he was really saying. Life lived by the world's standards of success and fulfillment IS smoke. It's an illusion, and the saddest thing in the whole world is to get to the end before you realize that.

I belong to several writing groups ? Christian ones mainly. As January rolled around several groups talked about the individual's goals for this year. I will never forget one post. It read simply:

My only goal this year is to get this silly novel rewritten and published.

In light of what I now see through Ecclesiastes, this is a tragic statement. This person is focused totally on the smoke. She believes that once her novel is published, then life will really begin. She is not excited about the prospects of learning from the rewrites or even the connections with other people she may make in the publishing process. In short when and if she publishes her "silly novel," I'm quite sure she will be left asking the Anthony Robbins' question: "Is this all there is?"

At that point she may think that when she gets two books published, THEN life will really start happening. It's such a lie. It's such a trap. And yet, it's a trap many, many people are living in today.

My friend asked, "How do you make sure you're not just going for the smoke?" To which I said, "Make the right things important, and the right 'things' aren't things ? they are people."

So often in our headlong rush to get the smoke, we fail to take notice of those weary travelers on life's road with us who need our help-emotional, spiritual, and/or physical. We have the means and the opportunity to help them, yet we are so focused on getting the smoke that we pass up that chance completely.

Because of the lesson of Ecclesiastes, I now know that when I get to Heaven, my awards and accomplishments will amount to water through a sieve. The only thing that will be real is the love I have extended and to how many people I have extended it. Everything else is just smoke.

Copyright 2005, Staci Stallings

Need more inspiration? Sign up for the monthly newsletter by Staci Stallings, the author of this article. Insights, quotes, inspiration and even a free novel by Staci sent two chapters at a time! To sign up, send a blank email to: newsletter@stacistallings.com You'll feel better for the experience!

Alto Pass chicago limos ..
In The News:

Finalists for the inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction, aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in nonfiction publishing, were unveiled on Wednesday.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson breaks down whether the government is watching citizens and what they can do to protect online privacy.
A benchmarking group for artificial intelligence has released new results evaluating the speed of hardware in running AI applications and responding to users.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane provides a glimpse into the future of space travel. Traveling to space may become a part of everyday life.
The new European Hyperloop Center in the Netherlands aims bring in a new era of transportation. The center will use a steel tube as a proving ground for testing the new vehicle.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
While it may be incredibly tempting to have a “go with the flow" mindset like the rest of your vacation, your technology definitely should not be compromised while traveling.
Have you ever accidentally deleted an app from your iPhone that you’ve already paid for? Don't worry. We’ve got a trick that will help you get it back without having to buy it again.
Apple's new Journal app has raised privacy concerns among Apple's userbase. Tech expert Kim Komando examines social media rumors and explains what steps to take to protect yourself.
Although Facebook has denied that our phones listen to us, they do have other ways of finding out what we are talking about, listening to and searching for.
With the integration of OpenAI technology, Figure 01 has taken a significant leap forward, showcasing the potential of robots to understand and interact with us on a personal level.
Port Ellen, newly reopened whisky distillery in Scotland, is using SmokeDNAi technology to understand mouth-feel and flavors during the whisky maturation process.
Telly, a smart TV firm, is promising to give out their 4K 55-inch TV for free. What must you give in return? The innovative, yet potentially unsettling, answer might shock you.
The moment a spam invite hits your calendar, it’s like an uninvited guest at a party. So, what do you do? Show it the door.
Identity thieves are now targeting children and are making large sums of money by exploiting children's identities, possibly hurting their financial future.
There's a clever way to change the notification sounds on your Android without having to look at your screen. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
If your bank accounted has been hacked, there are a number of steps you can take to prevent it from happening again. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
The Wave House, a data center in Heidelberg, Germany, is the the largest 3D-printed building in Europe. Its walls were built in about 140 hours.
Some government agencies around the world are struggling to meet their staffing goals when it comes to hiring artificial intelligence experts.
Google Maps' recent upgrades have introduced real-time ETA and turn-by-turn directions to your phone's lock screen while you are traveling.
Kat Cammack says AI could disrupt the 2024 election. A report says shared AI image tools generate election disinformation in 41% of cases and voting disinformation in 59% of cases.
Deepfakes have become commonplace, and the technology is only getting better, but there are certain elements that might give away the fact that an image is AI-generated.
A stealthy technology known as EM Eye allows eavesdropping on your home security cameras, according to Northeastern University researchers.
Give your iPhone an extra layer of security. Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the easy steps for changing the security passcode on your iPhone.

Enough Warm-ups, Already!

Among those arriving to the stadium early were two old... Read More

Understanding the Tarot Card Deck - Part 2

Tarot card reading delves into an individual's psyche and thus... Read More

A Crash Course in Tarot #3: Card Spreads

Most Tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana,... Read More

When Do You Pray?

When do you pray?Prayer is the cornerstone of the Christian... Read More

Go Forward!

There is no incident in the life of Moses which... Read More

Are You Being In Service? Divine Source

Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a... Read More

Tsunami Animals Hint At Our True Nature

We as human beings consider ourselves the most intelligent species... Read More

Spiritual Healing: In The School of Christ

Spiritual healing of the sick in Christ has many Christians... Read More

The Greatest Gift

(Channelled)The greatest gift you can give me, is to acknowledge... Read More

What Is Your Relationship To Time?

Have you ever thought about how your orientation to time... Read More

Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 6

Matthew 2:16-18Herod Kills the Children16 Then Herod, when he saw... Read More

How Shall We Then Live?

Qohelet had grown old with time when he delivered his... Read More

Christian Love

Actually, loving does not take any great effort on our... Read More

Humility, Not Pride: Keeping Ice Off Your Bow

Tony was a professinoal salt-water fisherman. He explained how he... Read More

A Merry Heart is Like a Medicine

When the body of Christ isn't protected we become vulnerable... Read More

I Saw An Angel At Work

Sometimes you have to see something to believe it. Like... Read More

What Does God Want From Me? A Personal Revelation of Conviction Verses Condemnation

It's strange how my life today looks wildly different from... Read More

All One; All Different -- Addressing Spiritual Reductionism

"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More

You Must Feel to Heal!

In my work with clients who have physical illnesses there... Read More

Spring Cleanup

The junk I'm talking about is the stuff that we... Read More

What Animal Communicators Do

Many people are awakening today to the idea that the... Read More

Abiding in the Word

How many Christian people do you know who are bearing... Read More

Universal Law Primer

Universal Law is an invisible influence in every individual's life,... Read More

The Importance of Honoring Mothers and Fathers

With another year full of family events coming upon us,... Read More

You Can Influence Your Fortunes In Life

Natural laws exist that serve to maintain order in the... Read More

Alto Pass cool limo ..