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.

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!

family-safe home cleaners Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Smoke

Spirituality