Deanna enjoyed her Birthday, and you all made it very special for her. Thank you so very much for this. It lifted her, more than you know.

In deciding what to write about, I realized that I had not shared any of Beej's writings in awhile. We all struggle with sin areas in our lives. There are those sins that we seem to return to over and over. The kind Paul wrote Romans 7:7-25 about. Sin is generally a pride issue, at some level. Something we insist on doing or participating in, because of the gratification we get. It never lasts...actually it fades immediately. Still we return to it. Here is what Beej wrote:

"All sins are attempts to fill voids"

"Throughout our lives we are marching, searching for something- our goal- but as we do not want to step into the light or stand up on the hill due to our deep-saturating shame, we remain helpless, hopeless, slaves in time, slaves to time. We wait to begin our search, as we hold out on ourselves, merely holding on to existence, groping blindly in the dark for something, some clue to tell us where we are, and if there is something to go to. In our emptiness we search for a reason for this void, and in our ignorance try to fill it with something- anything- and so, with trash.

And as we strive to fill ourselves, the garbage with which we have become consumed disintegrates as we pour it into the infinite void- as these simple and evil "pleasures" do not last, but leave as we continue to search for substance and for subsistence.

Our emptiness resounds in the darkness, echoing, revealed in the distant light, and we try to hide from it, ignore it, and consume ourselves with the garbage of evil, temporary "pleasures:" sins. We carry through our lives asking questions of why we are so empty, becoming all the more aware of our emptiness and all the more empty. Where is fulfillment? Where is escape from our darkness? In the last place that it would be looked for, though often the most obvious. God. Christianity...The light. There, with God, for in God you will find purpose and subsistence. There, in the light you will be filled and your darkness will be driven out.

Sins are attempts to fill voids, and ironically, they are also what make voids, or rather, eat away at the little substance that people have. They are the antithesis of what they are trying to accomplish"

He wrote that 2 years ago. I think he had a very strong grasp on sin. I continue to praise the Lord that Beej wrote as he did. His words are very true for us right now. Be encouraged, and as Christ said, "Go and sin no more."

dad