Just Follow the Word

It is 5 minute Friday and the word today is Relief.  Yes the first song that pops in to my head is an old commercial.  "Plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is." Yes, Alka Seltzer. And then, as usual my mind asks questions, "What is relief for me?"  What has been relief for you?  I have found relief in many places over the years but today I wonder over my younger years of seeking relief. I have been pondering food lately.  I had an issue with food as a young teen.  It started so innocently with a few pounds that maybe "needed" to come off.   Yes I was in the Pretty Plus section at Sears, luckily we didn't shop at JC Penny because then it would be Husky section. Relief to me was feeling a hunger pain as I lay my head on my pillow. Relief was swimming nightly all summer long to get my laps in. Relief to me was wrapped up in what I deemed success. When I went back to school that Fall and heard you look amazing from shocked faces... Mans

Which way do I go?  Do you love it when someone is giving you directions with the terms North, South, East and West?  Is your preferred choice go left or right?  Or maybe your favorite way of getting directions are landmarks, you know, turn left at the red barn with the cow on top.   The landmark direction sometime comes with a story of the past, and why the landmark was special to the direction giver. I sometimes wonder if the landmark directions are the best, but seldom do we have time to hear the long dialogue of memories.  I wonder if directions given by those who have traveled before us NEED to have landmarks so we understand the way better. Lets consider Paul from his letter in Ephesians and his direction he give us about himself and where he is going and why.  Often times looking at the past of what was done long ago gives us the best way forward. Paul,  an apostle of Christ Jesus   by the will of God , To the saints who are in Ephesus, and  are faithful [ a ]  in Chris