the Flood

This is the Bible I'm currently reading.  It is in chronological order from creation to revelation.  I love that.  As I was reading about the flood, several thoughts crossed my mind.  First I'd like to quote the commentary in this Book:  "Because of the degradation of the human race, God has reluctantly decided to destroy mankind from the earth."  OK, it's not that I'm just becoming aware of this event.  I know about Noah, and the flood, and the reason God flooded the earth... but I think every time you read the Word your thought process is a little different.  God uses it to open your eyes or your heart to particular events or verses.  This is what is happening to me. What does God think of us NOW?  The human race must pain Him.  It truly makes me what to make Him proud.  I want to be a small little example of Noah in the degradation of society. 

Secondly, God saved Noah and his family because he was righteous.  Righteous, but a descendant of Adam and Eve.  Noah was a man of the soil.  Thus, sin found it's way back into the lives of him and those who were saved in the flood.  Enter Noah's drunk, naked body in the vineyard in Genesis 9: 20-23.  After this, Noah cursed Ham's son, Canaan.  Conclusion:  Noah was not perfect.  THIS is interesting to me.  Doesn't God know this before saving Noah?  Can this mean that God chose to save Noah and his family instead of recreating a divine likeness?  I guess I'm trying to say that God could have started over.  Like, as in pressing the re-do button.  But He chose not to?  Whether my non-expert-ness of the Bible is completely off or I am missing a deeper meaning, or I'm utterly confused I can't say.  All I can say is, I'm glad God chose to save Noah and his family.  To ME it means God is not looking for perfection.  He knows we mess up.  Now... we can strive and we can work to be God-like (and we should).  But He forgives us of our trespasses.  This is comforting to my heart. 

goals

Goal setting is extra difficult for me.  I take that back.  I am really good at setting goals.  I am not so good at reaching them.  The older I get the more ADD I feel that I am.  I'm all over the place.  Every minute of every day.  Thousands of thoughts racing through my head.  Lots of to-do lists.  Lots of desires.  Lots of goals.  I'm good at crossing things off my daily to-do list, and I'm good at prioritizing.  I am not good at long term goals. 

It's hard for me to exercise every day.  It's hard for me to eat well every day.  It's hard for me to read a book (including my bible) every day.  I have no hobbies.  I started cross-stitching, I started reading a bible-in-a-year, I have many in-progress books on my Nook. 

Why can't I fit these things in every day?  Why can't I stick with something until the end?  This is something that bothers my soul.  For now I'm going to make 2 goals:  By November 24th I will exercise 4 days per week and read my bible-in-a-year once a day.  Wish me luck...

blog name

"no" might seem to be an odd name for a blog title.  It came to me early one morning while driving to work.  I drive 25-30 mintues to work, and I feel closest to God during this morning drive.  It's just Him, me, and the christian radio station.  Alone in the morning darkness.  No is what I am striving to say more often.  No to the halloween binge-drinking fest, no to the obsessive urge to have a perfectly clean house, no to working a part-time job just so I can have more material things I don't need.  No is typically a negative word, but I beg to differ.  If saying no allows for more time, energy, or money to say yes to God, is it still negative?