all of pharoah's army did the dead man's float

i am so sorry if my inability to figure out when to use "effect" and when to use "affect" ruins this post for you. i did graduate from college. cum laude, in fact. i don't know what's wrong with me.

the story of moses has been teaching me a lot this past year.

"the story of moses."

that's SO BROAD.

i will only narrow that down to one part tonight. it's just now 10pm. i have about ten minutes to think clearly, and then i must abide by my rules and stop blogging for today.

i have seen some examples in "the story of moses" about how sin effects other people, and not just yourself. it effects your family, and your community. we live life together. that's how it is. and i'm so glad. it sucks to deal with sin whether it's your own or someone else's, but it's so good to live in community. to share life. to carry each other's burdens.

i was just reading about when God sent some people into the Promised Land*, and they came back terrified. they were like "yeah there's milk and honey... with a side of DESTRUCTION." and they made everyone else afraid too.

i have never really thought about it, but i guess fear effects your whole community too. if we're sharing life and carrying each other's burdens, then people having to help me carry fear around are effected by that.

Numbers 14:36-37

"And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the Lord."

that's so sad. they were scared. their fear messed up the whole community. the community had to wander around and wait for all the scared people to die off. they died of a plague, but all the others died without seeing the land they had been dreaming of.

sad.

my current fears?

gossip at work. lies. other people's thoughts.

things out of my control. things i should be trusting God with.

i don't want my fear to hurt anyone else.

today i had to clean my apartment, and started singing "cleaning, cleaning, cleaning do do dooo do dooo dooo dooooo...."

and remembered this verse of the hymn i was butchering:

"What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
leaning on the everlasting arms."

wonderful.

*fact: the Pastor i grew up with referred to Texas as the Promised Land.