Bling ?

I have been listening to the Early Show this morning; part of the program has been on multimillion dollar homes, what they call Bling Homes. Okay, part of me is wow-ed by these homes and I'm curious, I look, I gawk; but the other part of me says what a waste of money! Just before the Bling Homes is a segment on the baby boomers plans for funerals; planning in advance funeral services that would compete with mega-dollar weddings. I'm not even curious here, just plain disgusted!

What is this all about? Are we really so self-serving, so caught up in ourselves that how we live and how we die has to be for extreme show? Do we really want to live in such a world that would care primarily for the "me" and would not ever see the "you"? Do we really want to live in a world that the funeral service becomes a kind of competition as to how much show-off-ness we can dish out? Come on!

There are billions of hungry people; there is slavery all over the world, even here in the U.S.; there are billions of people in countries like China who are not permitted to exist, much less live a life worth living; there are people who work hard but cannot get ahead; there are people living on the edge, just barely scraping by, pinching every honest penny to have the barest of necessities. How is it that we have become a nation, a world, that is so materialistic?

Then, an advertisement.... in which the wisdom is: as we get older, we come to realize that all that we have been yearning for, looking for, striving for, has been right in front of us all the time -- there is nothing more important than family and friends. Relationships! And I would add, there is nothing more important than the relationship we have with our Savior.

At the end of my life I hope to be able to look back and know that I had a positive impact on others, that my life was something of value to others, that I have made a difference. It is my hope that when I come into the Presence of the Holy One, I will be directed to go with the sheep and not the goats.

Matthew 25:31-46 ~~ These are the words of Jesus ~~
"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

Then the King will say to those on the right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'

"Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'

And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, `Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'

And he will answer, `I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'

And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."