Love is not jealous...

Jealous - 1a: intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness

b: disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness:

apprehensive of the loss of another's exclusive devotion

2 hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage

3 vigilant in guarding a possession

4 distrustfully watchful

Ok, most of this definition of jealous was familiar to me and what I expected to read.  However, the second definition, hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage, struck me as a definition not much spoken of but plainly a common occurrence in today's world.  Just watch an episode of any of the Real Housewives of__________ (fill in the blank).  

Or read about the Arab Spring or the increasingly dangerous talk between Israel and Iran...

But what about in our homes, our churches, our workplaces?  Do we see it there?  Are we a part of the jealousy?  Something to ponder...because it isn't love.

Fly Lady

Monday - Home Blessing Hour!

Make your bed, get dressed down to shoes and, this week's focus, swish and swipe your bathroom every morning - just a quick surface cleaning of the vanity and toilet.  You can do it!

Middle East Update

I have spent most of the afternoon on the Internet studying the situation between Israel and Iran.  The jumping off point was Joel Rosenberg's weblog, of course!  Here are a few quotes from what I read:

"Khamenei (Iran's spiritual and most powerful leader)...promised (at a conference youth event) that human history is on the verge of a great event and that soon the world will realize the power of Allah."   Reza Kahlili

From an article written by Alireza Forghani (analyst and strategy specialist in Khamenei's camp):

"Because Israel is going to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran is justified in launching a pre-emptive, cataclysmic attack against the Jewish state."

"On Friday (February 3, 2012), in a major speech at prayers, Khamenei announced that Iran will support any nation or group that attacks the 'cancerous tumor' of Israel."

"Iran now has intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability.  Western analysts didn't believe this would happen until 2015.  Historically, orbiting a satellite (which they recently did) is the criterion for crediting a nation with ICBM capability."

"In order to attack Iran, Israel needs the approval and assistance of America, and under the current passive climate in the United States, the opportunity must not be lost to wipe out Israel before it attacks Iran."

"Israel could be destroyed in less than nine minutes and Khamenei, as utmost authority, the Velayete Faghih (Islamic Jurist), also believes that Israel and America not only must be defeated but annihilated."

Reza Kahlili writes of the Iranian secret documentary "The Coming is Upon Us":

"This documentary clearly indicates that these radicals believe that destruction of Israel will trigger the coming of the last Islamic Messiah and that even Jesus Christ, who will convert to Islam (really?!), will act as Mahdi's deputy, praying to Allah as he stands behind the 12th Imam (the Islamic Messiah)."

So that is why Israel is so nervous about Iran getting a nuclear bomb!

My honey and I are going to a Precept Bible study on Jeremiah and have learned amazing things that explain what's going on in today's world, especially with Israel.  The nightly news makes things look rather ominous for Israel, but God has made a promise to them and we can count on Him to be faithful to His word!

Behold, I will bring to it (Jerusalem) health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.  And I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first.  And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me, and by which they have transgressed against Me.

And it shall be to Me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good that I do for them, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it."

Jeremiah 33:6-9