Rebekah Staggs

The phrase “The glory of” has caught my attention lately and got me to thinking.

1. In the end all things pass through man to bring glory to God.
2. We don’t have a lot of control over growing our own glory.

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Children are born into the glory of their father’s reputation. Granted this isn’t that big of a deal these days with unwed/single mothers and all, but this used to mean something. That is why so many surnames mean “Son of” some progenitor’s name or what he did.

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

This one is interesting because you can do a lot to build your strength, but there are things that can steal that strength away from you. In the end that strength fades as we age.

Psalms 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

There are a lot of verses talking about the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man

 Man is just one of them and woman is the glory of man. What awesome responsibilities this image represents.

1 Corinthians 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Our glory is our long hair.

And our glory is in our long hair…

We recently took a plane trip. Our son finally outgrew the booster car seat requirements so we’re traveling without having to bring along a car seat or rent one once at our destination. In addition some airlines are starting to charge for checked bags. So we figured it was time to give this “one bag” thing a try.

As we were each allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item that gave us a total of 6 bags and whatever we were wearing.

How did it work out?

We went right up to the self check-in. Didn’t have to wait in long lines or for someone behind the desk to check-in our bags. Got through the security lines easily and quickly. Our bags were easy to travel with in the airports between flights and store in the overhead bins on the planes.

When we landed on the other side we breezed right past baggage claim (no waiting for our bags, no lost bags, and no broken wheel at the last minute!) and right onto a bus to the rental car. (No lugging luggage to the bus stop, onto the bus, off of the bus…)

On the return the same thing. No dropping someone off with the bags and then returning the car or lugging all the bags with you on a bus and then through the terminal.

I have to say that the idea at first was daunting. Is it possible for me to fit everything I might need into one bag and a purse? What about keeping an active 9 year old boy busy and in clean clothing? By paring it down to the NEEDS (and a few wants) it was.

After the ease of our last trip. The lack of luggage mishaps or losing time waiting. I have to say we’re now a ONE BAG ALL THE WAY family!

How did we do it?

Cargo Pants, vests, jackets, anything with pockets is a good clothing item for travel. It gives you an “extra hand” for things you might want without having to dig in a bag for it. Or to just hold a water bottle for a minute.

Get a carry-on bag that is SURE to fit in those small overhead compartments and a personal item bag that will fit in the seat in front of you. I don’t know how many people we saw trying to shove bags that were clearly too large for either and some ended up having to “check” their carry on. At a charge no less.

After culling what we WANTED to pack we we got our items down to what we DID pack: Trial sized personal items in a 1 quart size bag (If you don’t have trial sized items already as freebies or have your favorites in reusable containers, just buy them after you get there (or use the hotel’s) and save yourself the screening.), clothing for 2-3 days (you’re wearing one day’s set.), a laptop, and cables/chargers (a few toys, an inflatable pillow and a blanket – I don’t like using airline ones). And a “personal item” bag that had our entertainment (games, books, magazines, MP3 players, etc) and snacks.

Layer your clothing on the bottom of your carry-on, cables and other items in a row on top of that, and put your heavier/bigger clothing in a layer over that.  I put my laptop in a neoprene sleeve on the top of all that. You can pull the whole sleeve out and place it in the bin to be screened.

For a 5 day trip we imposed on family once to wash our laundry. If you’re not visiting family you could find a laundry mat, use the hotel facilities if they have them, or go all the way with sink washing and drying in your hotel. Think clothing that all goes well together and travels well. There are places that sell travel clothing, but unless you travel a lot probably not worth the investment.

I was very surprised that I didn’t miss anything I didn’t bring with us. Anything we might have needed we could get at a local Walgreens or Walmart. (So long as you’re traveling in the USA.) So it really was a lot less stress on the trip having one less thing to worry about and is something we’re going to be doing from now on. I highly suggest giving it a try.

What have you got to lose? Well, certainly not your luggage!

Links:
TSA: What to Know Before you go. Permitted and Prohibited items.
Onebag.com.
Airline Luggage Allowance Policies.
How to Prevent Lost Luggage and travel tips.
Unclaimed Baggage.

Cases of Kill the Messenger:

I don’t like the message. Ignore the message. Kill the messenger.
I don’t like the messenger. Who cares about the message. Kill the messenger.
I like the message, but don’t like the messenger. Miss all further messages. Kill the messenger.
I like the message and this messenger best. Accept only these messages. Kill all other messengers.
I like this messenger. Who cares what the message is. Kill all other messengers.

Which category do you fall under?

There is of course the option to take the message as delivered. Study the merits of the message yourself. And who cares how tall or short the messenger is. What color clothing he is wearing. His shoe size. His tone of voice or eye color. After all, he is just the messenger…

The more I am around (the majority of) women the more I prefer the company of men. What do I mean by that? Most men. Those that have not been feminized by public schools, psychology, medication, overbearing mothers or controlling wives:  

They say what they mean and mean what they say.
They don’t drop hints or expect you to read their minds. They say what they expect or want.
They don’t read extra meaning into the words you say. They accept them at face value.
They don’t get upset or offended just because someone holds a view contrary to their own. They don’t get angry just because you defend that view to them.
They don’t walk into a room, look every man over, and make sure they are the better dressed and better looking male in the room…and if they aren’t make sure their wife never leaves their side.
As far as I know, and I’ve been the only female in the group a lot of times, they don’t sit around eating chocolate and bashing the women in their lives.

And when you ask them if something is wrong and they say, “Nothing.” They really mean NOTHING is wrong…

Women on the other hand:
Say things they really don’t mean. To be nice or mean.
They drop hints or expect men to read their minds. Then get upset when they do/get the wrong thing.
They read “hidden” agendas and remarks into anything and everything.
Get very offended if someone thinks things other than they do because that has to mean they think they are doing wrong. (Notice a trend of circular thinking here?) 
They walk into a room and size up the competition.
I have never understood the habit of bonding over husband/men-in-general bashing that women do…

And when you ask a them if something is wrong and they say, “Nothing.” you had better be prepared to do some major grovelling or sleep in the dog house…

Now I am a woman and I’m not saying I’m perfect at avoiding these female tendencies or that men are without faults, but men are much more enjoyable for me to deal with. I know where I stand with them. I never know where I stand with another woman. And that can change from moment to moment anyway…

I find most women don’t like me. If you’ve read this far you’re probably thinking did you expect them to?

I could care less about fashion, weddings, jewelry, and who is dating whom.
I share interests with men that upset many of them: Computers, games, cars, guns, knives, and Sci-Fi.

And probably the main one that tends to be the kicker is I am a Biblical wife. (See th end of my post for a listing of verses.) My husband is the head of our home. It is my duty to honour, respect, obey, and love my husband. His word is law and final in our home. I believe this to be our God given role and I perform my duty willingly to the utmost of my ability. For some reason this seems to irritate, irk, offend and make many women quite hostile to me.

A lot of wives want their husbands to love them. Work. Provide. Care. Share. Give of themselves like they are called to do. However when it comes to that submission thing…any excuse will do.

 Our Duty as Christian wives to our husbands.

To love and obey them:
Titus 2:4-5  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

To reverence them: 
Ephesians 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

To be subject unto them:
Ephesians 5:22-23  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Colossians 3:18-19  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

1 Peter 3:1-2  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

Consider how muscle growth and strength comes from pushing the muscles, breaking down, destroying and rebuilding. So it is with other things in life.

Where does our peace come from? Are we promised life be easy? Who has overcome the world? Why in today’s world do WE try to overcome the world and expect life to be trouble free?

Just look at all the things Paul went through…

How did he deal with it? What did he learn through it?

I find that most issues with “depression” come from having an unrealistic view of how people THINK things should be. (Part of this is comparison to others…) And what people think they deserve/want.

Another unrealistic view that seems to add to this is that God is a “genie in a bottle” granting our wishes and prayers. He promises what we NEED, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,”.

This includes the various trials and valleys that we go through. If God is giving them to us for a reason then we need to learn from it… and grow from it…not wallow in it … and not medicate it away.

When we go through trials praising God and clinging to his word that is an example to others. Others see this and who knows maybe those others are the part of the reason you were blessed with this trial.