first meditations

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

where is our rest? in heaven. when will you go there? when you die; as your name is written in the book of life. so is it better to be born or to die?

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

the living will lay the dead to his heart, of the path that the dead has thread. whether they are lessons to be learned or a lasting memory.

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

cry for a day but recover in greater strength.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

feel the loss and mourn for its end; that you may remember the virtue of thanksgiving.
shed the humble tears and be not like the fools who are merry for their gain; unaware that they never had them.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

hear what the beggar has to say as he walks out of his desert. There was no music in the barren land but he still survived.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

when the fools laugh at the beggar, cringe and do not join them.

Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

these are oppression that makes us mad. yes. especially the laughter we hear in our minds. seek not laughter or the gift that makes our hearts complacent.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

If things must end, they do so to make us patient, humble and thankful for what we have all along. the patient in spirit sees far but does not run towards that future. walk slow with all meekness and modesty you can gather.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

haste will not bring you any closer to the end of the race. this is not a race motivated by anger. it is a race of tribulations but peacefulness are the wings on our ankles.

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

There are no days better than the eternity that comes at the end of the race. be wise in this.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

Inherit the gift of wisdom, not by the snap of the fingers but with every grain of sand that falls down in the hourglass of life. The sun awaits. Can you reach the sun? no. you cannot even stare at it. But at twilight. And the end. just before the sun sets. Look up. and you will see the glory of the orange coloured sky stare back at you. and the new morn will remind you that another day of walking awaits you. but it is always there. shining. your inheritance is in heaven. not now and here.

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

so keep walking. with the defence and life that wisdom gives you. to walk this journey.

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

are all roads straight? can you truly reach the sun if you keep walking? walk anyway. even the crooked ones.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

in the end. there is nothing. that in death all things are vain. but you have to walk. it is exceedingly deep and far. but in death, you will end your race and the eternal rest will be there waiting.

Keep walking.

(Ecclesiastes 7:1-14) my interpretation is mine alone. they mean what they mean to you. I will meditate on them but this is also dedicated to someone.