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• THE JOURNEY IS OVER (JOURNAL 90)

  3 June, 2016

  If you were to read our journal entry for this day last year, you would read the following Today's instalment… [more]

• JOURNAL 89

  22 May, 2016

  Hi sweetheart, Sometimes I experience periods of “What if…?”. These are times when my mind seems… [more]

• JOURNAL 88

  17 May, 2016

  Hi Darling, Coming home from the hospital with a mechanical device fitted to my chest – a P.E.G. I think it… [more]

• JOURNAL 87

  13 May, 2016

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• JOURNAL 86

  10 May, 2016

  JOURNAL 86 MOTHER’S DAY Hello sweetheart, I haven’t spoken to our children as to… [more]

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3. Today's "Moment with Mark" (46) - The Dance of Death

• Today's "Moment with Mark" (46) - The Dance of Death

  6 January, 2013

  Herod respected John, knowing that he was a good and holy man, so he kept him under his protection. Herod was disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him...,...  Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased them all. (Mark 6:2 Mark 6:22 NLT)

  
  That must have been some dance!!  No doubt Herod's head was spinning with the extravagances of his birthday bash. But even so, to go from protecting John the Baptist because he knew he was a good and holy man to issuing an order  for his execution with only a dance separating the two things, well....that must have been some dance performed by his own daughter.

  
  Herod's hasty, extravagant promise was called to account and, to Herod's dismay, he had set himself up and it became a question, "Will you honour your promise? Are you as good as your word?" The choice for Herod became which decision would require the least amount of damage control? Finally he chose to compromise his principles and what he believed about John in order to appease the wrath of his wife and to appear to be a man of principle.

  
  We need to be quick to hear and slow to speak. Yes, the setting for Herod was one which lent itself to a diminished level of self-control. But the real issue was his hasty, thoughtless words, promises and vows.
   

  Are you aware of a personal situation in which you could be tempted to drop your guard and make a commitment that is otherwise out of character for you?