My blog last night received such a response that we will do another with a list.  Well, actually the blog got no response but that is normal.  But it did sound pretty great to start off with the line.  Yesterday we put down some of my ideas on being a dad.  They are my thoughts alone.  Tonight we turn to my rules for life.  Both John Wayne and Leroy Jethro Gibbs said that every man needs a code to live by.  Gibbs now has 51 rules in his code.  I am not nearly that far along.  This list is fluid as it may change from time to time.  These are simply my core values on life in general.  Some people hear me say these words or rules on occasion.  They may not work for anyone else but they serve me as a guide. 

1.  Life happens.  You can no more control all of life than you can control the weather.  We had storms today after weeks of dry heat but my efforts other than praying had little to do with it.  The myth that you can control events in your world will leave you most unhappy.  This is why some people just refuse to let God lead them in new directions.  They are terrified of yielding control of what little they have to God.  This does not make life any easier but it will rob you of being flexible to His will.

2.  It is what it is.  Life is not what you want or wish it to be.  It simply is what it is.  This is true at any given moment in your journey.  Wishing my cancer away or wanting it to go away did not make it so.  Living each day in fullness means dealing with where you are in life.  God knows far more than we do about any given moment.  Accept the present conditions while fixing your heart on Him.

3.  People are just people.  They can be a great blessing or a great burden but they will always be human.  You cannot build a healthy life while depending on others to make you happy.  You cannot count on a constant source of esteem to make you feel better.  People as godly as David were still capable of horrible acts of sin.  We do far better finding our wholeness with God and then giving that away to people.

4.  All you can do is all you can do.  This somewhat explains itself.  You have to know how to trust God if you want to grow up.  I did all I could do while dealing with cancer but the final answer would come from Him.  I am grateful that the response was remission.  All you can do in life is the very best possible.  Real value comes from God alone.  Maximize your life but be sure God has the last word.

5.  A win is a win.  What this means is that you should enjoy every small act of success along the way.  We tend to want the really big stuff to happen before we feel good.  Life tends to build on smaller events along the way that conclude in bigger results.  Someone once said that the person who is a Christian in small things is not small Christian. 

6.  Do something kind or gracious for another person without asking or expecting anything in return.  This is a new one on the list.  I am working on this as the days go by.  What I do know is if you try this you may find a strange response.  It seems our world is quickly losing any knowledge of kindness.  Some people may not know how to act at those times.  This only means our society needs more of it from the people of God. 

There you have it.  Just know these rules are in a state of flux.  We may add more as the days go by.  God's people do need to put their faith in concrete.  We should learn the limitations of our life while finding the bigness of God for any moment.  Maybe you can try putting down on paper what you hold dear.  Just don't think it has to be in religious language.  Make it your own.  After all, you can only live the one life given you by God.  It's all that you have to do. 

Bro. Trey