Eccl. recap

Solomon writes about life's experiences and about the true meaning of life.  With humility and repentance at the end he wanted to warn others not to follow the same path that he went down.  This was a very wise man who did not want others to repeat his mistakes.  The recap is like cliff notes on wonderful ideas God has shown me.

Throughout history there are constant circles of sameness.

The only thing we have control of in this world is how we think, speak and act and how we react to other people and situations. 

There is a price to wisdom; we will be expected to feel more, observe more, question more, act more and even hurt more.

I think that knowledge is made up of facts and ideas; and wisdom is the ability to know what to do with those facts and ideas and how to apply them to life. 

Solomon thought that he could test himself and be OK.  That is dangerous ground to be walking on. 

He was saying that he still had wisdom even though what he was doing was not wise.

Solomon did many great things, but because he did them for the wrong reasons, they were hollow inside.

This book is a warning that we should not put God out of the way because if that is the case then we will not prosper.  What are the reasons behind your goals?

We may not be happy with Him all the time, but we do not know what His plans are for us so we do not have all the details to make a correct observation.

Every little thought, our actions, how we treated family and strangers, how we spent our time and money will be on trial before God. 

You can not grasp what is untouchable. 

God is looking for quality in us, not quantity.

 It is not the destination, but the journey where we learn our lessons and determine who we are in this life.

God gives us cycles, which are natural to go through.  Our problem is that we get stuck in some of these places and it is difficult to get out. 

Pride will drive a country to war and when it is finally destroyed only then will the pride be defeated into desperation.

At times a faulty foundation must be torn down so that a correct one can be put in it's place for the stability of our life. 

There is joy in the end if we will only believe. 

Space apart is much needed when betrayed.

Some things found will eventually be lost. 

Remember if we do not speak out against injustice then it is as if we are in agreement with the injustice we so oppose. 

Only when they have sight and strength can they start to fly.

Our hearts are bound to something that we can't see.

Although when we try to keep track of our "good deeds" then we start to lose sight of the path we are on.

I know that unless we are in someone else's shoes we will not know everything that happened so our judgment is just that, judgment.

There is a balance to all things.

The result is that you find you are not alone like you once thought. 

We were not meant to do life in this world alone.

Check your heart when you are near God because He will surely see your motives behind your prayers.

Guard your words, think carefully before you make a vow to God. 

When you give and help others you will get a payment that no check in the world could duplicate. 

Throughout history oppressing the weak has been consistent.

If you are constantly looking in the rear view mirror you will miss where you are going and all the people along the way.

Adversity is a refining fire that eliminates unnecessary elements in our lives.

We are sad when someone dies and leaves us, but in heaven there is rejoicing for those coming home.

I would rather go through heartache with God than be blissfully unaware of Him for my entire life.

In bad times we should take time to contemplate everything God has does for us and that He knows infinitely more than we ever could. 

We should take the advice of others who have come before us and have learned valuable lessons at a high cost.  So that we will avoid the same price paid.

Those throwing stones at you from their glass houses will inevitability get cut from falling glass. 

Any words can be spoken and sound kind, but there could be deceit just under the surface. 

Thinking you have a vast amount of wisdom is a good sign that you don't.

I think he was showing that no one can stand before God and be considered upright on their own merit.

We may not agree with everything that a leader does, but we should still pray for them.

We are a passionate people, but the actions of others do not justify our actions for revenge. 

We do not see people's hearts and even if we did, we could not judge them accordingly.

We all have a common destiny, but not all will lead a common life.

We are not to go through life as if we were covered in fifthly rags, utterly destitute in spirit.

 Do not depend on your spouse to make you happy

We could make such an impact if we quit letting our personal problems get in our way or worrying about what others think.

We also disregard wisdom if we don't think the person appears to be valuable in God's kingdom.

Do not let the outer appearance of someone get in your way of receiving God's wisdom.

There are many who try to cover up their deeds with sweet words or actions, but in the end the stench will seep through.

Wisdom can not always bring about change if the wise ones have no power.

It is better to be poor in bank account than spiritually bankrupt.

When we decide to be a Christian, it is a 24 hour/7 days a week position, we need to be extra careful when we are on "break" so that our hearts do not get corrupted with the world's view.

We should give freely the things God has put in our care.

 If 10% was to be given under the law then how much more generous should we be?

I know there are tons of excuses why not to give.  Which one will you give God when He asks why you did not have compassion on those less fortunate?

He deserves our time above everything else.

It makes it harder to want to continue to sin when we see what is at stake.

Life centered on selfish pursuits is void of life itself.

Our spirit will return to the one who gave it freely.

Like a goad, wisdom may be unpleasant to hear at first, but it will keep you moving in the direction you need to go.

I am talking about different religions using parts of the bible and their own ideas to make up a new "bible".  That is dangerous ground that will not stand up before God.

You can't just pick to love or fear Him, they were intertwined from the start and are inseparable.