All come from dust, and to dust all return. Eccl. 3:20b

The Bible teaches us that the Lord made man from the dust on the ground, and breathed life into his nostrils.  When Adam and Eve disobey, the punishment ends with this: "...for dust you are and to dust you will return." Before we moved into this house I was able to come over and sweep and mop the floors (I got part of the way done downstairs, but not all).  I was so excited because all of the floors I did do had very little dust on them, and the house had been empty for two weeks or so.  I thought,"Maybe this house gets less dusty than our house," which had people coming and going up and down the hallway every day.  Under the couch was getting very crowded-we had complaints. What I have discovered since we've been here for a couple of weeks now, however, is that it is us who makes the house dusty.  This may not be a revelation for most people.  Maybe I should not admit this out loud.  But it's me, and I like to do things like that.  I realized that the dust comes from us.  So, unfortunately, we will not escape the dustball-entrenched condition of our previous home(s). No, I just need to sweep more frequently.  Or give Eliana the broom...she does a great job.  Or Michaela and Eliana work well as a team.  And Christian loves to mop, so I need to get him busy, too. Great!  Now I have a game plan.  Because as long as we're living, we'll be "returning to dust." On the brighter side of things...

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. ² Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- ³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶ The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: ⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. ⁹ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; ¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; ¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- ¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. ²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. ²² Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.