What Hides Behind Confusion?

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:9-18 NIV

What hides behind confusion? If we accept what The Word says, bitter envy and selfish ambition are the root causes of confusion and disorder. Does this explain the situation in the White House?

We know there is a pathological liar in the Oval Office–pretending to govern when he doesn’t have a clue. We know that he suffers from multiple personality disorders and possibly dementia or Alzheimer’s disease–in addition to the cognitive disconnect that has existed for some time. We know that he wants to be the center of attention at all times and will do anything to maintain the focus on him whether it is positive or negative. We know that he will bully and bribe to get his way. We know (at least some of us) that 2016 election results would not have happened if not for the Russian hacking, false propaganda, and complicity encouraged by him with other GOP. We know this and for those who don’t–I suggest having some time alone with God and allowing Him to reveal truth.

The promotion of  false propaganda is continuing through various news outlets–Fox News, Breitbart and the Sinclair group and apparently it’s working in its endeavor to brainwash those who watch them. Considering who owns these companies, it is not a stretch to understand their motives. They want to control what gullible Americans think and do and to promote a false narrative that blinds people to the truth–creating mass confusion for any who dare to think for themselves about what news sources to believe; especially since–the one in the Oval Office–keeps screaming “fake news” about anything that doesn’t show him in a favorable light.

If the FBI probe about Russia and his involvement is a hoax–why make so much noise about it? Why try to get others to lie about it? Why fire an FBI director because of it? Why invite GOP members of Congress–who will serve on the panel to question the former director–to dinner two nights before the former director is scheduled to testify about conversations with him? Is this yet another attempt to obstruct the flow of truth by bribery or bullying–yet again?

Will we see integrity and honor return to Washington any time soon? For the GOP to proclaim to be the party of moral values, I haven’t seen any evidence through their actions in a healthcare bill, their proposed budget, the actions of the Attorney General, rolling back consumer protection policies or much else. I have seen (as have others) all the evidence of a group of people trying to amass wealth at the expense of depriving the poor and needy access to assistance and living a healthy life.

I have more questions than answers pertaining to the status quo in Washington and that may continue to hover over my ability or anyone else’s to ignite change in Washington that will benefit all. Not having the answers right now–won’t keep me from seeking them and developing viable solutions for all Everyday Americans.

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Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91

“Call on Him, call on The Lord!”

When we call upon Him, acknowledging Him for who He is–The King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, The Alpha and Omega, Our Rock, The Truth, The Light, The Way, Our Deliverer, Our Healer, Our Refuge–just watch and see what He does for those who love Him.

The terrorist in the White House will fail and all those surrounding him with all the lies and buffoonery will be the shame of the world, for they do not know God so they will not hear Him when He speaks. And those who support him shall know the wrath of God–measured by what they say–those who claim to know Him will suffer the most for when they say, “I know The Lord,” and yet will not live as instructed by The Lord, they lie and their punishment will be even greater.

Some of the Christian leaders who reluctantly supported 45 are now waking from the delusion and see him for who he really is and are backing away. Is it too late to repent and regroup–now ready to tell people the truth? They’ll have to try and see while the rest of us–just watch!

Those in Congress who are ignoring their oaths of office–will see just how much God does not like those who use and abuse the poor and the needy and yet support a pathological liar. Their time is coming–just watch!

Once a con man, always a con man. 45 conned his way out of paying contractors and conned banks into loaning him money by running a smooth sales pitch that made it appear that he was a successful business man. Watch closely at how he ran his businesses–especially the 17 failed ones. And then consider–how the others are only for  the rich;  for those who support him–his base supporters–the middle-class workers cannot afford to play on his golf courses or sleep in his hotels–they were conned. They bought the bull without close inspection and ended with a barren cow.

Because of his attempts to run America like one of his businesses–there will be many failures and loud screams and cries because he does not know that America is not a business and cannot be run like one.

Is there any hope for him? Only God knows. Is there any hope for the rest of us? There is always hope for those who call upon The Lord for He hears our cries and sees our plights and knows those who truly belong to Him–we can count on His Word!

Though things may appear chaotic, the truth muddled and minds deluded–just watch and see how God works on behalf of those who love Him. For God is not the author of confusion and He requires that all things be done decently and in order.

Where there is order–there is no confusion and peace reigns. Just keeping watching!

 

 

Let Order Reign!

Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. Ecclesiastes 12:9,10 NIV

In verse eight, the Teacher is yelling that everything is “meaningless” and then we understand why.

Where there is no wisdom, foolishness prevails.

Where there is no knowledge, ignorance is bliss.

Where there is no order, chaos and confusion reign.

If we look at what is happening around the world we can see the significance and truth of what happens when there is no wisdom, knowledge or order. And when we get closer to home–right where we live–where our kids go to school–where we shop and interact with others–the truth looms even greater.

We are told in The Word that God is not the author of confusion and yet where see confusion, no one wants to recognize the evil that plots the destruction of order.

Last night, I attended the high school graduation where my grandson attends school and plays in the band. Like many schools, during a high school graduation, students are given a specific number of tickets for their guests and this school was no different. Every student was given four tickets and there were approximately 133 students graduating. Usually the ceremony is held outside on the football field, but since rain threatened the event, it was moved inside. The auditorium was reserved for those with tickets and the Commons (a huge area outside the auditorium) was set up for the overflow, complete with a screen so everyone could view and hear the event.

I cannot stand ignorance and confusion. When I saw how foolish people were–trying to get into the auditorium without a ticket and then acting foolish when turned away–I felt anger rising within me. But the anger was not about those acting foolish, it was about those who even allowed them to think they had a right to be there without having a ticket.

As a result–the ceremony-usually observed with sanctity and decorum, was a hot mess outside the auditorium and from the comments of a few people on the inside–it was not better. I truly wish people would understand how important this event is and not take it as opportunity to be a pep rally where no one can hear anything.

I sincerely hope that two years from now, people will learn to act with more decorum and I also hope the administrators of the school will make more of an effort to maintain order by not allowing the ticketless--access to the ceremony. I want to see order reign when my grandson receives his diploma, not hear a madhouse of cheering so no one else can hear.

Aside from the obvious–my being upset over the graduation process–I also look at all the confusion in the Body of Christ. Where “Christians” are confused about their gender, their roles in life, and even confused about the purpose of the church. Perhaps, just perhaps, when the Body of Christ is no longer confused, and functioning decently and in order, we will see a change in society that demonstrates the change from within a Body of true Believers.

Lord, speak to the hearts of Your people and remind them–You expect us to always act decently and in order and to do things Your way, not our own.

Looking Only To The Lord!

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.I Thessalonians 3:12,13 NIV

In these trying times, while we’re trying to figure out what is going on in the minds of those who deliberately harm children and others, we can only look to The Lord for answers; especially in how we maintain our peace.

No matter how many times we hear about senseless killings, we should never reach a place, where it doesn’t bother us. It is the enemy’s ploy to desensitize us with all of the horrific events that occur–daily–so we’ll not pay attention to what is happening.

The Spirit of The Lord–who knows all things and sees all things and speaks to the hearts of those who are sensitive to hearing Him–will not allow us to ignore the ramifications of all we hear and see. The enemy is roaming the earth, igniting hatred and fueling depravity wherever he can find confused minds.

Where are the confused minds? Within all those who are incapable of rational decision-making. For all those whose minds are influenced by addictive chemicals–whether prescribed or not, whether legal or not–when brain cells are altered by chemical influence, we can expect negative events to occur. Lives are lost and those who are left behind are left wondering what happened.

The answer–in a nutshell–when we forsake The Lord by living in opposition to His Word, we invite the enemy into our lives and give him control over what we do. Then when we see the chaos and destruction caused by him, we appear dazed–shaking our heads in disbelief because we don’t understand–anything! We need Jesus! There is no peace in the land without Him reigning in our hearts.

The Word tells us that God is not the author of confusion–and any time people think they have a right to take a life for any reason–their minds are confused–a trademark of the enemy. Where there is confusion—the enemy reigns in the minds of people. Where there is chaos and destruction–the enemy reigns in the minds of people. The enemy’s role in the atmosphere is to kill, steal, and destroy; he is a master manipulator and the father of liars. Look around you and see the evidence of the Word being true!

If we want to see peace, we must look to The Lord and allow Him to reign in our hearts. Without Him, there will never be peace, only confusion. It is The Lord who can increase love in our hearts. It is The Lord who can strengthen us in our resolve to live for Him. Without Him, we can do nothing worthwhile and if we can do nothing worthwhile, while living on earth, the enemy wins!

Look to The Lord all you people in the land and know that He is God!

A Reign of Paradoxical Meanderings!

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:9-13 NIV

Is anyone paying attention to what they say any more? Yes, even though James warns us that the tongue is difficult to tame, we don’t seem to exercise any restraints when it is in our power to do so.

Simply put–unbelievers should not hear or see Believers say contradictory things and expect anyone to believe us.

Though we are not perfect, we are certainly capable of recognizing our shortcomings and working toward correcting them.

We post comments attempting to convince others of our faith and yet post pictures and posts by others that are totally contradictory to what we say we believe. When we do these things, the enemy wins because we are made to look foolish in the eyes of all who read what we say and do–on social media sites.

Stop praying–in posts that make it appear that you are sincerely talking to God, and then in a few frames from that post–you post something entirely opposed to what God would have you say. That does not impress anyone of your spirituality, but it does reveal your carnality.

Are we spiritual or are we yet carnal? Are we trying to please God or appease flesh? We cannot do both with any degree of success, but we can confuse all those who are watching or listening to us.

When we create confusion by allowing undisciplined posts to reign in prolific meanderings in cyberspace, we create the greatest paradox of what a Believer should be and say.

It is time, we put a stop to the confusion observed by the masses and be true to the One we say we serve. If it is God, then serve Him. If it is the devil, then serve him without the spiritual trappings that contradict and confuse.

Remember this–God knows those who are His and He is not confused by paradoxes displayed by those who claim to know Him. If we think we’re fooling God about anything–we lie and fool only ourselves.

 

Prayer For The Nation!

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13,14 NIV)

Father,

I humbly seek You now,

In the midst of chaos and confusion in these times,

Stirred up in the minds of those led by Satan,

To destroy all that You love, hear my prayer, O Lord

Guard and protect our minds from the influence of evil,

Open our eyes so we might see, in the spirit, lurking danger.

Since I pray not just for myself, but for a nation that’s lost,

Because they forgot to count up the cost–of sin,

Before Your wrath is poured out upon the land,

In every crevice and corner, wreaking havoc

Raining down on the just as well as the unjust.

Examine my heart to know my motives are sincere,

And if You find no fault in me, hear and answer my prayer.

Speak to the hearts of the unrepentant, revealing who You are,

Remind them of the Foundation on which this country

Was established, survived and thrived, using Your Word for the laws of the land.

Speak to the heart of the President, reminding him

Of the path, You established, but which he has strayed.

Speak to the hearts of the lawmakers, showing them

How apathy results in solving nothing, but creating more problems.

Speak to the hearts of the appointed ones, the judges and others,

Who swear on Your Word for installation ceremonies, but by their actions,

Prove they don’t know who You are and their symbolism means nothing.

Speak to the hearts of those who continue to rebel against what is right,

Changing, perverting, Your Word, instilling in many the will to fight,

But not on their terms, realizing this war is not carnal, but spiritual,

And can only be won, if You’re in the lead, paralyzing all in the path

Of rebellion inspired by witchcraft and demons.

Speak to the hearts of Believers everywhere, remind them

Of Your Word–blessed for obedience, cursed for rebellion;

Their role, promoting Truth, is not finished, until You return to gather us all unto You.

Encourage them to stand tall and firm on Your Word,

Your Word that guides, corrects, instructs, and trains us to be

Victorious in the army of God, confronting the confusion

Whose author creates the rhetorical delusion that Your love,

Erases all need to obey Your Word, spoken by Your Son, The Word,

When He came in Your name, to give Himself as a sacrifice to save

Us all from ourselves–in a sin-ridden world–who loved us enough

To die for us, now we have a chance to love Him enough to live for Him,

Loving You enough to obey Your command to love–You and others,

And enough to know we cannot take Your grace and mercy in vain,

Allowing sin to continue to reign, encouraging others to do likewise,

Knowing that one day, we will stand before You and give an account,

Of all we have done in ourselves and those things we promoted or condoned in others.

Speak to the hearts of parents everywhere,

Reminding them how to parent according to Your Word,

Loving them, providing for them, instructing them in Your ways,

Correcting them and punishing them, when they don’t always obey.

Speak to the hearts of the children, both the young and the old,

Reminding them that long life and happiness are the result of obedience.

Speak to the hearts of teachers all over the land,

Reminding them they are to teach the children, not abuse or misuse them.

Speak to our hearts, Lord. Remind us of Your Holy Word,

Give us direction as we offer ourselves up for Your correction,

Giving up greed with speed to stop sickness and disease in its tracks,

Using Wisdom from above, as we pray on our knees

Asking forgiveness for all our wrong, distorted, rebellious deeds.

Obeying You in all things so we will have long life and prosperity,

Giving the devil no place in our lives, no victory for him as we thrive.

So when You return and position us before You,

We’ll have no need to fear or be ashamed of the Victory we’ve won,

In living for You and all we’ll hear is, “Well done, my child.”

All this we ask and thank You for doing,

In Jesus’ name and we count it done!

Who’s Causing Divisions?

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” (Romans 16:17,18 NIV)

Any time someone attempts to dissuade a person–about anything God has said–that person should run, not walk in the opposite direction, steering clear of them until they can demonstrate the love of God.

No one who has ever had a right relationship with God can ever truthfully deny anything God has said or His intention for mankind. When we find these people to now want to “reinvent” what God has said, it’s time to move on and leave them to the destruction they are bound to incur.

When people attempt to refute or renegotiate God’s Word to suit their current desires, they care creating divisions in the body of Believers who know what God has said and means. However, since there are some who are easily influenced and too weak to stand on the Truth, they go along to get along with others. Here’s the problem for going along to get along; especially when it pertains to God’s Word–none of us will be asked to stand together with all those we got along with when we stand before God. We will stand before Him–alone–on our own–and nothing anyone else says or does will matter.

Whoever coined the term, “political correctness” and “progressive politics” created the gap that now separates those who truly love God and those who are only giving lip service to God. Political correctness can never take the place of Godly righteousness–no matter who says it or how often they say it–God gets the final say. Progressive politics is nothing more than the enemy’s plan to turn people away from God and once they have turned from God, Satan will play havoc with their lives and all those around them.

Once we play games to win the approval of people, we have lost the favor of God. When we have favor with God, He gives us favor with people. America is in the shape it’s in because of those people–whoever they are and however they do it–who cause division in the plan that God has already established.

God’s plan for mankind is that all are treated like they all belong to the human race–not a particular group of people. God’s plan for mankind in order to perpetuate the continuity of human beings is for man and woman to marry and have children. God’s plan for mankind is that every child would be raised in homes with a mother and father–whose guidelines are specifically listed in His Word. God’s plan for mankind was for us to love one another and love Him. When we love, we don’t kill, steal or destroy, lie, manipulate, deceive, or hate–these are the character traits employed by those influenced by Satan. God’s plan for mankind is for us to live in harmony, peace and unity–which is the opposite of Satan’s plan which always creates confusion and chaos.

Now, I ask you to think–and to be honest with self–whose plan are you adhering to–God’s or Satan’s? And let’s be real, anytime a person promotes hatred by spreading vicious gossip and rumor’s–igniting division–they are not part of God’s plan, but Satan’s.

What The Righteous Can Anticipate For Obeying God!

“Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” (Psalm 112:6-8 NIV)

What can the righteous–those in right-standing with God expect? The first verse begins the expectations for the righteous. “Blessed is the man who fears (reverently respects) the Lord and delights in keeping His commands.” And then, the blessings are enumerated along with the curses for those who do not reverently respect The Lord or delight in His commands.

The righteous shall never be moved or ruffled by current events–not wars, nor rumors of war, not the foolishness of politicians or the ungodliness of judges. They shall not be moved the obvious influences of Satan that lead to the deaths of innocents or plots to overthrow. The righteous shall be remembered forever for their attempts to live a life that pleases God and not man.

The righteous shall have not fear or be moved by all the bad news in the world. They will–with every event–look to the Lord for comfort and solace and keep praising Him for His goodness. With every newscast that broadcasts events that cause others to shudder and quake, the righteous will continue to pray, and not be overly concerned about what they see on the surface, for they know The Word and the times in which we live. The righteous understand that certain events must take place as the final revelation unfolds for all the world to see. The righteous are not concerned about their end for they know, their final destination is to spend eternity with Jesus.

As we get closer to seeing those things that must come–we know the end is not yet–but we are getting closer. Satan’s influence in the minds of people can be see in every aspect of our daily lives. He is the author of confusion and chaos and where ever he reigns, we can see the results. When men and women are distraught over who God intended them to be and change to please themselves, it is confusion that ignites the change and chaos that ensues. Throughout history–if one would care to investigate–every time man rises up against God and His intent for our being, tragedy occurs on every front, leaving some shaking their heads, confused because they do not realize we were created for His good pleasure and not our own.

Finally, when the end comes–the righteous will have opportunity to see the look amazement on the faces of all those who attempted to belittle and persecute those who trust in The Lord. For when The Lord returns to claim those who are His, the rest will have only a fiery lake to anticipate–their eternity for unbelief and disobedience.

Of course, there will remain those who continue to pacify flesh instead of seeking God’s wisdom and obeying Him. They will be without excuse for their final outcome for the righteous–those in right-standing with God–have ever continued to point them in the right direction and they refused to see the benefit of obeying our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Everything Done in Order!

“But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” (I Corinthians 14:40 NIV)

Paul’s advice to the church to maintain order in all things is an approach we should use in every aspect of our lives. If there is no order, there is chaos and confusion; where there is chaos and confusion, God is not involved.

The first thing we need to keep in order is our thought life. Chaotic and confusing thoughts lead to behaviors that are not orderly. This is why we have so violence in our society and disrespect/disregard for life. There is no order in the minds of those committing hateful acts against others.

If we get our thought life in order, our actions will represent how we think–order–in all things.

If we get our behavior in order, we reduce crime and hateful acts and create an environment for harmony and peace which is how God wants us to live.

When we are in order–our homes are in order–everything is done decently and in order. There is no domestic violence in the home, there is no filth in the home, there is nothing going on in homes that will negatively impact children and their ability to succeed in life. Spouses know how to communicate and parents know how to parent when homes are in order.

When home lives are in order–we have order in society since every home is part of society. We change things for the better and do what is always right.

When we live in an orderly society, the results are seen in everything that occurs within that society and all people are respected and all things are accomplished in an orderly manner, without confusion.

Though many think the Scriptures are an out-dated reference for living, if people were to examine what we do on a daily basis in business and government, they would discover the Biblical foundation for how things get done. In time we deter from the foundation, things crumble and fall. If we listen carefully to well-known motivational speakers–what they say has biblical foundation, most from Proverbs. Parliamentary procedure was born out of Paul’s advice for order and just about every legal organization uses Robert’s Rules of Order as a guide for keeping “order” in meetings.

Having order in our lives means we work on the front end, establishing guidelines to maintain order and then we simply abide by the order established. Order in the church, homes, government, will lead to peace and harmony, when maintained.

Who’s Glorified in The Meetings?

“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.” (I Corinthians 11:17,18 NIV)

If we use the “church” as an example of how behavior should be in any meeting, and the church does not know how to conduct itself, how can there be progress in any other type of meeting?

I feel Paul’s frustration over having to instruct–Believers–in how they should conduct themselves in church. One would think (at least I do) that if we truly believe in every Word of God and respect the authority of the Word that we would have no need to have anyone correct errant behavior. Of course, we know this is not true, not only for the church but  for various types of meetings in other venues.

In particular, I’m referencing meetings in which an elected body should know what they’re doing, but don’t and instead of seeking advice, they attempt to run things like a dictatorship. When things start falling apart, they want to cry foul because their leadership style has not drawn others into the fray. God is not the author of confusion and where there is confusion, He is not present.

When business meetings–of any type–become embroiled in personality conflicts, rumors and he say, she say commentaries, racial divides and social cliques–people have lost sight of the purpose and nothing is accomplished and then we wonder why. If our purpose in meeting for any reason is not to create an environment in which there is productive, forward movement obtained in harmony and unity, our meeting is in vain and we are wasting our time.

Anyone who takes on a position of leadership should know what they’re doing and if they don’t, they should know how to obtain the information they need to know from other resources and proceed as expeditiously as possible. Instead of making excuses for not getting the job done, people need to find reasons to get them done. If we keep in mind that everything we do should glorify God, confusion in the midst of meetings would not be an issue.

Is God glorified in the confusion that exist because of low-esteem and insecurity when people feel a need to belittle others or start rumors about them? No! The only glory is for the enemy who loves confusion.

When we are able to relate God’s Word to every area of our lives, we learn to move forward in peace and harmony. God does not want us to harbor ill-will towards anyone and when we do, it affects our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. So, instead of making noise to bring attention to ourselves, let’s practice seeking Him in the matter of all things and when there is disagreement, solve it in all Godliness, not pettiness.