"Keep short accounts with God"

Not much of a gardener: so I have to find things that give me pain and turn them into things that become a pleasure.

Here are three ideas

1. get a small garden rather than a big one
2. use small furry animals to eat grass rather than a big hairy lawnmower
3. cut the grass so often that it is not a big job

All three ideas work well and I use all three regularly.

1) I ignore the big garden and care for the small one (i have two)

2) I keep guinea-pigs which do a commendable job at eating the grass

3) I cut the grass in the small garden every two weeks or so.

manageable size, available help, regular pruning

How do you find your regular tasks? the garden, the front step, the kitchen floor, your desktop (PC or otherwise), the hearth? Do you let them get out of hand, or do you address them while they are manageable, when help's available, and when it is time to do it?

the spiritual life demands that we keep short accounts with God.

not letting things get our of hand, our prayers, our bible reading, our worship at church, our peace making.

!!How do you pay your bills?

there are some I pay every day: the post office isn't interested in setting up an account for ten stamps a week: just pay the cash there and then.

there are some we pay weekly: used to be the milkman or the lemonade man (if they still come round to you): if you don't pay today, you don't get your milk or your coal or your cola tomorrow. Maybe write a cheque!

monthly bills come in too, your loans on the house or the car, or maybe you pay the electric every month: don't let it drag too long and it is manageable: direct debits work for this.

quarterly bills: if you get a supply of gas or whatever you'll pay this by cheque when they send the bill.

There are only two types of bills: paid ones and unpaid ones. Peace of mind vs. debt.

We need to keep short accounts in our dealings with God.

I find "miss one day of reading, then two" and before you know it...

Let a sinful thought capture the imagination for a few days, and before you know it...

Or catch yourself making a half truth, another exaggeration, and before you know it...

Go a day without actually saying a prayer, and before you know it...

Keep short accounts with God.

Never let a day go by without giving thanks to a person and thanks to God: politeness and grace

Never let a sin go by without catching on and saying sorry to the one you hurt and to God:

Never let a week go by without gathering for worship and telling people and God that you depend on God

Keep short accounts with God.

Harvest is about the account which says Thank you God.

Harvest a time of remembering to give thanks:

Here are three things to do: three bills to keep on short account with God

"Bills" = three things:

say sorry

say thanks

say when

If Keeping Proper Accounts is important in business and personal banking, then even more so in our personal account with God

Keep a short account with God: settle your "bills" promptly: say thanks often to God and people: don't wait until it is too late: