Ecc 7: 1-4, 8

1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.

the day you die is better than the day you were born... what do you think about that?

2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

better to spend your time at funerals than at parties because everyone dies and we need to take this to heart...
I find it amazing that most people spend their life trying to stay young.. look young.. live forever... (myself included.. in the look young part...) but what is that really about? isn't that really vanity? why are we not instead grateful to be given another year... more wisdom.. even the gray hair and the wrinkles that show we have lived our lives and come through it... we have survived everything that was thrown our way....

would you really want to go back to being young and have to re-do it all again?? I am sure I would not... I have learned too many of my lessons in the school of hard knocks.... and while we can look at a young woman or man and say how attractive they are.. how desireable.. what real value does that have? other than instant gratification... can you have a real conversation with them? do they know anything? or are they making all the same stupid mistakes you and I made?...

being young has it's value... that is how the world continues... yet I would be such a better mother now than I was when I had my kids... maybe that is the value of family... so that the ones who know more are able to balance out what we don't know as parents while young.. LOL!

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.

how many times would we say sorrow is better than laughter?? even though I agree that sadness influences us.. changes us... apparently.. refines us...

4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

a wise person thinks alot about death... I would say these 4 verses really surprised me... truly they were not my intention but they caught my eye... I felt as though I never read them before.. never thought like this before... I think we need to be aware that we could be taken at any time so be ready for death.. but should we really be thinking about death alot??

8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

this was the scripture I really had intended to be looking at... again it is about an end being better than a beginning... and I am SURE that patience is better than pride... anything is better than pride... LOL!! I know because I fight that one all the time! Why would an end be better than a beginning....