Rules

I've been thinking about rules a lot lately. No real reason why, just because.
There are some rules that everyone (or almost everyone) follows.  Like "don't hit" and "wear your seatbelt" and "don't punch your friends in the face because you are mad at them" and "don't pull fire alarms when there is no fire" and "if the fire alarm goes off, go outside (unless it's just cuz papa burned the toast)".
Then there are rules for certain places (These are all real rules that were/are in effect in various places). Examples:
Central College: don't drink alcohol on campus.  don't smoke on campus.  don't have candles in your room. no co-ed sleepovers in the dorms.
The van to and from highschool:  don't bite the driver.  don't throw things at the driver.  warn the driver before screaming really loudly.  no knee touching. don't throw your hairbrush in the car.
The table: don't throw food that Joy is allergic to.  eat at least half your food.  either all your plates have to be the same color or they all have to be different. make room for everyone who wants to join.  give lots of hugs.  tell people if you are going to miss a meal.
In class: raise your hand before talking.  don't bring pets to exams.  write your exam on the day it's scheduled unless your wife is in labor. hand your homework in on time.  don't check your email during class.  don't talk on the cell phone/text in class. participate.
There are also rules for specific situations:
When you have seizures: don't climb trees.  don't swim alone.  don't drive.
When you want to go for a walk: tell someone where you are going.  take a buddy if it is night time.  don't go if the weather is really bad.  wear your coat if it is cold.
When you have no motivation:  read a chapter of your textbook before watching Bones.  do five problems before eating a snack. stay off facebook until your paper is done.
When you want to paint a picture: wear your painting clothes.  don't paint the walls.  wash your brushes when you are done.
There are also rules for specific people:
Joy has to bring her epipen with her when she goes places.  Joy can't hang out with Kari at 2am (unless there is a fire alarm or some other really good reason).  Oolash has to come to dinner. Isaac has to take his medicine before breakfast.
There are even rules in math like: brackets, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction (BEDMAS), 2+2=4

Rules are made for a reason.  They usually stop something unpleasant from happening.  Wearing a seatbelt when you're in a car keeps you from getting really hurt if there is an accident. Not throwing food that Joy is allergic to keeps Joy from getting sick.  Not bringing pets to exams keeps everyone from getting distracted and staying off facebook until your homework is done keeps you from failing.  Joy and Kari not hanging out at 2am makes sure that they don't get overtired. You get the idea.
Other rules (like math rules) keep things orderly.  I think there are computer rules too that keep things orderly, but that's not something I know a lot about.
They keep us safe and keep society orderly.  Imaging what a final exam would look like if everyone brought their pet (which they had not been keeping in their dorm room because that is against the rules).  Or if 2+2 sometimes made 5.  It would be chaos!
It would be so nice if we could just make a rule about the seizures.  It could be: no more seizures.  or: seizures can only happen once a week and only at night while I'm in bed. 
Those would be nice rules, but probably wouldn't be very effective. 
Here are some good rules that will always be good:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (proverbs 3:5)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cornithians 3:17)
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37)
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

I could keep going because there are lots of good rules, but if I do, I will break the rule that says my lights have to be out by 10:37 tonight.