I decided to read through Galatians over the next few days... All of it.  So this is the beginning.

Galatians1:1-5
“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Application: Paul greets the church in the name of God.  That's a long greeting to a letter, and yet, I don't know, kind of encouraging.

Galatians 1:6-10
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

Application: They were already listening to wrong advice.  Paul warns them thouroghly against other beliefs, against perversions of the true gospel.

Galatians 1:11-17
“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”

Application: Paul says that what he has told them is straight from God and not from men.  He tells them a little of his life history.  He tried to destroy the church, but God called him through grace.

Galatians 1:18-24
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.”

Application: Paul is telling them that through his conversion, God was glorified.  Because Paul changed so drastically, the people could see the works of God.

1 Peter 3:8-9, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

Application point:  Basically, this is the verse that all mothers quote to teach their children to not retaliate to hurt, but instead to love and forgive.

1 John 2:9-11, "He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now.  He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."

Application point:  What does it entail to truely love your brother?  How do we walk in the light and not be blinded by darkness?  When do we stumble trying to find the light, but can not?

Galations 6:1-5, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he decieves himself.  But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.  For each one shall bear his own load."

Application point:  Ok, so at first glance, that seems to be a contradiction.  How can we all carry each other's burdens, yet still bear our own load?  Maybe, a burden is bigger than a load.  When one of my friends sins, I should be able to go to that person and encourage them back into the arms of God.  However, if I begin to "get cocky," than it is my own sin I need to deal with before trying to correct my friend.  I must go to my friend in gentleness, with love, caring more for their relationship with God than for my own image.  We each must pull our own weight, but some things cannot be pulled alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12,
"Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowed by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Application point:  Wow.  Let's just say, that one hit home.  Now, I'm about to cry.  Two working together makes working more fun, it makes each one's work more profitable and better.  One person cannot help themself back off the ground, and if he does, will only be more lonely for it.
I have personal experience with keeping warm from our night on the drill field.  That box would not have been so warm or cozy without my sister there to add body heat.  It would not have been a place of laughter and of love without her and her camara and sharpies.  It would have been cold.
One is many time very easily overpowered alone.  Sometimes, one is overpowered just by being alone.  But add one more and the strength does not double, it grows even more than that.  And three? wow, that's just too much too think about.

Romans 5:1-5, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribluations, know that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, charater; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Application Point:  I think this is a very commonly quoted passage; however, I return to it because of the difficulty of it.  First, we have peace with God.  Second, we glory in tribulation.  That's hard!  I don't want things to be difficult.  I think true glory in triubulation isn't something I've had a lot of.  At the moment, I'm at a loss for how to begin.  Perseverance, besides being a tennat of TKD, is in essence patients.  To be patient in a trial is diffcult because naturally I lash out and speed things up.  Out of trouble quickly, but that's not how it's supposed to be.

James 1:2-8, "My brethren, cout it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in fatih, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will recieve anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Application Point:  Repetition is the key to memory, so my psychology teacher says.  I think that by repeating this idea of glory in tribulation, that God is making a point.  It's important!  Again, it produces patience.  That's got to be important too.  I knew that, but I guess the reaffirmation is good for me.  Lacking nothing.  That would be nice, but I'm not there.  I definantly think I'm lacking in a lot of wisdom.  So, James says to ask God for it.  But more, James says do not doubt.  I know God can do that.  I know God is the granter of all things.  Now, to put my words into actions and thus make them beliefs. 

James1:19-20, "So then, my beloved brethern, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Application Point: Wow, kaboom again.  The old saying "you have two ears and one mouth so should speak twice as often as listen."  Ok, maybe its not totally Biblical, but maybe in part.
Swift to hear.  That's a lot of listening.  But, I think, the right kind of listening.  Listening with ears ready to hear and a heart open to recieving information. 
Slow to speak.  Maybe that means watching what I say more carefully.  Like in Little Men when Papa says that his mother used to cut the tip of his tounge when he said something mean so that he would be slow speaking in the days that followed.  Maybe I need to "cut" my tounge and reign it in so that I hear more, speak less, and mostly think hard before I say a thing.
Slow to wrath.  This is sort of tied in with the last one.  I lash out with my tounge in anger.  Whereas if I thought about what I was saying, I might come to realize that I shouldn't be mad or at least I shouldn't show that I am mad.  Maybe I overlooked something or mis-inferred something.  Situational or personality?  I need to think before doing something I regret in anger.

James 3:5-12, "Even the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.  See how great a forest a little fire kindles!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.  The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed my mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  Our of the same month proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?  Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bere figs?  Thus no spring yield both salt water and fresh."

Application Point:  I feel this is where I'm struggling most right now.  My mother used to tell me that it's not always the point I was trying to make that was wrong, but my presentation method.  My words are vital in conveying a message.  James gives here an urgant plea that these things ought not to be so.  It is so obvious when it is written in such a way that he is right!  One conversation full of angry words and the whole friendship is aflame.  One sentence of cutting words and the one that looks up to you is shattered.  All too often have I experienced this, both giving and taking.  It takes one converstation, one sentence, sometimes only one word and everything good that I have fought so hard for is gone in an instant.
Greater still, how can we say we love God and praise God while we are so deviously slandering His creation?  It says that we bless God and yet curse man who is in the image of God.  It's inconsistant.  Does it not, in a way, render us untruthful?  If we followed God perfectly, we would never say curses on His creation.  This is a high standard, but maybe one of the most important aspects of our character we should be developing.

James 5:13-18, "Is anyone among you suffering?  Let him pray.  Is anyone cheerful?  Let him sing psalms.  Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with the oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.  And if he has comitted sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effective, fervent pray of a righteous man avails much.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit."

Application Point:  Ok, that's very clear cut in a way.  I kind of like that because I really don't know where to start.  Well, I'm suffering, I should pray.  This passage talks over and over again about prayer in all difficult times.  But even more than just that, it also talks about praying in groups.  I think that's what I missed.  I pray.  And that's important.  But maybe, prayer from a group is also important.  More than "Thank you God for our food" prayers.  Really "effective, fervant" prayers.  How?  Well, that's more learning.  But more prayer!

James 5:19-20, "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a sould from death and cover a multitude of sins."

Application Point:  There is still hope for the sinner.  I mean, in the way that things can go back to a complete trust in God.

I guess that's kind of my walk through the book of James.