We are finishing up 31 Days of Proverbs today! I can’t help but feel some trepidation over this chapter. So much has been written on Proverbs 31 and the “virtuous woman” that I struggle to begin. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that when I read this chapter I can feel inadequate. Go…
“It’s not fair!” Sometimes in life we come to a crossroad. Will I trust God or blame Him? Will I walk forward in faith or run away in rebellion? There are always curves in the road, roadblocks and even dead ends, but wisdom says, “even when I don’t understand, I will trust him.” Proverbs 29…
There is nothing worse than a dull knife. Okay, maybe there are things a lot worse than that, but if you are peeling 10 lbs. of potatoes, you sure do want to start by sharpening your best knife. Despite your best attempt, no amount of scrubbing or cleaning can get those knives razor-sharp; it takes…
Illinois is cold in January. This warm weather gal has to down several cups of steaming hot coffee before braving the elements. How foolish would it be of me to walk outside in shorts and flip-flops on a single digit morning? You’d say, “That girl is two cents shy of a dime!”, an idiom that…
I love coming home. It’s my safe place, my calm in the storm, my refuge from the hectic-ness of life. Not that my house isn’t loud and crazy at times with our large family, but even then, it is a place of contentment for me where I relish the moments, surrounded by the ones I…
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 Yes, we are on day 23 of 31 Days of Proverbs, but because Chapter 23 seems to be speaking to me about discernment, I wanted this verse…
One of my favorite birthday gifts this year was a map. Remember the old maps that you could get at gas stations? The ones that took up the whole front seat when you opened them and pretty much the rest of your trip to get them folded back? Yeah, it’s not that kind of map–it’s…
It all began at the beginning. Not very profound, you say? Sometimes we have to see where something began to understand its significance. Let’s go back to Genesis: “In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn…
“King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.” 2 Chronicles 9:22 To understand Solomon, one of the greatest kings in Israel’s history, you have to go back to the beginning. This young king follows in the footsteps of his father, King David, who went from tending sheep to leading a…
“The fool says in his heart, ‘God does not exist.‘ They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.” Psalm 14:1-2 “FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD” More than just an…
“Strife”, “malicious talk”, “mocks”, “excessive speech”, “bribe”, “gossip”, “crude messenger”, “dispute”, “deceitful speech”… How much clearer can it be? Before you wipe your brow and say “Phew! At least I’m not on THAT list!”, I dare you to read the whole 17th Chapter of Proverbs. While it isn’t really a list, but a compilation of…
Pride says, “My way is better”; wisdom says, “God’s way is always best.” While humility has been misconstrued as weakness, pride is often seen as self-esteem or even superiority. We boast in our accomplishments as if we have forgotten that our very next breath is not determined by how healthy we are or by genetics–it…
Have I mentioned that I’m a list maker? If you saw yesterday’s post, Planning for Wisdom, you read my bullet list for Proverbs 14. What I failed to tell you is that when reading through Proverbs, I make a list of topics I see as I read through each chapter. Sort of like a scavenger…
“Fail to plan, plan to fail” I am a list maker. There is something satisfying about crossing something off a list and completing a task. While it is just a physical reminder of something I need to do, I know that by writing it down I will often remember it better. Or at least I…
Common Sense: plain, ordinary good judgment [dictionary.com] “Why do they call it common sense when it’s really not all that common?” I laughed when I heard Pastor/husband say it, maybe because the best humor is often closely related to truth. 31 Days of Proverbs means thirty-one days, reading one chapter a day of the Book…
