Disclaimer: I am not a parenting expert. (Can anyone really claim that title?) My four children are now grown and I get to enjoy eleven grandbabies. I love my family–from the littlest to the oldest, and I am grateful for every single one of them, and to be clear, we are not a perfect family.…
The words jumped out at me from the page. “Do the next thing.” As simple as this phrase might seem, some days life can stop us in our tracks. Whether we are struggling physically–or emotionally hanging on by a thread, our minds can be overcome by a sense of futility. “I’ll never (be/do/accomplish that)… so…
Compared to the wisdom of others, I could come out on the short end of the stick or I might look as grand as an oak. Proverbs has taught us that being “wise in our own eyes” is a sure sign that you are not wise at all, so if we see wisdom in its…
“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…
Courage is a funny thing. Some see it as bold, or daring. Some see it as the characteristic of one who is willing to take a chance or to embark on some grand adventure that appears risky (i.e. sky-diving or rock climbing), while others would call it crazy. Irresponsible even. When I read Proverbs 28…
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…
“I’ve got bad news and good news. Which one do you want to hear first?” In a joking way, by husband often uses this phrase to prepare me for some sort of kerfuffle. (Don’t you just love that word?!) When I received that call recently, my verbal response was: “Hmmmm…” (While thinking in my head,…
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…
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…
Proverbs 20 begins with this: “Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 While I could state my case for abstinence here, I digress and move on to a less controversial topic. Not out of fear or neglect, but because I don’t want to…
“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…
“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…
