Proverbs 31 for 2011

I mentioned to Mark today that in going through old photos, I found it hard to believe that I'd made most of the clothing I wore.  I know I love to sew, but I didn't realise I actually did that much of it!  I also had to laugh at the fact that the kids (at least when they were young) were often wearing things I'd made for them.

So Mark answered that I was quite the Proverbs 31 woman.

I told him "Thanks for the compliment, Babe, but that particular woman wasn't fabulous because she sewed.  In fact, few women sew today."  He replied that it would be interesting to interpret the Proverbs 31 woman for 2011.  I agreed -- so I did.
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Proverbs 31

Hymn to a Good Wife

(from The Message)

 ^10-31 A good woman is hard to find,
   and worth far more than diamonds.

A woman who is truly a lady is rare, and finding one is like winning the lottery.

Her husband trusts her without reserve,
   and never has reason to regret it.

Her husband never has to worry that she’ll wreck the car, run up the credit cards, or run off with some guy.

Never spiteful, she treats him generously
   all her life long.

She doesn’t withhold anything when she’s angry with her husband – not attention or affection or kindness.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
   and enjoys knitting and sewing.

She’s a bargain hunter, and she won’t settle for cheap quality just because it’s inexpensive.  She loves to scrapbook.

She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
   and brings back exotic surprises.

She amazes everyone when they find that she got that gorgeous dress for a steal.  And she’s an expert Ebay-er.  Her kids are always delighted when she brings home some cool variation of the latest thing.

She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
   for her family and organizing her day.

She’s always the first one up, pouring cereal and making coffee and lists and checking her cell phone.

She looks over a field and buys it,
   then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.

She’s very shrewd about her investments.  She buys things that will profit her family.  And she’s good at landscaping and possibly flips houses.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
   rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She’s always ready to dive in and tackle the day. 

She senses the worth of her work,
   is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She doesn’t just work until 5:00, she works until the task is accomplished.  Her boss knows this and that’s why she’s irreplaceable.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
   diligent in homemaking.

She’s got dinner on the table at night, and it’s not Hamburger Helper.  She also makes sure the vacuum is run and the bathrooms are clean.  Her coupon binder is always organized and up to date.

She's quick to assist anyone in need,
   reaches out to help the poor.

She’s a good neighbor, a good listener, and a regular contributor to the mission’s thrift shop.  She is always giving to the food bank and taking meals to elderly folks.

She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
   their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

Everybody has a coat, hat, mittens, boots, sweaters, and warm socks when winter comes.  And she’s right out there making snowmen and sledding with them.

She makes her own clothing,
   and dresses in colorful linens and silks.

She can put together a nice outfit and always looks great.  She keeps up with fashion, but isn’t ruled by it.

Her husband is greatly respected
   when he deliberates with the city fathers.

Everyone knows that behind every great man is an amazing woman -- she makes her husband look great, and backs him up when important people consult with him.

She designs gowns and sells them,
   brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.

She has a good eye for great design.  She also keeps the consignment shops well supplied.

Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
   and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

She cares about quality, and she’s predictably happy.

When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
   and she always says it kindly.

She speaks the truth in love, and her timing is impeccable.  She doesn’t gossip or spread rumors.  And when she says “bless her heart” she really means it.  People love reading her Facebook statuses.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
   and keeps them all busy and productive.

She’s the boss at home, and she has eyes in the back of her head.  When her children complain that they’re bored, she soon has them cleaning their rooms.  She keeps a chore chart up on the fridge.

Her children respect and bless her;
   her husband joins in with words of praise:

Her kids love her, and her husband only has eyes for her.

"Many women have done wonderful things,
   but you've outclassed them all!"

When you ask them about her, they’ll tell you that she’s an amazing mom and wife.

 Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
   The woman to be admired and praised
   is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

She’s not spending money on eye creams and cosmetic surgery.  She also isn't nice to your face and talking about you behind your back.  She knows better than that, because she knows that beauty isn't skin deep.  She's involved at church, and  she doesn't just talk the talk - she walks the walk.

Give her everything she deserves!
   Festoon her life with praises!

Remember her birthday and Mother’s Day, always give her flowers and chocolate, and be someone she can be proud of.  Jewelry is nice too.  And tell her you love her all the time.  Tell everyone else how much you love her too.

 

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Proverbs 19

Four out of five girls are home from college for Christmas.  While it feels as if the balance in our house is somewhat restored, we all seem to be interrupting each other endlessly.  Each of us has an opinion, something to say, and we all want to say it at once.

I, for one, need to stop and listen.  Here's what Proverbs 19 has to say about that:

Proverbs 19

If You Quit Listening

 ¹ Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.

An old friend used to say this:  "Better to serve in heaven than reign in hell."  

 ² Ignorant zeal is worthless;
   haste makes waste.

And this doesn't just mean hurrying to get things done and failing miserably, like I always do.  It also means running in place -- working hard, but not smart.

 ³ People ruin their lives by their own stupidity,
   so why does God always get blamed?

Good question.

 ⁴ Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies,
   but poor people are avoided like a plague.

Except at holiday time, when all the charities come out and beg.  We should be paying attention to those very charities all year long.

 ⁵ Perjury won't go unpunished.
   Would you let a liar go free?

What goes around comes around.  And even worse when the liar is found out!

 ⁶ Lots of people flock around a generous person;
   everyone's a friend to the philanthropist.

Well, yeah.  Duh!

 ⁷ When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you—
   yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost.
If they see you coming, they look the other way—
   out of sight, out of mind.

Especially when you want to borrow money -- 

 ⁸ Grow a wise heart—you'll do yourself a favor;
   keep a clear head—you'll find a good life.

Don't panic when things get bumpy.  It will work out.

 ⁹ The person who tells lies gets caught;
   the person who spreads rumors is ruined.

And if you don't think it will get back around to you?  Better think again.  

 ¹⁰ Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street
   any more than workers should give orders to their boss.

No they certainly should not.  Although, some folks would equate their bosses to blockheads.  It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?

 ¹¹ Smart people know how to hold their tongue;
   their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

Grandeur -- I love that word here.  I admire those that do this so much, especially when it's me they're forgiving!  God has forgiven and forgotten.  Oh, to be like God, and to be like those who are most like Him . . . 

 ¹² Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs;
   the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.

Which refers, of course, back to the boss in verse 10, which then refers back to verse 2, which then refers back to verse one.  Gotta love the way the Bible always makes more sense by building on the things it says.

 ¹³ A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child;
   a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet. 


And the ironic thing here is that usually we're nagging the spouse to just fix the danged leaky faucet already.

 ¹⁴ House and land are handed down from parents,
   but a congenial spouse comes straight from God. 



The "right life partner" is the way my husband puts it.  And he is straight from God, made for me, and given to me by His grace.  


The holiday approaches, and with that this:


"Joy to the world!  The Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King!"


xoxoxox

From Proverbs 30

 ^1-2 The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God!—I can do anything I want!
I'm more animal than human;
   so-called human intelligence escapes me.

 ^3-4 "I flunked 'wisdom.'
   I see no evidence of a holy God.
Has anyone ever seen Anyone
   climb into Heaven and take charge?
   grab the winds and control them?
   gather the rains in his bucket?
   stake out the ends of the earth?
Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons.
   Come on now—tell me!" 

Mistake #1:  God didn't climb to heaven from earth.  Since when is God human?

Mistake #2:  Everything else that followed mistake #1. 

xoxoxox

Sticks and Stones

^{From Proverbs 9:}

^7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face;
   confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don't waste your time on a scoffer;
   all you'll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
   that's different—they'll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they'll be wiser for it;
   tell good people what you know—they'll profit from it.

This is exactly why Christians don't need to go around criticising the lives of those who have no real relationship with God.  The same rules simply do not apply.

Christians, on the other hand -- we don't always appreciate correction but eventually we come around.  In the end, we always benefit from it.  

And here's why:

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
   insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
   and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
   mock life and life will mock you.

xoxox

Proverbs 26, Part 2

From Proverbs 26 -- with commentary  -- 

¹⁶ Dreamers fantasize their self-importance;
   they think they are smarter
   than a whole college faculty. 

I wish I could count the times I've heard my kids (and even I have said) this:  "This assignment from my teacher is just stupid.  It's not teaching me anything."  As if we know better.

 ¹⁷ You grab a mad dog by the ears
   when you butt into a quarrel that's none of your business. 

And this is exactly why taking up an offense for someone else is a bad idea.  Just because it is an injustice doesn't mean it's any of your affair.

 ^18-19 People who shrug off deliberate deceptions,
   saying, "I didn't mean it, I was only joking,"
Are worse than careless campers
   who walk away from smoldering campfires. 

This is something I absolutely detest -- when someone puts you down and then sloughs it off as a joke.  Let's face it; that's just lying right to your face, and leaves you smoldering with anger.  Like tossing a match into a forest.

 ²⁰ When you run out of wood, the fire goes out;
   when the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down. 

Take away the fuel and the fire stops wrecking everything.  

 ²¹ A quarrelsome person in a dispute
   is like kerosene thrown on a fire.

Arguing about something you're trying to solve is just going to make it worse.  What's more important -- being right, or fixing what's wrong?

 ²² Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
   do you want junk like that in your belly? 

Or those words in your brain?  That impression in your mind?  It's tempting but it's SO destructive.

 ²³ Smooth talk from an evil heart
   is like glaze on cracked pottery. 

It sure looks good -- except for that one major flaw.  

 ^24-26 Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend,
   all the while conniving against you.
When he speaks warmly to you, don't believe him for a minute;
   he's just waiting for the chance to rip you off.
No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice,
   eventually his evil will be exposed in public.

What goes around comes around.

 ²⁷ Malice backfires;
   spite boomerangs.

See?

 ²⁸ Liars hate their victims;
   flatterers sabotage trust.

And when this person then wants you to believe in them, it's all been ruined.  So don't be that person.

xoxoxox

Proverbs 26, Part I

Proverbs 26 (The Message), with commentary from Jen!

Fools Recycle Silliness

 ¹ We no more give honors to fools than pray for snow in summer or rain during harvest. 

This is up for debate in America today, don't you think?

 ² You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse
   as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow. 

Just because someone says it doesn't make it true.

 ³ A whip for the racehorse, a tiller for the sailboat—
   and a stick for the back of fools! 

Somebody always has to step up and point out what's ridiculous.

 ⁴ Don't respond to the stupidity of a fool;
   you'll only look foolish yourself. 

Difficult to do, but definitely the smarter choice.

 ⁵ Answer a fool in simple terms
   so he doesn't get a swelled head. 

On the other hand, do answer them sometimes.  Use small words.

 ⁶ You're only asking for trouble
   when you send a message by a fool. 

Sometimes you have to just say "I should have known this would happen."

 ⁷ A proverb quoted by fools
   is limp as a wet noodle. 

Credibility is everything.

 ⁸ Putting a fool in a place of honor
   is like setting a mud brick on a marble column. 

Kind of like one of those black velvet Elvis paintings hanging in the White House.

 ⁹ To ask a moron to quote a proverb
   is like putting a scalpel in the hands of a drunk. 

In other words, "Uh-oh.  This can't be good."

 ¹⁰ Hire a fool or a drunk
   and you shoot yourself in the foot. 

And don't ask them to quote you a proverb, because then you're really in trouble if your foot needs surgery!

 ¹¹ As a dog eats its own vomit,
   so fools recycle silliness. 

This isn't just wrong, it's flat-out gross!  Eeewww!

 ¹² See that man who thinks he's so smart?
   You can expect far more from a fool than from him. 

Perhaps I don't know it all.  What a concept.

 ¹³ Loafers say, "It's dangerous out there!
   Tigers are prowling the streets!"
   and then pull the covers back over their heads. 

Just because you're afraid of getting hurt doesn't mean you have to check out of your life.  Do that and you'll have no life.

 ¹⁴ Just as a door turns on its hinges,
   so a lazybones turns back over in bed. 

Somehow I don't think the snooze was meant to be hit as many times as I hit it.

 ¹⁵ A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie,
   but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth. 

Now THAT is lazy.  

Part II to follow!

xoxoxox

Just to Sum Up

From Proverbs 3:

^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.

Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.

xoxox

Less is More

From Proverbs 1:19:

When you grab all you can get, that's what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.

Because I've been painting rooms in my house (we're downsizing, so getting it ready to sell), I've been listening to things. I love lectures on TED. They're always interesting. And it fills my mind with good stuff, not the junk I would hear if I just listened to the radio or the tv.

Anyway, I caught Rick Warren's talk about what happened to him after he wrote "The Purpose Driven Life." This is the second time I'd heard it, and I was repeating it because I enjoyed it so much the first time.

Something he said really struck me. He was talking about all the money that quite literally poured in from the book, because the book was so successful. He said this: "Every time I give, it breaks the grip of materialism on my life."

I'd never thought of it that way. Giving what I have to others breaks the hold that wanting more has on my life.

Wow.

So it's true -- when you want more, when you grab for more, more, more, what ends up happening is that materialism has you imprisoned. The wanting of the stuff overshadows the person in you that God has created. And God's Spirit in you becomes less and less as you pursue more and more stuff, influence, power, position.

There's a line I love from a movie I saw once. The movie was "Black Widow -- and the quote was this: "Rich is funny. It's never quite enough."

Could that be a truer statement? Again, Rick Warren, "significance doesn't come from status, because you can always find somebody who's got more than you."

Less truly is more. When you're planning to sell a house, the less stuff you show off, the better it looks.

So Lord, thank you for bringing this concept home to me today. Room painted, and pun intended.

xoxox

Hello There, Old Friend

<sup>From Proverbs 25 --

25</sup> Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary
is a letter from a long-lost friend.

Do you use Facebook? I've found so many friends, from high school, college, places I used to work and live. Hearing from them is just like that -- a cool drink when you're worn out.

God sure knew how to sum up concisely.

xoxox

Being Wise

^{Proverbs 14:24}

The wise accumulate wisdom;
fools get stupider by the day.

Interesting idea, isn't it? Becoming wise is cumulative -- you get a little, you keep it. You get a little more, it goes on top of what you already have.

Being foolish, however, just gets you dumber and dumber.

No wonder wisdom is priceless. Knowing that is the first place to start.

xoxox

Sit. Stay. Look Right Here!

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. (Proverbs 29:18)

We're in a situation in our family right now that requires for us to look right at God. And keep looking. The prayers are all about Him lifting our chins to redirect our attention right at Him.

This is difficult. There are a lot of distractions and we're all extremely ADD. Kind of like the dogs in the movie "Up" -- we're looking at God and suddenly our heads turn -- "Squirrel!"

But you can't see what God is doing if you're not keeping your attention on Him. It's only then that we are able to see what He's revealing and doing.

"Most blessed?" I'd say the payoff is invaluable. Way better than a squirrel.

xoxox

Grandma Goldie

This is my grandma, Goldie Archer.

This is the one of the bible verses she lived out:

11 Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

(Proverbs 19:11, The Message)

My Grandma always said that if you couldn't say anything nice, then you shouldn't say anything at all. And when she couldn't, she didn't.

She did this this despite the fact that she lost her mother at age 3, and even after her father remarried and had more children, she was expected to be the "the boy" on the farm where they lived.

She did this despite the fact that her husband was a drunk who couldn't keep a job. She did this after she divorced him in the early 1940's, when you didn't do that, and you especially didn't do that in a small town where people talked.

She did this despite the fact that when her landlord and companion of many years (basically, her common-law husband) died, she was evicted from her home by this man's sister and other family. She never spoke a cross word against them.

She did this despite the fact that the rope factory where she worked for 20+ years gave her less than $100/month as a pension when she finally retired. She never spoke much about the rope factory at all.

She did this despite the fact that when she moved in with us to help my mother after my dad died, I would always leave the blender in the sink after I made a milkshake. I would never clean it up, and that drove her crazy. I was about 12 and she was in her late 50's.

My Grandma was a soft person. She could have been very bitter and hard from the way her life went, and yet she wasn't that way at all. She read her bible daily, and joked with my husband about how she was a Baptist and he was Church of Christ and he was never going to convert her.

After she retired from the rope factory, she worked as a housekeeper and nanny to two different families, who both loved her dearly. She finally retired in her mid 70's to an assisted living complex where they took good care of her.

She would have been 99 this past July 1. She left us for heaven on March 23, 2001, at age 91.

My Grandma Goldie was amazing. Her middle name was Marie, and that name is a form of Mary, which basically means "bitter." Goldie's life was full of bitter circumstances.

But she never let them make her bitter. Quite the contrary -- she wasn't sweet -- but soft, having a soft answer, or a wry, funny comment. She didn't raise her voice, and she was very kind. She was someone I didn't just love. I admired her.

She was a wonderful example to me. She was an even more wonderful example to my mother. My mother claims she could get at least three peanut butter sandwiches from an empty peanut butter jar.

And of course my mother hung the moon and is right up there with God and Jesus, so that right there should tell you a lot about Goldie. Her grandeur was amazing.

Lord, please make me worthy of my heritage and thank you for giving me Grandma Goldie as such an example of You in my life.

xoxox

Living Proverbs 19

Practicing Proverbs 19 -- it's no easy task.

The Bug is very impatient with me lately -- she's being an emotional teenager (for the most part). Because she's now 18, she's speaking to me as a peer, rather than a daughter, which means that the respect factor has basically gone right out the window.

So today I read Proverbs 19, and found these verses --

11 Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget

Definitely easier said than done! But God is enabling me and I have been holding my tongue. Let me reiterate the most important words in that last sentence -- GOD IS ENABLING ME.

19 Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you'll only make it worse . . .

26 Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace. 27 If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you'll soon be out of your depth.

I think these two verses make me want to cry, because they are both the way that the Bug is acting right now, and it is exactly the way I have acted with my own parents in the past. You just can't look at your own child misbehaving and not remember doing it yourself.

So today I am both asking God for forgiveness, and blessing Him for the grace He has shown me. I can now turn and show my child the same grace. Choosing to be angry back at her just seems kind of stupid.

All part of the abundant life -- and tomorrow is another day --

xoxox

Senioritis

I had a very difficult week last week. It was a week full and beyond fed-up with 18-year olds who have seriously I'm-18-And-I-Know-It-All attitudes. It was also a week of being irresponsible with my body, and eating things that raised my blood pressure to critically high levels.

Honestly, I should know better. I just read this today, from Proverbs 30:

Four Mysteries

18-19 Three things amaze me,
no, four things I'll never understand—
how an eagle flies so high in the sky,
how a snake glides over a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
why adolescents act the way they do.

This was made glaringly apparent yesterday, as we were sitting at the table. I was explaining some American thing to Malene, the Danish student we're hosting until Friday. (We will be VERY sad to see her go! She is a doll!)

Rose commented that I was completely wrong, that it wasn't that way at all. So I reclarified for Malene, stating this: "Rose and Bug are always right."

Again Rose disagreed.

So I re-reclarified: apparently they are not always right, but I am definitely always wrong.

Rose hesitated. Then she disagreed. Bug wasn't so sure she disagreed with that.

I sat there thinking, 'have they left for college yet?'

Herein lies the paradox: I know I will miss them desperately when they are gone. But right now, I can't wait for them to leave. They seem to save all their good words and blessings for the people outside our immediate family. We alone are the ones for whom they reserve their disdain.

I think this is the biggest challenge I've ever faced: to remain Christlike to my children. When I am hurt by them, I want to return evil for evil. I want to hurt them right back, even though I would not hesitate for even a nanosecond to die for them. I'd be standing there in front of the firing squad, thinking -- you'd better appreciate this, you rotten kid!

I wonder also if it's because of the reflection this casts on me as a parent, as someone who has taught them to not hurt people. I've been the primary teacher in their lives, so apparently I've taught them the opposite. Aren't they acting just like me?

Ouch! Double ouch for thinking it's all about me!

Well, once again, it's back to that beautiful Word of God that slices and dices me with Its truth:

1-4 If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Lord God Most Holy, make me like You today. Thank You for my Saviour, Your Son Jesus, my example, Amen.

xoxox

Jesus Delight vs. Turkish Delight

3:5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

Your barns will burst,

your wine vats will brim over.

But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

It's the child he loves that God corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

I am really growing to love the Proverbs. Why haven't I been reading these all my life? I guess it's because they seem so A-D-D -- all kinds of great stuff, but it's all so random.

But this section from Proverbs 3 today is just plain good common sense. I resolved a long time ago that if Jesus were a myth and the resurrection a lie, Christianity still would be the best way to live.

Fortunately, Jesus is not a myth and the resurrection is our salvation!

I suppose the thing that keeps me from "listening for God's voice in all I do" is simply the daily-ness of everyday life. I do it for awhile, then I forget, then it's a habit to forget, then I don't do it, and then I wonder why I stopped. But why, when the benefits are so great?

It's like eating healthy -- you know that you'll feel great if you do that and exercise. But the path of least resistance says sit and blog for hours at the computer. Or occupy your brain with mindless things like television and computer games -- none of which will change a life or be Christ to someone else.

Now I am not speaking here to you, the busy mom who can barely get a shower during the day. You need to sit and let your brain go to mush. Maybe the most spiritual thing you can do today is take a nap or even better, a bubble bath!

But for those of us who could be doing a million things that would make a difference and instead choose the path of chocolate, soda, and a crossword puzzle, it might be better to pay a little attention. Make a little effort.

I love two places in this passage -- first, where He says "He's the one who will keep you on track." Thank goodness I don't have to do it all myself.

The second place is this: "A father's delight is behind all this."

I, Chief of Sinners, Chocolate and Soda Consumer and Doer of Crossword Puzzles Instead of Something Productive, am so incredibly thankful for my Father's delight.

I had a friend once who said that maybe the sun keeps rising every morning because God just can't get enough of it. Maybe, like a child, He says "Do it again!" God is full of delight in His creation, and we are the stars of that creation.

I desperately want that same delight that comes from allowing Him to keep me on track. And how can I lose, when He makes it so easy?

Lord, please give me a big trust in You today, just like you give me my next breath and my next heartbeat. You are so -- so -- so -- DELIGHTFUL. Amen!

xoxoxox

Proverbs Pop-Ups

I think I read my favourite chapter of Proverbs today. So much great stuff, wow!

It's Chapter 25 -- from "The Message:"

2 God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.

If only every scientist realised he was on a divine scavenger hunt.

3 Like the horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the understanding of a good leader is broad and deep.

How many times have we asked ourselves how great it would be if we could just fix social security without taking money out of the mouths of the poor?

4-5 Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and God-honoring.

And if we could just stop being human long enough to serve -- instead of trying to get re-elected.

6-7 Don't work yourself into the spotlight; don't push your way into the place of prominence. It's better to be promoted to a place of honor than face humiliation by being demoted.

I so often think I am smarter than I am.

8 Don't jump to conclusions—there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.

Ouch!

9-10 In the heat of an argument, don't betray confidences; Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.

Better to have no ammunition in a fight, I guess, than have the wrong ammunition --

11-12 The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.

Do you have a friend like this, who can correct you without crushing your spirit? She can make you look good by just whispering "Hey, you've got lipstick on your teeth." What a gift!

13 Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!

Ah, the rewards of delegation!

14 Like billowing clouds that bring no rain is the person who talks big but never produces.

God forgive me for all the times I've promised and not delivered.

15 Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.

I'm so much more willing to see the point if I don't feel I'm being attacked.


16-17 When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down; eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick; And when you find a friend, don't outwear your welcome; show up at all hours and he'll soon get fed up.

Too much of a good thing is never a good thing. And I thought that wasn't in the Bible.

18 Anyone who tells lies against the neighbors in court or on the street is a loose cannon.

No kidding. Talk about a person who makes trouble. Lies turn into more lies and gossip and everybody gets hurt. What a mess.

19 Trusting a double-crosser when you're in trouble is like biting down on an abscessed tooth.

Double ouch.

20 Singing light songs to the heavyhearted is like pouring salt in their wounds.

Much better to just cry with me than try and change my mind. Let God do the changing -- I won't ever, ever forget the tears you've shared with me.

21-22 If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch; if he's thirsty, bring him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness, and God will look after you.

Maybe we can do it anonymously. God would still know.

23 A north wind brings stormy weather, and a gossipy tongue stormy looks.

Not a good thing in a small town. You just never know who's related to whom.

24 Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.

Honestly? Triple ouch!

25 Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend.

Email counts, too.

26 A good person who gives in to a bad person is a muddied spring, a polluted well.

It's that whole good intentions get you nowhere thing here. Never a good thing to step even one foot down the wrong path -- and I generally know exactly when I'm looking down the wrong path.

27 It's not smart to stuff yourself with sweets, nor is glory piled on glory good for you.

Yep, fat and conceited. Not a good combination.

28 A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.

So I guess whatever influences want to come in and take advantage, will.
I, for one, don't want any drug-dealers or crackheads living in my house. So I guess I'd better spend the money for decent doors, windows -- and locks!

These are just my thoughts, but I hope God uses them to spark some thoughts of your own today --


xoxox