A Long Full Life

Proverbs 3:2 (MSG)
They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well.

We are under a Blizzard Warning tonight.  Forecasters are estimating that we might get 12-20 inches of snow!  The last time that this area had a recorded snow fall of that magnitude was in 1912!!  That was a LONG, LONG TIME  ago.....

God Is On Your Side....(if you're on His Son's side)

Proverbs 3:1 (MSG)
Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands.

I absolutely love going to church!!  If you don't have a place to gather together with other believers to hear the Word of God preached clearly and worship the Lord in one voice, don't give up until you find one.  Our Pastor's message today was just what I needed to hear....."God is on your side!!"

Protection and Peace

Proverbs 2:22 (MSG)
The corrupt will lose their lives; the dishonest will be gone for good.

While every day is a history maker....the events occuring right now in Egypt are of extreme significance, not only to the people who's lives are being directly affected, but to all of us.

Integrity

Proverbs 2:21 (MSG)
It's the men who walk straight who will settle this land, the women with integrity who will last here.

This verse stands alone....

Join In The Work

Proverbs 2:20 (MSG)
So--join the company of good men and women, keep your feet on the tried~and~true paths.

Our Pastor frequently says  (I'm paraphrasing...but I think I'm close), "If you aren't sure what to do...just look around...see where God is at work and join in."  But, in my mind I say,  "Are you sure?  Just like that?  What if it's not my 'calling'?  What if it's not my 'purpose'"?

Book Review: In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson (foreward by Phyllis Tickle)

It was a privilege to read the book, In Constant Prayer by Robert Benson. 

Real Life

Proverbs 2:19 (MSG)
No one who joins her company ever comes back, ever sets foot on the path to real living.

What is "real living"?

The Sinking Pond

Proverbs 2:17 (ESV)
for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;

I have a pond close to my house.  I think it is sinking....

Destruction

Proverbs 2:17 (MSG)
Who's faithless to the husband she married years ago, never gave a second thought to her promises before God.

Ok...just to refresh in my mind,
 

A Wise Friend

Proverbs 2:16 (MSG)
Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress--
that smooth-talking Seductress

I am so thankful to have wise friends. 
 

The Corn Maze

Proverbs 2:15 (MSG)
Traveling paths that go nowhere, wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.

The previous Proverbs have stated that Lady Wisdom, Good Sense, and Brother Knowledge are going to keep us from traveling these paths that lead to dead ends.  Have you ever been to one of those Corn Mazes?

The Sad Pot

Proverbs 2:14 (MSG)
These losers who make a game of evil and throw parties to celebrate perversity,


I had a sweet friend come to visit me today.  She is only three years old, but the Bible tells me that I should imitate her child like faith, so I was very eager to spend some time with her.  

Guidance Through Thick and Thin

Proverbs 2:13 (MSG)
Of those who are lost themselves and can't tell a trail from a tumbleweed,

Yesterday's verse spoke of following bad directions and today we find out who is giving those poor directives.....and it is the lost ones.  Apparently those who don't have a map should  not be leading the way. 

A Tender Heart

Proverbs 2:12 (MSG)
They'll keep you from making wrong turns, or following the bad directions...

Good Sense and Insight is what the verse is referring to here.  I have been praying lately that the Lord will allow me to see people and situations as He sees them....wow!!

The Jungle

Proverbs 2:11 (MSG)

Good Sense will scout ahead for danger, Insight will keep an eye out for you.

I think about the scouts that I have seen in movies that go out ahead of you and lead the way through the jungle.

Close Friend

Proverbs 2:10 (MSG)
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.

Best friends are such a treasure!

The Good Trail

Proverbs 2:9 (MSG)
So now you can pick out what's true and fair, find all the good trails!

Ahhh....yes....the good trails!  I went hiking this past summer through a gorgeous mountainous region in the northern United States.

His Special Attention

Proverbs 2:8 (MSG)
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.

I think chocolate is amazing!!  Today I ate a dark chocolate Dove square and this was on the inside wrapper~ "When you can't control the wind, adjust your sails!" (Brenda Schofield, WI)

The Body Guard

Proverbs 2:7 (MSG)
He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.

Body guards have always intrigued me.  They will step in front of danger to literally "guard your body".  Who does that?? 

His Peace

Proverbs 2:6 (MSG)
And here's why:  God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. 

Here's why the Fear of God will be ours....(the verse carried over from yesterday)...because He doesn't charge for wisdom and you don't have to have any degrees to understand Him and His knowledge!  So, I asked Him today:  Why the Arizona event;  Why the Haiti tragedy; Why the loss of life in Australia; Why cancer;  Why.......why.....why..?

Perseverence

Proverbs 2:5 (MSG)
Believe me, before you know it Fear~of~God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God.

I have heard that expression a lot through the years...."before you know it...".  Usually it is in relation to our kids and the statement is:  "Before you know it, they'll be moving out and going off to college!"

Gold Nuggets

Proverbs 2:4 (MSG)
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,

A reminder to myself from yesterday, that the writer of Proverbs is looking for insight.  I can see this picture so clearly!

Insight

Proverbs 2:3 (MSG)
That's right--if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer,

As I read this, I am gently reminded of what got me started writing this blog to begin with.

Fine Tuning

Proverbs 2:2 (MSG)
Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding.

We have a very beautiful old piano that was given to us by my husband's mother.  I am so thankful for it, because it has allowed my daughter to embark upon a wonderful journey into music.

The Collection

Proverbs 2:1 (MSG)
Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life.


One hot summer morning, I was invited to go pick blueberries with a dear friend of mine.
It was one of those mornings that you needed to "be up and at~em" by 8:00am, so you could be back in the shade by 10:00am!

In His Hand

Proverbs 1:33 (MSG)

First pay attention to me, and then relax.  Now you can take it easy--you're in good hands."

Everything about the ocean draws me into a state of relaxation.  Every sense is stimulated as you stand barefoot in the grains of sand feeling the tiny particles beneath your feet.  The smell and taste of  salty sea air combined with the feel of the wind on your face and the ocean ringing in your ears would be enough, but then you add the beautiful details taken in by the eye and suddenly you have such an incredible realization of just how magnificent God is!

One summer as we were playing in the water close to the edge of a little sand reef, I began my usual diving under the water and searching through the crushed shells and seaweed for "treasures".  A treasure, in my mind, is something unique and rarely found.  As the waves were crashing in on me and shoving me into the reef, my mask would not stay in place to see what I was searching for, so I began to dive down and skim along the bottom with my eyes shut.  I would scoop up large handfuls of sand and then resurface to sift through it for unique finds. 

 Keep in mind that I love water, so who knows how long I was out there doing this, but on one of my trips, I got to the surface, opened my hand and there embedded in all of the crushed shells was a tiny whole (no cracks!) sand dollar.  As another wave came crashing in over my head, I gently closed my hand to protect my incredible find.  I swam back to the shore (hard to do with a fist closed), and got out of the water to marvel at this tiny little shell.  How in the world did it make it all the way up to the reef without getting completely obliterated?

I know that's how it is with the Lord....I am like that tiny shell...resting in His hands...protected.

Psalm 139:9-10:  (ESV) If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Carelessness Kills

Proverbs 1:32 (MSG)
Don't you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?  Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.

Careless~Not paying enough attention to what one does. (http://www.dictionary.com/)

Wait For Me

Proverbs 1:31 (MSG)
Well, you've made your bed--now lie in it; you wanted your own way--now how do you like it?


Ouch!  That hurt!

In Training

Proverbs 1:30 (MSG)
Because you wouldn't take my advice and brushed aside all my offers to train you,

When I first started my job in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit as an RN, I spent the first month with a preceptor. 

His Knowledge

Proverbs 1:29 (MSG)
Because you hated Knowledge and had nothing to do with the Fear~of~God,

I can't imagine hating knowledge.  Especially the knowledge gained from walking with the Lord.

Hide~n~Seek

Proverbs 1:28 (MSG)
You'll need me then.  You'll call for me, but don't expect an answer.  No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

I loved to play Hide~n~Seek when I was young....still do actually. 

The Stronghold of My Life

Proverbs 1:27 (MSG)
What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing to show for your life but rubble and ashes?

I am the absolute queen of the "what if"!  I'm not very fond of that fact sometimes, but I have come to recognize the tendency and have chosen to see it as a gift rather than a burden.