Day 14 – like the others before this Proverb talks about actions of the good will gain many things but that of the wicked will parish. I have been focusing on the things that have stood out to me because the journey God has me on. It is amazing how he continues to provides just the words I need to hear.

8The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways… 15…but the prudent give thought to their steps, 22…but those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. I am not much of a big picture visionary I tend to be in the here and now. However we are taught here that we need to think of our futures. It is hard to obtain life goals when your thinking to much in the here and now. So I have opened up my vision to see further in the future to leave a legacy for my children’s children. Like Mark Batterson states in The Circle Marker, you have to dream big, think long, and pray hard.

1A wise woman builds her house… and 23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads on to poverty. I have to lean back into another quote from The Circle Maker and that is “work like it depends on you, but pray like it depends on God.” So not only do I need to be better at thinking and planning for the future, and not just talk about it, I need to work hard to leave that legacy he has intended for me but praying that he will provide the realization of that dream that I am working so hard to achieve. However God has his plan for us so we may need a bit of redirection along the way but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work hard for those big dreams!

Finally at least for me… 17A quick tempered person does foolish things and 29Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick tempered displays folly. If that is a lot to take in. Boy I know that I am quick to anger and lose my temper and when I do I say and do stupid things. I think that is why the call patience a virtue! It is not easy to be calm and patient when you feel wronged or hurt, but with patience comes great understating and compassion. I know that for me patience is an area I need to get better at and surround it in prayer, although that means I will get lots of tests because that is how we learn patience…

My prayer for us today is that we being to plan, give thought and work hard towards achieving the big dreams that God has given us and pray like all we have depends on him. That we might begin to seek patience because with patience comes understanding and compassion. Be a light today for all that you may come in contact with, share a warm hearted smile!

Day 15 – today he is teaching instruction versus ignorance, discipline versus foolishness and about the power of our tongues.

There is a group of verses about our lips, tongue and words that hit me in a major way 1A gentle answer turns away wrath… 2The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge…4The soothing tongue is the tree of life… 7The lips of the wise spread knowledge… 25…but gracious words are pure in his sight. The power of words, amazing how they can effect every moment of our life. Both negative and positive words can have a major impact on our attitude, why would we choose to be negative vs. positive? I know that when I get hurt by words I strike back with even more hurtful words, which is to the benefit of no one because I hurt by saying them with guilt and I hurt the person whom the are said to. Our words can be used to show Gods love and grace, give advice and instruction, and God honors the good in our hearts and words,

Let’s challenge ourselves today to encourage those around us, give a compliment to a stranger, and tell yourself three amazing things about you! My prayer for us today is that God guide our every word to the good of others, that we give encouragement and speak of his love and grace. Have a beautiful day!!

Day 16 – wow so much good stuff in today’s Proverb. Not sure where to start and will there be enough room… Here we go 1to humans belong the plans of the heart, but from The Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. 2All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by The Lord. 3Commit to The Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans. 4The Lord works out everything to its proper end… 9In their hearts humans plan their course, but The Lord establishes their steps. If these were the only verses in this Proverb that would be enough for me… We like to think sometimes that our plans are right but God is one who provides the plans of our heart and he guides our words if we allow him. I know I like to think I have the best intentions but God will decide if my motive was pure or selfish, and more likely than not they are more selfish. Commit to The Lord and he will work out every detail and guide every step of the plan and purpose he created for you. What else do we need?

20Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in The Lord. 21The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. 24Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Another big wow for me!!! Give in, be open and trust His teachings and you will be blessed. Oh to be wise… we gain wisdom through learning from our experiences and sharing those experiences so that others may learn. Oh my verse 24 is amazing because it is so hard most of the time… but to know that our gracious words are so sweet and healing why would we want anything different? Oh yeah we are human… Lol!

My prayer for us today is that we truly open our hearts to what The Lord has for us, that we receive his instruction, let him speak our words and guide our steps! That we lean into his plans and purpose, share what we have gained from our experiences so that we may use it to be a blessing to others!

Day 17 – I don’t know if it’s me but today’s Proverb seems like a bit of a scolding and low in tolerance for foolish behavior. Seems to be more cause and effect for the fool than positive for the good. So for where I am at today I found a few verses that stood out to me.

14Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before dispute breaks out. 19Who loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. 27The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. This is a blueprint for what not to do and what is right. Ugh how I fall so short here because of the way someone says something or does something without intent to hurt you but I take the wrong way and start to argue or fight with them, ok this mostly happens with my hubby! I find myself sometimes looking to find something to fight about and that is not a good place to be, loving sin!!! But what really hit my heart like an arrow was whoever builds a high gate invites destruction, ouch! I had until recently built this high wall around me that I would not allow anyone to breach, it had ruled and controlled my life because of the hurt my past and it was destroying me!! As I have begun to take down the wall piece by piece I have been able to feel love and peace in God, grow stronger and closer to my hubby and let in friends which I hadn’t done in 20+ years! Verse 27 is what I strive for now… using words with restraint, not lashing out the moment I feel harmed and trying to be more understanding that maybe I am seeing my own insecurities verses being hurt by someone else.

17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for time of adversity. I don’t think I had ever allowed myself to let a friend love me because I had my wall so high that I wouldn’t let anyone close enough, but when I fell to my knees and found myself in this terrible place I had a friend that did not judge me and loved me for where I was at that moment and that showed me what a true friend is and how I needed to be as a friend. For so long I hid myself away and wouldn’t let anyone close and I really didn’t know what it was to be a friend, but some very amazing ladies have started to teach me what it is by the friendship and love they have for each other! For me it can mean brother or sister, since I only have a sister. My sister and I are10 years apart and it wasn’t until the last 10 or so that we were able to really connect and be there for each in good times and in bad!!!

Well for a Proverb I didn’t think when I first read that I would get anything out of I sure was able to reflect where I have been and look now at life a whole new way because of Gods grace, love and the forgiveness of my sins! My prayer for us today that is if we have that gate built to high that we will remove one brick today in prayer, that God will shine his love enough on us to crack the wall and allows us to take more bricks down at a time. That true friends will reveal themselves to you in a way you have never seen! Have an amazing day!!

Day 18 – Wow another one those Proverbs that makes you sit back and say ouch, well at least for me!

And it’s starts in the first 2 verses 1An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgement starts quarrels. 2Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Those two hurt… For so long I was that unfriendly person because I felt so unworthy that I would just not engage which made me very selfish because I was only worried about me not caring about others. I didn’t want to understand God or his word because I was too hurt and wounded and boy did I fit into that category of taking extreme satisfaction in giving my very right opinion (even when I knew I was wrong I was right). Beyond thankful though that now I can see that about myself and really try (most time falling short on all) to be friendly and let him shine, try not to start arguments, seek his word to gain understanding and think, pray before I share an opinion to make sure it is coming from the right place.

8the words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. OUCH it is so amazing how gossiping comes so easy and mostly we don’t even realize we do it. Knowing that it taints peoples opinions of others and can cause such harm, and we just don’t even realize it because it feels so good to vent or share on someone else’s misfortune to make ourselves feel better. I am finding that I catch myself more often now, but still struggle with it!!!

Oh to be a good friend!!! 13To answer before listening – that is folly and shame. 24one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Whoa another sting, to answer before listening how often do I prejudge what someone is going to say and just react without hearing all the way. I think I need to add not allowing friends at all should be added to cause ruin. I am so thankful he has placed some amazing ladies in my life that have shown me what a true friend is and I want to be that way!

So let’s end on some good… 15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. 16The gift opens the way and ushers the given into the presence of the great. Wow I am so thankful that not only does he show us where we are weak and could use improvement but gives us the ability to seek his knowledge and wisdom and in turn he gives us a gift, a gift we are meant to give to others and the amazing promise he gives that it will bring us closer to him!! There are other verses to be aware of but those are mine for today.

My prayer for us today is that we take that extra moment to listen and hear what is being said before we are quick to judge or give our opinions. That we are the reliable friend quick to give the gift of his grace and love. Have an amazing and blessed Friday!

Day 19 – today seems similar to yesterday a bit of don’t be stupid or you shall be punished and perish.

I like to focus on the good of his word so that I may strive to not be punished to bad! Lol!! 8The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. 11A person’s wisdom yields patience; it’s to ones glory to overlook the offense. 20Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. I was never a very good student and I really hated to read, yet the more and more I read His word the more I realize that I need to become a student again and I have to strive with him by my side to be a good one. I had to seek him in prayer to inspire me to read because it has always been a struggle because my eyes get tired very quickly and the page goes blurry, yet he has been faithful to help me learn to finish my first book in 20 years and knowing that I am getting his wisdom helps too. Oh patience why are you so hard to obtain. You pray for patience your are tested around every corner so that you may learn it (gain wisdom), but how many if us really like to be tested so we let things to get us so quickly. It is to our benefit to overlook an offense or wrong wow if it that isn’t even harder to do than patience but he tells us in verse 19 about being hot tempered how we have to pay a penalty. Listen to advice, how much do we love to give advice but if we do that we miss out listening and applying the advice we receive. Another ouch accept discipline I am not someone who likes to accept discipline… But as I am learning to walk with him and in his word that he corrects with love and guidance, redirects my path when I stray but we can take that negatively because we want to do it our way!!!

My prayer for us today as we strive to learn to accept his advice and correction that we take a moment to pray, in a moment when we find ourselves getting impatient or easily angered, oh what a lesson that would teach us! Have a beautiful Saturday!

Day 20 – today we are asked a couple of questions during our reading, provoking us to think. I’m going to focus on one question and a few verses.

24A persons steps are directed by The Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way? Wow how we try to go our own way so much of the time, thinking I’ve got this but do we really? Amazing to know that he guides us when we seek him and look to him to lead the way. There a few more really good questions to ponder as well.

5The purposes of ones heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. How cool is it to know that our purposes are deep waters in the very core of our soul, sometimes it takes a long time to find it and for me it took 44 years but he provides the insight and puts people in your life with insight as well.

15Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. Just goes to show us there is lots of valuable people in the world but those who speak his truth are rare and how cool is that to remind ourselves and know that we are rare!! But should we be? Shouldn’t there be so many that we are not rare?

18Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance. So glad that he guides our steps and gives us plans to direct our steps to our purposes when we seek his advice and teachings (obtaining wisdom and understanding).

30Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inner most being. Whoa… in a way it is comforting to know that the battles that we go through getting battered, bruised and deeply wounded that he is using that to teach us that there is evil in those actions that we are encourage to learn from. Knowing that those wounds can be purged from our soul!

My prayer for us today is that we take a few moments to think about the questions in this Proverb and read again because there are so many great verses. That we find ourselves being rare to speak his knowledge and that we can know that the battles we have gone through have purpose and meaning and we can use those to help others! Enjoy the Lords day!!!