Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways please God, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

It is a fact that none of us can walk through this life without having some enemies. Some folks do not need you to give them a reason to be your enemy. They just are. Throughout my life, I have often been in deep distress over the fact that there were certain individuals that I could not persuade to befriend me in any way. No matter how much I humbled myself before them and forgave their insults, for some seemingly unknown reason… they were still determined to set themselves against me.

Learn more.  Click the picture above to read, In the Face of the Enemy.

Proverbs 15:33
To fear GOD and his truth…is the instruction of wisdom…and before honor is humility.

God’s laws are woven into the very nature of the design with which He created the spiritual aspects of this world.  And whether we submit to them or not, they are the mechanism which govern life inside the boundaries of it.  Presented here are two such laws eternally woven into the life which we live…the law of godly fear…and the law of humility!  

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Proverbs 15:30
The light of the eyes makes the heart full of joy … 

The writer here says that joy is found in the light of the eyes.  Have you ever seen someone’s eyes that literally radiate with light when they smile?  Some folks’ eyes are just always full and bright!  Simply because they were nurtured to be happy and content people.  We get the greatest joy not in what we see, but how we see things.  This light of the eyes is simply having a good perception of life.   

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Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel purposes are disappointed...
...but by excellent counsel...they will be established!

I do not believe that it is the quantity of counsel that one needs to receive, but the quality.  So many folks go around asking everyone’s opinion concerning certain issues that they face in life, and end up more confused than when they first started.  Others go around asking opinions until they find one that goes along with what they wanted to do in the first place.   It is very dangerous for us look for something that we want to hear, and not what we need to hear.  What we need to hear...is the truth!

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Proverbs 15:19
“The path of the upright is made plain." 

Here we have a picture of the kind of life that I believe everyone should want to live…but very unfortunately…not all do.  Everyone wants to live a life of peace…to walk down a path that is clearly set before us.  However, not everyone is willing to pay the price for peace.  What is the price for peaceful living?  The path is paved with the stones of hard work, extensive preparation, wise decisions, and great sacrifice.  Notice that the proverb says, “…is made plain…”  The path does not initially come that way.  It has been made that way by those who built it. 

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Proverbs 15:25
The LORD will destroy the house of the proud…
...But he will establish the home of the widow and orphan.

It is very interesting how the writer contrasts the family of the proud…with that of the widow and the orphan.  One comes to ruin by pride, while yet the other is established by humility.  The bible often refers to the widow and the orphan as opportunities of purity and integrity to those who attend to them and care for them.  He who attends to their well-being is rewarded by God, because the reward can come from no other.   

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Proverbs 14:28
When people prosper… they honor the king…But when poverty comes…they remove him! 

Leaders obviously do play a very important role in the prosperity, or demise, of any enterprise.  The buck always stops with whoever is in charge.  Those who are in a position of leadership, are the ones in a position of responsibility.  When things go great with the team, the head football coach gets free steak dinners. However, when they are losing, he can’t get an invite to a hot dog stand.  Sometimes the path from the coronation to the crucifixion is a very short one.  But, let’s look a little beyond the obvious, and delve into the meat of what I believe to be the deeper meaning behind this great proverb! 

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Have you ever felt like all the good things that you work so hard to accomplish will never be seen or acknowledged?  If we are honest with ourselves....I believe that everyone at some point or another has felt this way.  We grow weary in our well-doing because we cannot see a reward on the horizon for our labors of love.  It is important for us to understand that these deeds are like seeds being planted in the ground.

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There is so much that we can learn from one another by listening and sharing, and no one enjoys a good conversation more than I.  However, the primary action that creates quality productivity is the literal engagement of putting to work our words.  My most enjoyable conversation comes from folks who are not as anxious about sharing their thoughts, as they are about doing them, probably because those types of exchanges do not linger aimlessly on and on into an abyss of time.

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Here in this picture, we see these soldiers in the middle of a rain storm standing faithfully to honor the sacrifices of an unknown soldier.  As an act of honor, these soldiers have engaged day and night in this vigil over this tomb for many decades now.  This incredible act stands as public proof of the extremely high value that our military places upon the sacrifice of its soldiers! It is an incredible "act of honor"...demonstrated in an openly public manner!

Read the entire article.  Click on the picture above.

The happiest and most respected people on the earth are those who are the most kind.  They are people, who sow happiness and dignity into the lives of those around them on a daily basis, and are constantly reaping a bountiful harvest of the same.  They are always mindful and considerate of the feelings of others.  They take great pleasure in giving a word of encouragement to anyone who is down trodden or afflicted.  These people are those who give not as a favor, but out of a sense of obligation and duty to God and society. 

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Every single home in America has doors and windows in them.  These doors and windows have locks.  However, these are not meant to imprison us, and keep us from enjoying the good things that are on the outside.  They are meant to protect us from those outside elements that could be harmful to us.  In this same way, we set up moral codes of a respect and honor of others…boundaries of morality…boundaries that serve as standards of protection for our lives…and the lives of those most precious to us. 

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Proverbs 13:23
“Much food is in the tilling of the poor...”

So much good has been created throughout our society from the faithful and diligent work of those who at one time or another were considered…poor!  Many of them have been the very ones whose tenacity and ingenuity… have transformed our economy and society as a whole! 

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Proverbs 13:20
“He that walks with wise men shall be wise…”

We have a saying where I come from... that goes something like this: “You can’t fly with the eagles…if you are running with the chickens!”  It is a fact that you can never rise above the company that you keep.  I am constantly looking for relationships that will challenge me and provide the tough, no nonsense, honest coaching, that it takes to improve my life and its effectiveness. In order to grow in life, you must surround yourself with those people, who have the faith and courage to make the day to day decisions, which create an environment of prosperity, peace, and security…not the ones who through their cowardice and laziness destroy it.

Click on the above picture to read the entire article…”Flying With Eagles”!

Proverbs 13:15
”Having a good understanding of things brings favor…” 

Understanding is a result of having applied knowledge over and over and over again in a variety of environments, situations and circumstances.  Understanding is the direct result of experience.  It is experience in earthly things that grants us favor in the eyes of man concerning the things of this world…and experience in spiritual things that grants us favor in the eyes of God concerning the things in His Kingdom. 

Click on the above picture to read the entire article…”Developing Understanding”!

Proverbs 13:22
“The good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…

In this life money can be made, real estate acquired, and securities can be bought.   It certainly is no small task for one, who over a lifetime can faithfully build a stable and diverse portfolio of financial assets.  However, this particular proverb speaks concerning something completely different….something lasting…something much more durable, and something infinitely much more important. 

Click on the above picture to read the entire article…”A Lasting Legacy”.             

Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no definitive dream, vision, or plan…people’s lives can be wasted.”  

Having a dream and a hope in life, certainly is one of the most important elements of our lives.  It is the one source that generates the actions of humanity. People hope to have, hope to do, hope to go, hope to know, hope to give, hope to love, and hope to live. 

Click on the above picture to read the entire article… “A Dream Come True!”

Proverbs 13:9
“The light in God’s children creates a perpetual joy. But the lamp of those who refuse to acknowledge Him is quickly extinguished.”           

The Hebrew word for light used here is a word which means illumination.  It is translated by using words such as brightness, day, morning, and sun.  How fitting it is also that these words refer to the character of this particular type of light. Their brightness is not just a superficial one. Rather, it is one whose brilliance daily and permanently burns and shines from its inner core to illuminate an entire planet of billions of people.

Click the picture or title above to read the entire article… “Light of the World”.           

Letting Go of The Past

When we live in a past that is dead…we cannot live in a present that is alive.  Therefore, we find ourselves suspended between life and death...between the past and the present.  When we mourn too long for the past…we are in danger of forfeiting our future.  The foremost thing that is necessary to moving forward from the past is to begin to prepare ourselves spiritually to embrace our future.

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Proverbs 12:10
“A just man cares about his animal’s health…”

The particular phrase, upon which I want to focus is… “A just man cares…”  It is a phrase which was written during a time when most of the economy of that society revolved around agriculture.  Animals provided for the well-being of everyone involved.  They drank their milk, covered themselves with their fur, and feed themselves with their meat.  Animals protected them with their watchful eye, carried them on their backs, and worked hard to plow their fields.  They were beast of labor…provision...and protection.  

Click the picture or title above to read the whole article…”Handle With Care”.