HeIsGreater

Raging Fires

Proverbs 13:9 With all the large wildfires in the West lately, something has struck me about the huge resources needed to extinguish such a fire. Hundreds of firefighters, millions of gallon of water, and a shift in wind pattern: that is what it take to put them out. The size of these fires can boggleContinue reading “Raging Fires”

Pretenders

Proverbs 13:7-8 What we do with our wealth says volumes about who we are and what we believe. If there is one thing the housing bubble of 2007 taught me it is this: people live way beyond their means! So many people are pretending to be richer than they really are. They consistently purchase homesContinue reading “Pretenders”

Witness Protection

Proverbs 13:5-6 There is a protective factor when you do what is right. If you always drive the speed limit, you never have to worry about the police pulling you over for speeding. But if you speed sometimes, you are always on edge, even when you go within the limit. You check and recheck yourContinue reading “Witness Protection”

Handouts

Proverbs 13:4 I am sure you have heard the news about the number of people who get support from the government. And unfortunately this support leads to an attitude of entitlement. The more that is given freely, the less people feel the need to work, to be productive with their lives. The aid seems toContinue reading “Handouts”

Put the Brakes On

Proverbs 13:2-3 The words we say have a great impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. One word from the Fed Chair makes the stock market rise and fall. One word from a dad to a daughter can bring tears. One word from a teacher can break a child’s confidence forContinue reading “Put the Brakes On”

Which Battles?

Proverbs 13:1 As a rebellious kid, listening to my parents was not optional. And if you are a good parent, it won’t be optional for your kids. About the only option was punished now, or punished now and later. I don’t want to give the impression that my parents were bad parents. I think theyContinue reading “Which Battles?”

Celebrate

Proverbs 12:28 I enjoy life! Enriching relationships and purposeful activity make it so. Something happened over 37 years ago that put my life on a very different course. I came to a fork in the road and I made a choice to move in a different direction. Prompted and empowered by the Holy Spirit, IContinue reading “Celebrate”

Hectic

Proverbs 12:27 Eating is more than ingesting calories. We can learn something about another person when we observe their eating patterns. We can learn this even in our society that is increasingly choosing prepackaged and fast food. During the time this proverb was written hunting meant more than racing through the WalMart aisle trying toContinue reading “Hectic”

Friends

Proverbs 12:26 The people we choose as friends can determine a lot about our future. Even if we stumble into a friendship we should evaluate it carefully. Will this person lead me closer to Christ or further away from Him? Is this an opportunity for me to lead them closer? So there must be differentContinue reading “Friends”

Stuck in the Past

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety and depression are two of the most treated mental illnesses in the United States. And yet, despite all the medications prescribed, the incidence of these two conditions continues to rise. Pills alone have been ineffective in providing long term relief from symptoms. Our proverb, written almost three thousand years ago, gives usContinue reading “Stuck in the Past”