Proverbs – The Arnold Journey

Unplowed

Proverbs 21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart — the unplowed field of the wicked — produce sin. I live in Florida, and yes I am old. I am in “God’s waiting room” as Florida has been nicknamed. But I digress. I live in Florida and my soil in my garden is sand. Not justContinue reading “Unplowed”

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old. Some cultures, like the Japanese and the Korean, honor their old people. They recognize the wisdom and value that older people can provide for the younger. There is an enriching that takes place where there are multiple generationsContinue reading

Misplaced Anger

Proverbs 19:3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD. Have you ever noticed how other people, certainly not you or I, but other people want to avoid taking responsibility for their decisions? They can be standing there with the piston in their hand, gun residue on their clothing, cellContinue reading “Misplaced Anger”

How to raise a child!

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. The last couple of generations have been ones of over-indulgence of kids by parents. Will all the best intentions we have raised spoiled brats. Or at least our friends and neighbors have. We certainly didn’tContinue reading “How to raise a child!”

The Norm

Leviticus 13:46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp. Do you remember the “bell curve” from high school? In statistics there is a thing called “the norm.” It forms the basis from which all the variations are measured. Most things that areContinue reading “The Norm”

Cheerful

Proverbs 15:13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. You can guess a lot about a person by looking at their face. The older they get, the more the lines on their face reflect the expressions that are expressed more often. Frown lines and laughter lines are very different. YouContinue reading “Cheerful”

Lights Out

Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. The world changed when electricity became a thing everyone had, or at least here in the West. Some parts of the world still don’t have universal access to electricity, often due to the low density living situations.Continue reading “Lights Out”

Not What’s Expected

Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house;she has set up its seven pillars.2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;she has also set her table.3 She has sent out her servants, and she callsfrom the highest point of the city,4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”To those who have no sense sheContinue reading “Not What’s Expected”

All At Once

Proverbs 7:22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose Sometimes we let things creep up on us. I watch my grandchildren deal with school projects. Most of the time they don’t let the projects wait until the last night. Their parents haveContinue reading “All At Once”

Despising

Proverbs 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. There is an alarming trend in our culture today. For some segments of our society it is already rampant, and it has been forContinue reading “Despising”