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Showing posts from July, 2019

if there's not some grand design

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how'd this pair of stars align For 30 chapters we’ve been offered proverb after proverb painting a portrait of the life that really is life. And now, here at the end of Proverbs, we get a poem . An ode to a woman . A woman who embodies this true life… But the thing about her life is, how utterly ordinary it is! Ordinary! That’s why it’s worthy of this poem. That’s why it’s so veritable! This strong woman, she’s not striding the halls of power or holed up in some ivory tower. No, she’s too busy making herself useful in ordinary ways, to ordinary people all around her! This woman shows us that the world around us is full of opportunities to live a life of substance ! You want to make a difference?   Start with the people right in front of you!   If you think the people are places that make up your life right now are below your station, you’re not ready to set your sights any higher. Is it any wonder this poem that ends Proverbs, b

with no time for doubt

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with the pain & anger The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel Proverbs 8 : “Does not wisdom call , and does not understanding raise her voice?” The answer, of course, is yes . Proverbs today depicts wisdom as a woman . Tireless . Devoted . Standing out there, along the highways and byways. Ceaselessly calling out . Raising her voice, offering a life that is full. The kind of life only she can offer. … But , and I barely need to say this; it isn’t all that easy. Is it? Sure, Wisdom raises her voice. But so do so many others . We live in a world bombarded with noise. Filled with sales pitches. And chapter 7 depicts one of those other voice. The voice of “Dame Folly” as she is called.   Woman Wisdom isn’t out there calling, raising her voice for any ‘ol reason. She’s doing it because she has to… So often we talk about faith as as something we do. Which is bonkers. Especially if you consider all God has done.   We’re like

you have to learn how to die

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if you want to want to be alive The 22nd proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: Alright, well you just got 16… er, 15 proverbs, straight in a row ! And it’s a lot , isn’t it? It’s a bit like trying to take a sip of water from a waterfall.   … But , I suspect after feeling overwhelmed, you’ll start to feel another way… To help you experience this, let me describe a person with the qualities these proverbs extol: They’re more interested in their character than their bank account. They’re not too big for their britches. They don’t court danger. And they’re modest , despite all they’ve accomplished.   Their children are enrolled in all the extra-curriculars, and they even learned how they’re teaching math now, so they can help for their kids study.   They don’t have credit-card debt. They’re not spiteful. They’re benevolent . They choose their company carefully . They’re kind in what they say and do. They’re well-informed. They d

your mind's a machine

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it's deadly & dull The proverbs of Solomon , son of David, king of Israel: Wisdom was the Israelite’s school of life , whereby they taught themselves, one another, and their children how to live … And the first lesson of wisdom is the most obvious , but it’s also the hardest to learn… We’re going to spend July in the book of Proverbs . And Proverbs is a little like the “encyclopedia,” or these days, “wikipedia.” Proverbs is a collection of the accumulated wisdom of what it meant to live as God’s Chosen People… But there’s an important distinction ; while Proverbs is an anthology like the encyclopedia or wikipedia, that’s where the commonalities end . …We live in the ‘information age.’ And that’s what encyclopedias and wikipedia provide, information .   You want to know what the population of Burlington was in 1850? Look it up on wikipedia (4,082)! You want to learn the history of encyclopedias? Just dust off the “E” edition of your en