Words of Wisdom - part four

It's hard to believe that I've completed my 31 day challenge already. I read 1 chapter a day of the Book of Proverbs for the month of August. This is a book of wise sayings, a textbook, if you will, for teaching people how to live godly lives. Throughout the book the topics of discussion tended to jump around giving it a scattered thought approach; however these five themes emerged during my reading.

ONE: Wisdom
God wants his people to be wise. Two kinds of people portray two contrasting paths of life. The fool is the wicked, stubborn person who hates or ignores God. The wise person seeks to know and love God. When we choose God's way, He grants us wisdom. His Word, the Bible leads us to live right, have right relationships, and make right decisions.
TWO: Relationships
Proverbs gives us advice for developing our personal relationships with friends, family members, and co-workers. In every relationship, we must show love, dedication, and high moral standards. To relate to people, we need consistency, tact, and discipline to use the wisdom God gives us. If we don`t treat others according to the wisdom God gives, our relationships suffer.
THREE: Speech
What we say shows our real attitude towards others. How we talk reveals what we're really like. Our speech is a test of how wise we have become. To be wise in our speech we need to use self-control. Our words should be honest and well chosen.
FOUR: Work
God controls the final outcome of all we do. We are accountable to carry out our work with diligence and discipline, not laziness. Because God evaluates how we live, we should work purposefully. We must never be lax or self-satisfied in using our skills.
FIVE: Success
Some people work very hard for money and fame, God views success as having a good reputation, moral character, and the spiritual devotion to obey him. A successful relationship with God counts for eternity. Everything we have have comes from God - our resources, time, and talent; we should use them wisely.

Blessings

Staff Picnic

Yesterday the staff and families of Huron Ridge Acres gathered together in the backyard at Dave & Carol's to celebrate another year of growing together. (photo from HRA website) Somewhat like a family reunion we spend the afternoon visiting with each other, playing lawn games and eating a delicious meal.

Most of the staff is hired seasonally with a few working year round. For me, I only work the month of May in retail and only in the evenings as I have a day-time job. It started a few years ago when Lorraine mentioned their dilemma of trying to find someone willing to work a few evenings a week, to me. We decided to give it a try and now here I am 3 years later and still loving it. In fact I'm already looking forward to next year.

Blessings

It's BEAN a great day!

Today was the 45th Annual Zurich Bean Festival and of course we spent the day there. Krystle & I volunteer at the churches ladies pie booth, and after our 3 hour shift is over we spend some time together walking among the street vendors. It's a one of a kind event and it creates an awesome opportunity to connect with friends & family as you meet each other throughout the day.

Blessings

Ladies Day with Rain

Thompson's Limited of Hensall planned a special bus trip for the lady half of the farming family. ^.^

Early this morning Lorraine (Rain) & I met with bus that took us to the St. Jacob's farmer's market, where we spent the morning walking among the many street vendors. As always there was some fun & unique crafts, but mostly it's the fresh produce that amazes me. I admire those who have large gardens and it's gotten me excited to have a garden next year.

The tour continued into the town of St. Jacob's where we were treated to lunch at the Stone Crock and still left us some time to browse through the shops. We finished our tour with a stop at Picard's Peanuts.

The bus ride while long, was a great opportunity to catch up with Lorraine. With our busy busy schedules it's hard to keep connected.

What a great day ~ and no it didn't rain!

Blessings

Words of Wisdom - part three

It's been an amazing journey for me this month as I've been reading one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. The practical instruction I've been learning about from the use of money, to guidelines that are given on what we are not to be and do, is immensely helpful. Proverbs notes two significant by-products of wise living: success and good reputation. Several verses also point out what causes failure and poor reputation. Proverbs is a book about wise living and living honestly before God. It often focuses on a person's response and attitude toward God, who is the source of wisdom.

A number of proverbs point out aspects of God's character; which knowing God helps us on the way to wisdom. It also tells us that God despises all forms of dishonesty. Not only does God hate dishonesty, but we are told that it works against us - others no longer trust us.

Wisdom and common sense are not naturally transferred from our parents, we must continue to educate ourselves through good teaching. We are all capable of becoming wise, but it takes discipline, determination and hard work to live God's way, but God protects and rewards those who make the commitment to follow Him. People who are eager to listen and grow in knowledge throughout their lives will reap the reward of a strong character.

May my life be a testament to the One I follow - so that on the day of judgement when I stand before my maker I will hear these words "well done, good and faithful servant." Blessings

Humour

My boys have a great and somewhat unique sense of humour. Here is one example:

funny, yes?

Secret Sister

Revealing our secret sisters last night at our w.h.a.t. (women's hearts always together) group was fun. I thought I had it figured out who had my name.... but found out I was totally wrong. Lea-Anne surprised with my last gift from my "secret sister." A coupon for Jazzercise, a set of ankle socks, a tank top, and a really sweet water bottle. I told her "ah so this is your way to get me to sign up for Jazzericse again," to which she replies "yeppers"....

Each time I received a gift I felt truly blessed. Knowing that someone was thinking of me and cared enough to find time in their busy, busy schedule to buy me a gift and anonymously give it to me, made me feel special. I was overjoyed to receive an anklet, a body & bath soap set, a candle, and a set of black & white mugs.

My secret sister, Jen, was also very appreciative of all the gifts I gave her. She especially cherished the seeds I mailed to her. You see, Jen and her family are moving to B.C. and I thought those seeds, as she planted them, would be a great reminder of us for her.

Having Secret Sisters was a great idea. It gave each of us an opportunity to intentionally think of each other, pray for one another and to celebrate our friendships. Looking forward to doing it again.

Blessings

Remember the King

Today is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death some 33 years ago. For years, generations have loved this man's music and yes I must admit I too am an avid Elvis fan. Even though the man was old enough to be my father I love his music. In fact I have a distinct memory of wishing I could have been his daughter. (i'm only 5 months older than Lisa Marie ~ so it could have been totally possible) I mean who wouldn't have wanted to be the daughter of the KING of rock'n roll.

Since I've grown up I've learned that as I walk the path chosen for me, I actually am a daughter to a king ~~ the KING of KINGS ~~ Jesus!
When I struggle with self-worth, I find it helpful to know who I am in Christ; which will help me to live a successful Christian life. The more I agree with God about my identity in Christ, the more my behaviour will reflect my God given identity. Learning to see myself as God sees me and accepting what God says about me, I can become the spiritual person He wants me to be. God's opinion is the one that counts. For all of us it's understanding who you are in Christ that will give you a strong foundation to build your life on. Knowing who you are in Jesus is the key to a successful Christian life. Your identity doesn't depend on something you do or have done. Your true identity is who you are in Christ. When you are in Christ you are a new creation, the old has passed away. It's time to stop living out of who people say you are and take hold of the truth of God's word.
Who I am in Christ
•I am loved. 1John 3:3
•I am accepted. Ephesians 1:6
•I am a child of God. John 1:12
•I am Jesus' friend. John 15:14
•I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him. Romans 8:17
•I am united with God and one spirit with Him. 1Corinthians 6:17
•I am a temple of God. His spirit and his life live in me. 1 Corinthians 6:19
•I am a member of Christ's body. 1Corinthians 12:27
•I am a Saint. Ephesians 1:1
•I am redeemed and forgiven. Colossians 1:14
•I am complete in Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:10
•I am free from condemnation. Romans 8:1
•I am a new creation because I am in Christ. 2Corinthians 5:17
•I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. Colossians 3:12
•I am established, anointed, and sealed by God. 2Corinthians 1:21
•I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7
•I am God's co-worker. 2Corinthians 6:1
•I am seated in heavenly places with Christ. Ephesians 2:6
•I have direct access to God. Ephesians 2:18
•I am chosen to bear fruit. John 15:16
•I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. 1Peter 2:5
•I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature. 2Peter 1:4
•I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me. Hebrews 13:5
•God works in me to help me do the things He wants me to do. Philippians 2:13
•I can ask God for wisdom and He will give me what I need. James 1:5

Because I am a follower of Christ, every one of these statements is true for me. One must simply choose to believe what God says.

Blessings

Words of Wisdom ~ part two

Today marks the halfway point in my 31 day challenge. I am committing to read the book of Proverbs a chapter each day until all 31 have been read. Here's what I've learned this last week.

Good teaching comes from good learning - and proverbs has more to say to students than to teachers. Proverbs is concerned with the learning of wisdom. The book makes it clear that there are no good alternatives to learning wisdom. We are either becoming wise learners or refusing to learn and becoming foolish failures. Proverbs encourages us to make the right choice. The wise and the foolish are often contrasted in Proverbs. The characteristics, reputation and results of each are worth knowing if wisdom is our goal.

Blessings

Campfire

There's just something about sitting around a campfire, with friends or just Wayne & myself, that I love.

I feel such a peace and serenity as I sit staring into the fire. Some of our best conversations seem to happen then too. For me, I can sit (sometimes for hours at a time) and just stare into the fire, for the rest of the family though, the only way I can convince to stay for any length of time it to bribe them with roasted hotdogs. ^.^

Blessings

Kryssi's cookies

mhmm mmmhmm mmmhmm. YUM~ Krystle & Gerard were over for dinner and she was so excited to share her baking with us. She made Chocolate Chip Cookies, just like moms. The true test however, was when Darcy (our cookie connoisseur) tried them. Don't worry Krys they passed. ^.^

Blessings

blissful day

Dictionary.com gives this definition, supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment for the word "bliss". Which, for today accurately describes how I feel.
Here are three reasons:

1) My sister and I spent the day together. For no reason other than to spend time together. We met at Coffee Cultures in Stratford grabbed a chai tea latte and chatted until our 2 hour parking meter time was up. We spent time visiting our Mom at work before we headed for lunch. As the lunch crowd thinned we figured it was time to head home. What a great way to spend part of my day!

2) After being gone for most of the day, I find that when I come home I tend to have a little shadow wherever I go, and as I type this post I have a puppy sleeping at my feet. :)
3) While I'm cleaning up supper and washing the dishes Darcy appears by my side to help. (without being asked) And the best part ~~ getting a hug from him as he says 'thanks mom for all you do'. {sigh}

So today truly was a 'bliss' full day.

Blessings

Words of Wisdom

Wikipedia describes a proverb as: A proverb, (from the Latin proverbium), is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. If a proverb is distinguished by particularly good phrasing, it may be known as an aphorism. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible (Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own. I'm in the midst of a 31 day challenge. A challenge to read 1 chapter of the book of Proverbs a day until I've read the whole book in one month. So far what I've learned is; that to have effective living we need to begin with God's wisdom by respecting and appreciating who God is; reverence and awe in recognizing the almighty God. It requires moral application - by trusting in God and His Word; allowing His Word to speak to us personally; willing to obey. Which in the end; results with effective living; experiencing what God does with our lives.

Blessings

Down by the Creek

At the back of the farm we have a little creek that runs though what used to be the pasture land. Since we no longer have cows, the pasture has become quite overgrown and the creek is a bit of a marsh. Yesterday while walking, I decided to take a short detour over to the creek and sit for awhile. Sitting by the creek I began to listen quite intently on my surroundings. As the birds sang, the crickets creaked and the wind gently blew; I could feel a tranquility come over me. As I sat in the stillness and rested, I began to think about the hustle and bustle of daily life. How most things can pass by us. How we can have a deep conversation with someone and remember most of what was said, but in all honesty once the conversation was over, our minds close the door and we move on to something else. We experience alot, but we learn relatively little. There's too much to do. People have no time to pause and think about what just happened. We rush frantically from one task to another. During the summer months of July and August most people take time for holidays. Time to slow life down and reflect on what we do. During time away we often find reflection moments in the quiet gaps while enjoying our vacation. Without reflection, change is often impossible. These days I'm attempting to make refection a regular practice, it's a deliberate choice I'm trying to build into my life.

Blessings

random thought

The cup's there, filled half way, some see it half full, others see it half empty. If you believe it's half full then you're optimistic, half empty then you're pessimistic. At least that's what we're told.

How do you see the glass? Please leave your comments, I'm curious to know whether there are more optimists or pessimists.

Blessings

31 Day Challenge

The challenge is to read the book of Proverbs - one chapter a day for the next 31 days. Since there are 31 chapters in the book and the month of August has 31 days, this works out perfect (should be easy to remember which chapter I'm to read). What a great opportunity to really focus my reading for the next month.

At the start of each chapter in my Life Application Study Bible (New Living Translation Bible) there is a brief synopsis of each chapter.

From the book of Proverbs:

Alphabet letters, vowels, and consonants formed into words, sentences, paragraphs, and books -spoken, signed, whispered, written, and printed. From friendly advice to impassioned speeches and from dusty volumes to daily tabloids, messages are sent and received, with each sender trying to impart knowledge... and wisdom.
Woven into human fabric is the desire to learn and understand. Our mind sets us apart from animals, and we analyze, conceptualize, theorize, discuss, and debate everything from science to the supernatural. We build schools, institutes and universities, where learned professors can teach us about the world and about life.
Knowledge is good, but there is a vast difference between "knowledge" (having the facts) and "wisdom" (applying those facts to life). We may amass knowledge, but without wisdom our knowledge is useless. We must learn how to live out what we know.
The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, left us a legacy of written wisdom in three volumes - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. In those books, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he gives practical insights and guidelines for life.
In the first of the these three volumes, Solomon passes on his practical advice in the form of proverbs. A proverb is a short, concise sentence the conveys moral truth.
Proverbs covers a wide range of topics, including youth and discipline, family life, self-control and resisting temptation, business matters, words and the tongue, knowing God, marriage, seeking the truth, wealth and poverty, immorality, and of course, wisdom.

Throughout the next month as I'm reading, I hope to gain a better understanding of God's word and develop a deeper appreciation knowing that God is the key to wisdom. My intention is not to only read the proverbs but to act on them.

Check back for the weekly update....

Blessings