There are Two Ways to Say It

"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Proverbs 12:18

Have you ever experienced the "sword thrust" of a sharp tongue
that lashed out before thinking? I'm sure you have, and
you know how it pierces.

Even worse, have you ever spoken those rash words before
thinking what they might do to someone?
I'm sure that most of us have.

Over the past 43 years of marriage and 40 years of motherhood,
concerning this I have learned two things:

1. When the sword of rash words has been thrust into me, the worst time to retort is immediately afterward. It only provokes more anger or more harsh words.

The Psalmist said, "Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder on your own beds, and be silent."
Psalm 4:4

2. When I have become angry and thrust that sword into one that I love, I must not let the anger kindle like a smoldering fire. The result will be that I become bitter and my loved one will suffer the pain of the wounds without the salve of sought forgiveness.

The apostle Paul said:
"Be angry and do not sin;
do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and give no opportunity to the devil."
Ephesians 4:26

The swifter the reconciliation, the less the pain of the sword!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would all just heed
the words of encouragement from the apostle James:

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not
produce the righteousness that God requires."
James 1:19-20

As we try to keep our "swords" in our mouths
and forgiveness on our tongues,
have a blessed day,
Gloria

A Gold Ring in a Pig's Snout

My mother in 1938

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion."
Proverbs 11:22

Don't you love to be surrounded by beauty? I love to have pretty things in my home, to go outside and sit in my garden on a lovely sunny day, to wear pretty clothing, and yes--I also like to wear makeup! I don't want to frighten someone when I walk out of the house! One of my mother's favorite sayings when I was young was, "If you want to be beautiful, you have to suffer a little." She was the ultimate lady in poise, grace and beauty. My retort when I was growing up was, "If I have to suffer, then I don't want to be beautiful." I like comfort, also! discretion [dɪˈskrɛʃən]: the quality of being wise or judicious in avoiding mistakes or faults; prudent; circumspect; cautious; not rash.” In other words, discretion is exercising judgment tempered with caution in order to arrive at a final decision or outcome.

I have 9 beautiful granddaughters. Physically beautiful girls.
Gorgeous. Head turners. I know, you say it's impossible for
all nine of them to be beautiful. But it's true. Just ask me! Now,
I don't want them to be like gold rings in a pig's snout.

Matthew Henry's comment on this verse is so apropos:

"1. It is taken for granted here that beauty or comeliness of body is as a jewel of gold, a thing very valuable, and, where there is wisdom and grace to guard against the temptations of it, it is a great ornament.
Virtue appears peculiarly graceful when associated with beauty);
but a foolish wanton woman, of a light carriage, is fitly compared
to a swine, though she be ever so handsome, wallowing in the
mire of filthy lusts, with which the mind and conscience are defiled,
and, though washed, returning to them.

2. It is lamented that beauty should be so abused as it is by those that have not modesty with it. It seems ill-bestowed upon them; it is quite misplaced, as a jewel in a swine's snout, with which he roots in the dunghill. If beauty be not guarded by virtue, the virtue is exposed by the beauty. It may be applied to all other bodily endowments and accomplishments; it is a pity that those should have them who have not discretion to use them well."
Matthew Henry's Commentary

Mothers and grandmothers, let's teach our girls discretion. Outward beauty is an easy thing to accomplish in this day of pretty clothing and makeup, howbeit entailing a little "suffering" to get that way. But discretion, bringing about an inner beauty of the heart, is a thing to be worked on and practiced.

I started to say, "Good luck!" But it takes much more than luck.

Suffering together,
Gloria

Foundation, Foundation, Foundation

"Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars."
Proverbs 9:1

If we ever build a new home (which we probably won't),
our first focus on that building will be
foundation, foundation, foundation!
We will do all within our power to avoid cracks in the wall, doors that
don't want to open, and the other consequences of a poor foundation.

Wisdom hews her seven pillars. The number seven is the number for perfection. Wisdom does it right! She provides that the house she has built is on a solid foundation. I have a precious brood of grandchildren, and my thoughts are focused on them and their futures much of my waking hours. I still pray with much prayer and supplication for my own children, especially now that they are adults and parents themselves. My heart's desire is that they built their spiritual houses alongside wisdom.

God has provided a simple explanation of how to build our spiritual house. My husband's philosophy about much in life is that it is

"harder than you think, costs more than you think, and takes longer than you think."

It may take a lifetime, but the formula for success is in God's Word:

Build a firm foundation!

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

Matthew 7:24

The first stone to be put into place, according to the Scriptures is

"...Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord." Ephesians 2:20b-21
Have a blessed SONday as we seek to build on the Solid Rock! Gloria

Earnings

Two of the grands at recital

"The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked, to sin." Proverbs 10:16

Our small church of about 150 members has three wonderful pastors, all of whom are brothers. They are real. I started to add to that sentence, but those three words describe them beautifully:

They are real.

All Bible school or seminary grads, they do not accept salaries from the church, but instead choose to work secular jobs as professional painters. Fifty percent of the church's income goes to missions. We are building a new facility, which could take a very long time, because we are doing it ourselves. If there is a need and these men are capable of meeting that need, they are the first ones there. I know of many times when they have stepped in and sacrificed financially or physically. One of these men has 9 children, yet he is quick to open his pocketbook to a real need. One of them teaches music lessons free of charge to any child in the church who would like to learn an instrument. Most of the children at church take lessons! These men are so full of life! What a blessing to be a part of a church where giving is a priority. That life is contagious. It has spread to others, who now volunteer their services to teach music lessons, build the church building, give to missions, and help others free of charge.

Truly, the wages of our righteous pastors have led to life.

On the other hand, we all know of those who seem to gain wealth and either hoard it or spend it like water. I know one man who spent frivolously until he lost everything.

The gain of the wicked leads to sin.

Righteousness must surely lead to generosity, because our generous pastors are so full of life.

Aren't you thankful for those good examples of righteous wage earners?

I know I am; they keep me looking for ways that I may give to others.

Have a blessed weekend full of life!
Gloria

It's Okay to Hate!

Blane and his "pet frog"

"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
Pride and arrogance and perverted speech I hate.
Proverbs 8:13

We all know the illustration of the poor frog who gets put into a pot of boiling water. Well, not that one. He's not so poor; he just jumps out the second he feels the heat. It's the frog who is placed into the pot of cool water that we should feel sorry for. He lies there in comfort, lulled into the water and fooled into thinking that he is taking a Caribbean cruise or something. As the water heats up, he stays there--until he becomes food for some scheming chef!

My creativity has taken a turn for the worse, because I am going to
use this illustration just as many have done in the past. For us
who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, jumping into a pot of
boiling sin doesn't seem likely. We know better, it looks dangerous,
and we see the evil bubbling over. Who would do something so ridiculous as to leap into sin?

Oh, but then there is the cool, refreshing pot of _________(fill it in for yourself) lurking in the kitchen of life. Just one toe goes in. Feels good! A leg--it's great. Why not just get on in? It really won't hurt anything, no one will know, and besides, it feels good. Life is too short not to indulge once in awhile. Now this frog is lured in and ready for consumption by the scheming chef, the enemy of the faith.

As you may have noticed, I tried to lure a few readers by giving the post a rather blatant title: It's Okay to Hate! But truth be told, and I pray that I will always tell the truth, the Bible says it is.

"Hate evil, and love good......."
Amos 5:15
"...Wickedness is an abomination to my lips"
Proverbs 8:7
The apostle Paul struggled with sin just as we do. He said,

"I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:16
Help! If Paul couldn't keep his feet out of the pot, how can I?

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! "
Romans 7:25a
There is an escape route! Sin does not have to have a stranglehold on us, dragging us into the pot. That route is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
Romans 8:1
The best way to avoid that besetting sin is to keep our feet out of the pot!
Let's keep our feet on Solid Ground today.
Thanks for reading,
Gloria

A Sister and an Intimate Friend

"Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister,' and
call insight your intimate friend."
Proverbs 7:4

I love to watch my daughters interact. As youngsters they were so different and not so close, but as they have grown up they have become the best of friends and developed a relationship that I might never have expected. They talk almost daily, either face to face or by phone. They bounce home schooling questions off each other, talk intimately about serious subjects, and sometimes they just laugh and laugh at the silliest things. They seek each other's knowledge and insight in various matters that alone they may not be able to grasp.

As wisdom and insight become our sister and our intimate friend we too have that privilege of seeking what is right and true. The writer of the Proverbs uses this analogy to encourage his son in his lecture concerning the adulterous woman. As we continue to consider our faithfulness to our Heavenly Husband as the Bride of Christ, here are some warnings that are given in chapter 7 about the adulterous woman:

1. She is loud and wayward. Have you ever noticed that many of the things that would draw us away from our faithfulness to God are the same way? They seem to virtually scream to us for attention, drawing our focus away from the One who gave us life and eternal love.

2. She seeks him eagerly. Sin comes crouching at the door, led by the enemy of our faith. Our resolve must be strong, and we must NEVER even crack the door, because when we do, she will often push her way in, bringing us down with her.

3. She offers delight (v.18). Moses chose "rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin" Hebrews 11:25. Why is it that faithlessness to God can bring such pleasure for the moment, but then it turns so very bitter? It seems that if we could only remember that from the last time we went round this mountain!

4. She is seductive (v.21). Perhaps we forget because she seduces usagain and again with her temptations. Staying at a healthy weight is a constant battle for me. And food is seductive! I know!

5. She is a murderer (v.23). The best way to kill our fellowship with God and to adulterate ourselves with our Heavenly Husband is to succumb to the sins that so easily beset us.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..."

Hebrews 12:1-2a

Today let's keep our eyes on the Lover of Our Soul and avoid the pitfalls of sin.

Thanks for reading,
Gloria

Lamps and Lights

Early morning light in Mountain View, Arkansas

I get up in the mornings before anyone else in my household. I love the quiet of morning, the privilege of having my own quiet time without interruption. (Four little girls live with us, and they make a straight path from their rooms to our upstairs "apartment" as soon as they wake up.) But there is a distinct disadvantage to getting up in the dark:
it's dark!
I usually feel my way into the hallway, find the hall light and switch it on--after I close the bedroom door so as not to wake up my hubby.
Then I wash my face and head for the living room. I switch on a lamp,
turn off the hall light, and head for the electric tea pot,
where I turn on another light.

Light is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

"For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life."
Proverbs 6:23

The writer of Proverbs is using this passage to warn his son to avoid the adulterous woman. I can honestly say that being faithless to my husband has never been a temptation for me, so I often skim over these passages. But I have asked God to pierce my heart with His Word.

How may I apply this to my life?
I don't want to abuse the Scriptures, so I began to think about the fact that my eternal husband is the Lord Jesus Christ. I am His bride, and

I DO NOT WANT TO COMMIT SPIRITUAL ADULTERY!

I do not want to love anyone, not even my wonderful earthly husband or my precious children, or my priceless grandchildren more than I love my Lord Jesus Christ. And that has to be a possibility, because we are given many warnings in the Scriptures:

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,....showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 20:4:4a,c

"You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
Deuteronomy 6:5, Luke 10:27, Mark 12:30

The Proverbs passage provides me with a wonderful clue as to how to avoid the disaster of spiritual adultery.

Turn on the lights!

Just as without a light on I stumble over the left-out shoes, walk into the furniture or catch my toe on the stair rail in the dark (I did that once--broke my toe!), without the lamp of the Word of God, the light of His teaching, or the discipline of His reproofs, I will likely become a spiritual adulteress.

Oh, my Heavenly Husband, may I keep the lights on!

Turn on the lights and have a blessed day,
Gloria