NOTE TO SELF--and anyone else interested

DAY 59 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 28-- REVELATION : A wounded heart impedes the path to wisdom. A whole heart clears the way. Things happen. Bad things. Sad things. Child molestation. Abuse. Betrayal. War. Gangs. A fallen world is rife with ways to rob, steal, and destroy us. When these events happen to us--especially as children--our hearts are wounded, perhaps even broken. These emotions from wounds long past color our lives today. We react differently when we carry the weight of our past. It will manifest in visceral, over-the-top emotions where the situation doesn't warrant that type of response.  Watch how people respond to our reactions. If we pay attention we can identify those moments when our reaction is chained to our past. One of my old wounds is betrayal. If something doesn't go right--or a friend doesn't follow through-- BAM ! All the old emotions of betrayal crash into that moment. Somehow ...

DAY 58 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 27--A friend of mine is a counselor who uses horses as therapy. She's amazing and has worked successfully with PTSD patients and those with developmental and emotional disabilities. She also works with folks who want to learn how to be a better person--the person GOD created them to be. So, I like horses--from a distance. I thought her work was great, but not for me who has a fear of horses. My friend "bles sed" me with a complimentary retreat. I was less nervous when I learned the session didn't include riding, but various exercises with horses--on the ground. One exercise was to move a tethered horse with the light touch of your hand on their backside. The horse will only move if you're calm and gentle. I was amazed when the horse actually moved at my touch. My friend then said to go to the other side of the horse and move the horse back to his original position. My ...

DAY 57 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 26--This proverb always gives me a chuckle. The other day it occurred to me that laziness takes a lot of effort . Really . It takes an incredible amount of creativity to dream up excuses why to NOT do something. This proverb illustrates the absurdity, but the deals with a legitimate theme, fear. The "it could happen" excuse. Yes, a lion could escape from the zoo and happen to be prowling around the neighborhood looking for some unsuspecting soul mowing their lawn. Or, yes, there could be a blood-thirsty, disease-infested mosquito buzzing around the yard craving a bite of someone taking out the trash. Or, yes, we could fail and everyone would hate us for eternity. What a waste of creativity. Then there's all the effort necessary to deal with the repercussions of not doing the task.  Dealing with disappointing others.  Dealing with people who don't trust us to...

DAY 56 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 25--One of the most embarrassing and sometimes humiliating things we can do is to make a public assumption that is incorrect. OY! I have been guilty of such a feat of stupidity and I've been the victim of such an accusation. Neither feels real good. An assumption happens when we're reactive. We see or hear something and react based on what we think is a person's motive. Then we carry that assumption into what we perceive as fact. Assumption is not discernment. If we actively assume, then our discernment muscle will be weak or inactive all together. It actually impedes our growth. Once that assumption is public and proved incorrect, how is it any different that gossip? Or worse, lying.  If we see or hear something that disturbs us, but we don't have proof of motive or action, we can either react or ignore it. Or , we can ask the LORD for His:  wisdom,  knowl...

DAY 55 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 24--We've all felt it. That overwhelming sense of "righteous indignation" when someone offends or hurts us. That: "How dare you!" moment that triggers our emotions, which triggers our brain to figure out a way to retaliate. All those emotions and plans for revenge are understandable. Understandable, but not a place for us to dwell or act upon. GOD sets a different standard for us. He is about grace and mercy--and aren't we glad about that! Sometimes when things like this happen to me, I try to picture myself leaving the offense "outside" to enter my Sacred Space of Grace with my Heavenly Daddy.  In this place I can cry, get angry, tell Him how unfair it was, and then, allow Him to comfort me, point me toward forgiveness and how I can proceed. It's a place of healing and revelation. As long as we live in this world, there will be a tempest of...

DAY 54 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE! #ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 23--As hubby and I navigate our retirement years, we find ourselves being purposeful to NOT wear ourselves out with worry about having enough money for the future. Being wise and prudent with our finances is the right thing to do, but a dear friend gave us some wise advice: "We don't own money, it's a resource from GOD." So, that means we should be good stewards of our money--as with any gift from our loving Daddy.  Getting financial advice from professionals.  Setting reasonable goals.  Being generous to GOD's work.  These are all ways to operate in stewardship. Verse 5 goes on to say, "When you cast your eyes on riches, it is gone; for it surely sprouts wings and flies off into the sky like an eagle." When our focus is on money--whether in greed or fear--we take our eyes off GOD. If money is truly a resource from Him, then it's His to control. We should cast our e...

DAY 53 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 22--You feel it almost immediately. The atmosphere goes from peaceful or hopeful and cooperative, to discouragement and division. A scoffer has entered the room. The scoffer injects cynicism and non-constructive criticism into conversations, meetings, families, and fellowship. For reasons only they know, they feel the need to bring this negativity into situations they want to control. They find a perverse sense of satisf action when they change a productive event into a discouraging one. Intentional or not the root is evil. That seems harsh but look at what scoffing produces.  Division.  Discouragement.  Rejection.  A sense of failure.  Chaos Destruction of community. The most disconcerting thing about the scoffer is how easy it is to become one. It sneaks in through disappointment, control, pride, greed, fear, unforgiveness , and anger. My name is ...

DAY 52 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 21--Working in the corporate world, when it came time to present my ideas to the big-wigs, I was routinely asked, "Did you do your due diligence?" In other words, had I truly prepared my proposal by doing the research, investigating every conceivable scenario, and creating the plans for infrastructure. Ultimately, their decision was based on cost vs. savings and if the project was something they could grow  and utilize long-term. I gained favor with my supervisors because of my preparation, but they had their own reasons for accepting or denying my proposal. I think in this Proverb, our omnipotent GOD isn't offended with our "due diligence." I wonder if our preparation has more to do with stewardship and less about pursuing victory. In all things, the LORD determines the outcome. Perhaps, like prayer, He allows us to be part of the process because in it we can grow i...

DAY 51 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 20--When we think of talebearers or blabbermouths, generally we think of a certain type of person. Actually, there are different types of talebearers: Juicy Jerk : This person can't wait to blab a juicy secret. Once someone tells them a confidence, it becomes fair game in the gossip world. When we think of a blabbermouth, this is probably the person we think of. Absent-minded Professor : This person treats information as a valuable resource--for themselves. The information outweighs the secrecy because it is useful for other purposes they deem important. These purposes include proving their point in an argument, teaching opportunities, and lessons they give to others. In many cases they honestly forget that our confidence was a secret. The Prayer-Request Divulger : Yes, my friends, divulging a secret within a group of "intercessors" is still breaking a confidence. How many times ...

DAY 50 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 19--I used to have a real problem with follow-through. Pretty regularly a project I began would soon gather cobwebs and never be completed. It was embarrassing. Projects began with great enthusiasm and fanfare. "Yes, folks! Watch as I amaze you!" Then, the first snag caused me to lose momentum. Another challenge and I'd give up. Over the years, I could fill a warehouse with the unrealized ideas, projects, and dreams. How did I overcome this--or rather, how am I working to overcome the slacker blues? Work. Boring, I know, but it's just plain work. It's not just about enthusiasm. Enthusiasm dissolves quickly, so it can't be my motivator. The job completed is the motivator. So, I have to settle in my mind that it will be work. The brilliant idea? It takes work. Cleaning out the garage? It takes work. As best I can, I try to consider the cost of an idea. Fi...

DAY 49 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 18--Did you know that a gift or talent GOD has built you for can also provide favor for you? One of the most precious revelations Abba gave me was that He built me with certain passions that reflect His heart. And He does this for all of His children. Each of us carry part of Him. How we steward these passions and develop these gifts and abilities are in our hands. Striving to be as good a steward as possible not only blesses us, but others and GOD. Stewardship is not about perfection, mind you. It's about persistence in doing the best that we can. When we're in that place of operating in the passions GOD created us for, it opens doors and windows of favor. We just have to watch for them. That takes wisdom and discernment--and we're all working on that, right?  May we find favor in our gifts and talents, my friends. Proverbs 18:16--A man’s gift makes room for him, ...

DAY 48 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 17--I used to live in strife. I'm not sure when the drama began, but it was what I knew, and in an odd, dysfunctional way, comforting. Strife in this world is expected, but GOD wants peace for us at home. That's not always possible, but if home is where the heart is, then it stands to reason that we can have peace in our heart no matter what goes on around us. At some point I experienced a breakthrough and deliverance from the old strife patterns. Our home became more of a sanctuary than battlefield. And you'd think that would be comfortable right away. It wasn't. Initially, it was strange and uncomfortable. In the quiet the long-unsettled battles surfaced, but because of the intentional quiet and pursuit of peace, I noticed the issues for the first time. In the months and years since then, GOD and I have dealt with them one by one. Today, I crave the quiet and work to keep...

DAY 47 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 16--Sometimes the world needs warriors, those courageous souls who battle injustice with might. But the world truly heals and grows through wisdom and shalom (peace). Controlling our anger can sometimes take a warrior's heart. We must battle everyday to keep it in check. Is it a sin to get angry? No. In Ephesians 4:26, we are to be angry, but not sin. Which means to not let the anger fester into violence or bitterness or unforgiveness. Anger alerts us that something is wrong. Wisdom shows us how to navigate toward restoration or reconciliation. A circumstance or injustice may anger us, but in order to affect true change or correct the wrong, the anger can't be our impetus. Righteousness should be our trigger. With wisdom comes strategy and the possibility of resolution and healing. Our eyes should not focus on the battle, but on the One who is our Victor. May we be slow to a...

DAY 46 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 15--I must confess, I enjoy those cat videos on social media. After a marathon day of meetings and a task list as tall as me, a few minutes of mindless silliness gives my brain a chance to rest before jumping back into my responsibilities. But, have you noticed? It's really easy to keep watching these videos--kittens, babies, puppies, dads returning from overseas... I would venture an opinion that it's pos sible to watch these vignettes of other peoples' lives all day long. As I get older, I'm more aware of how precious time is. The quality of each moment is dependent upon what I "feed" on. Do I seek wisdom and knowledge? Then, I must feed on the ingredients that make up these attributes. Being purposeful with my time is not easy, and sometimes GOD has to remind me that rest and re-creation are also important components to my wisdom journey, too. The best way...

DAY 45 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 14--Anger is like a fog. It rolls in and makes it difficult--sometimes impossible--to see what's around us. When we're slow to anger--less reactive to an offense or hurt or disappointment--we are more aware of the repercussions of an emotional response. We can use wisdom, discernment, and understanding as we weigh our response. I don't know about you, but sometimes having more control over my anger emotions is difficult. It's difficult to stand back and evaluate what happened. Have you ever driven in heavy fog? Living in the San Francisco area for a number of years, we had to learn pretty quickly how to navigate foggy conditions.  There are certain rules you follow in order to not end up in a ditch or up the rear-end of the vehicle in front of you. I noticed the regulations are a clever way of helping me remember to watch my anger responses. First, slow down. When an...