NOTE TO SELF--and anyone else interested

DAY 90 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 31--I've shared a few times about my hunger for wisdom--how challenges with my learning disabilities and events in my childhood made it difficult to make wise decisions. What I don't often share is how these insecurities and poor judgments produced bitterness and anger. I felt an underlying need to defend myself and my actions. I seldom admitted to being wrong because--in my mind--admitting a mistake revea led my stupidity. And that made me ashamed. That anger and bitterness caused me to be judgmental, mostly because I was afraid of being judged. There were no lessons of kindness on my tongue because I was afraid to be vulnerable. Ironically, being in a place of vulnerability with GOD was exactly the place I needed to be. Being vulnerable caused me to be more teachable. Being more teachable meant I could learn. Only after I learned could I share the lessons of kindness to others. ...

DAY 89 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 30-- YIKES . This is a scary one, isn't it? GOD doesn't mess around with lies or "almost-truths." If we stick to what GOD says in the Bible safe. His words are true. So what are ways we can add to His words? One of the ways we can add to GOD's words is by what we say about Him in our own lives. Our testimonies. Have you every heard the term "evangelistically speaking?" It's a horrible term actually. Essentially it is exaggerations or embellishments of the truth. For example, a testimony may be made a bit more miraculous or dramatic. It's mostly the truth, just not all the way. In GOD's eyes, it's adding to His words. It's worthy of rebuke. It can invalidate our testimony as a lie. Is it worth the risk? Another way is how we project GOD's "image." As sin becomes subjective and accepted norm, it' easy to be...

DAY 88 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 29--FEAR OF MAN. The fear of man has many siblings: Fear of confrontation, fear of being unworthy, fear of not being liked, fear of the unknown . . . Many of us struggle with fear--I am one of those people. For most of my life there were so many missed opportunities because I was afraid. Afraid to make a decision. Afraid to speak the truth. Afraid of change. Afraid to discipline my child. Mostly, I was afraid that I was unlovable--by my family, friends, and the worst, by my Heavenly Daddy. As I began to trust more in the LORD and His love, I was less afraid. He graciously brought fearless people into my life and I learned from them. I learned that in most circumstances they are as afraid as I am, they just do what they need to do afraid. A few years ago I experienced something that I could never had done five years ago. I was held up at gunpoint and I followed GOD's leading without fe...

DAY 87 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 28--There are many types of poverty. Not just a lack of riches or material things. Poverty of spirit, wisdom, faith, compassion and love. I believe that GOD gives some people riches because they have the mantle to be good stewards. As followers of Messiah, those who are wealthy can make a difference in the Kingdom by their generosity. King David had much wealth, but he blessed those he governed. So, if those who don't have riches chase after them, they are expending a lot of energy and perhaps resources in order to achieve something they may not be called to steward. If they are expending what GOD has given them and not valuing them as precious, then poverty will overtake them. When we are stingy with gratitude, grace, compassion, mercy, or love because we think it costs us too much, we clog up the conduit of those "riches" that comes from the heart of GOD. Stinginess is no...

DAY 86 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 27--This is one of those pondering verses. Like a well, the insights are in the depths, not the surface. Anger and wrath are reactions to some stimuli--could jealousy be one of them? When I think of jealousy and envy morphing into anger and wrath, the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) comes to mind. A few years ago, hubby and I taught Shabbat school in Philadelphia. We were going through the 10 Commandments and were on the last commandment about coveting. We wanted to give the kids a way of really remembering how deadly coveting can be. Rather than going for the jugular with Cain and Abel, we decided to try a fun way. You know the game where there is a pile of different sized presents and you roll the dice to get one of the brightly wrapped packages? When the gifts are gone, the players begin taking from other players. Inevitably the class chose the larger boxes first. We watched the...

DAY 85 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 26--As someone who was hungry for affirmation, for a long time I didn't understand how flattery could cause ruin. Someone who gushed with nice things about me was a nice thing, wasn't it? It felt good--until the first time a flatterer showed their true colors. I believe the flatterer Scriptures point to those who use compliments for their own purpose--whether they're true or not. It has less to do about the person they flatter and more to do abou t edifying themselves or strategically positioning themselves to gain the upper hand. In this way a flatterer's motives are like the liar--their intent is to ruin and crush. Affirmation is a good thing. Thanks for a job well done should be our normal response to someone who, well, does a good job. Respect can be verbalize in an edifying way without going overboard. Be wary of the flatterer. Watch the eyes. Their sincerity seldo...

DAY 83 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 24--Wisdom is sweet to your soul. And how do we find this sweetness? We're doing it, my friends. We're exploring the beauty, power, nuances, and straightforward wisdom that comes straight from the heart of GOD through His word in Proverbs and the rest of Scriptures and into ours. May we dine on wisdom every day and may it be sweet to our souls, my friends. Proverbs 24:13-14--Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and honeycomb is sweet to your taste. Likewise know that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.  Tree of Life Bible Society   Tree of Life Version - TLV # tlvbible   # tlvproverbs [WATCH Tree of Life Bible Society's CEO, Daniah Greenberg and me, Terri Gillespie dig a little deeper with the book of Proverbs. Check us out at Tree of Life Bible Society, Monday through Friday, LIVE at 8:30am EST. Watch previ...

DAY 82 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 23: We once lived in the cutest town. (We live in a great town now, just different.) During the summer months the downtown area blocked off their main street for their weekly "Dining Under the Stars." Hubby and I lived close enough to walk there and enjoyed many lovely meals and strolls around the unique shops. However, we knew to head home by seven or eight because the "climate" changed from family fun to rowdiness. Those who chose to overindulge tended to raise the volume and erratic foot traffic. There were many weeks that I took any early morning walk into town to grocery shop the next day--before the street crew had an opportunity to erase the misbehavior--and it wasn't pretty. That cute little town became a giant trash receptacle for excess drinking and eating. Honestly, enjoying a glass of wine with a beautifully prepared meal can be a lovely memory. Gr...

DAY 81 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 22--I love this verse! In my roles as employee and employer, I've had the honor of being a friend and confidant to others in power, and I've treasured the relationship of others whom I supervised. Someone who loves purity of heart lives a life of grace. I wish I could say I'm one of those with purity of heart naturally--but I am definitely a work-in-progress. It takes a lot of effort to walk a life of graciousness and pure responses. But, even in the trying it has afforded me the honor of helping those who carry a weight of responsibilities I'll never know. In the past, I've been blessed to count several of my employees as pure of heart. They were more than just trustworthy members of my staff.  They brought pleasant conversation and feedback. They had no hidden agenda to capitalize on my position. They were great sounding-boards and weren't afraid to present a dif...

DAY 80 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 21--Here's one of those sobering proverbs because it deals with motives. The thing most people can't see, the condition of our heart. Interesting thing, eventually those motives will make themselves known. In our behavior. In our speech. In our relationship with the LORD and others. It reminds me of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:10-14). The difference between their prayers was the confessed condition of their hearts. The Pharisee only saw the sins of others. He measured his righteousness based on his sins being "smaller" than others, like the Tax Collector. His pride overshadowed any attempt at repentance. On the other hand, the Tax Collector splayed his heart before GOD in sorrowful repentance. He hid nothing. He agreed with the Pharisee that he was a worm. Yet, Yeshua pronounced the Tax Collector forgiven and righteous. He was forgive...

DAY 79 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 20--Historically an estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. This passage implies that anyone who moves too quickly to build an estate will have problems in the future. But, an estate is more than a home, buildings, land, and livestock. If Downton Abbey has taught us anything its most important asset within an estate are the people. The estate owner is responsible for the livelihood and well being of their staff and family. So, how does this apply to us? Most of us will never own or run an estate. I think this also applies to "Kingdom" building. When we include others in our building, we must be careful to consider the cost--to us and to others. Luke 14:28, “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and figure out ...

DAY 78 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 19--I like receiving gifts, don't you? A little something given to me that had nothing to do with my birthday or anniversary or holiday. Just a thoughtful expression from someone I care about. And that gift doesn't have to be purchased, it can be a visit or phone call or an invite for tea. The gift of time is especially precious. What happens when we "court" someone's generosity? Someone who has the resourc es to give generously? I suppose it's normal to want to have people in our lives that will give to us abundantly. But at what cost? I've learned over the years that having a friend is first and foremost about being a friend. A healthy friendship is where we actively give of ourselves--not to receive, because a good friend naturally reciprocates--but to be there emotionally, spiritually, and physically. To be present in their lives in meaningful ways. Whe...

DAY 77 IN THE 91-DAY NEW HABIT CHALLENGE!  # ProverbsChallenge Proverbs 18--The only "tower" we should run to is GOD's tower. It's our place of safety in the storms and battles of life. We run there when we need refuge. But, we can sometimes build our own towers. It's not just the wealthy that can be tempted to build walls or cities as their refuge, but all of us can do that. What refuge might we build? Food? Alcohol? Friends? Social Media? Entertainment? Careers? Hobbies? Reading? Really, the list is endless. Not everything on those lists are bad in of itself, it's when we build a tower with it. When we seek these things before we seek our loving Father. When we run to His tower first, He may work through other activities to help us relax, gain insight, redirect our thoughts back to Him and His purposes. Our Daddy knows what we need. What will restore us. He is our best refuge. May we run to His tower, my friends. Proverbs 18:1...