Dad's Proverbs

Jesus has called each of us to be, first and foremost, servants… not leaders, not missionaries, not doctors, business men, teachers, laborers or pastors… In whatever vocation or role we assume, we are to always find ways to humbly serve…

In our families, in our neighborhoods, in our schools/work places, and in the more remote places in the world…Our sphere of influence must prioritize the narrow and deep (fewer, more time), as these are the relationships that impact most, though every interaction involves the exchange of seeds…

We must remember that those who love the darkness will always be critical and suspicious of those of the Light, and those of the Light must know that they will always antagonize the darkness.

Jesus asked His followers to ask God for laborers (Luke 10), not miracle workers. History has shown that His kingdom is advanced through humility, love and service (the fruit of the spirit) much more than through “signs and wonders.” Greatest in God’s Kingdom is the “gifted” miracle worker or the humble servant? According to Jesus, we need people through whom He will work miracles (His time, place, circumstance, etc), but more we need people willing to abandon self-pursuits and self-acclaim and go, care, serve, love, teach, wash feet, ask questions, listen…

Jesus lovers will always be criticized by men, and we can bow to men and compromise our devotion to God or bow to our Father and compromise our devotion to men…

You and I can change the world today (Jesus’ way) by embracing our neighbor, by serving our offensive co-worker (or family member), by raising our children in humility and respect, by seeking the outcast…

As we look back in 500 years, will we be sorry or pleased with our pursuits and passions, and with our priorities and how we “spent” this single life given to us… There are so many ways to have an impact and, according to Jesus, serving individuals is primary…

No matter how hard we pull on a young plant, it will not produce fruit more quickly.

A wise question, with eternal significance, for every man and woman “Christian”: “Am I treasuring this earthly life or am I abandoning it to serve my Father and others, resulting in an eternal treasure?”

There is nothing easy about the journey of self-abandonment, yet this is where Jesus leads, and in 1000 years we will be pleased that we offered ourselves to be spent by Him and that we weren’t preoccupied with our own comfort and that which doesn’t last…

Our Father often transforms pain to beauty. We have the daily opportunity to communicate our care to those who are hurting and facing confusing trials, and our care communicates their value to us and to our Father.

Anything purchased has nominal value.

The care and value that we receive from others when we face challenges has far more significance than any temporal loss or failure.

The trees must always be emphasized, while the larger forest is appreciated, but left to our Father’s care.

Suffering is a window of opportunity for independent, stubborn and blind human beings to receive care from their Father and to recognize that their insignificance in this world in no way diminishes their value.

We so commonly adopt the world’s superficial world view of suffering (all suffering is bad/evil/to be avoided), forgetting our Father and His care-full awareness and eternal purpose of every circumstance, whether to us pleasant or unpleasant.

Every aspect of creation reveals something about our Father.

It is far more our Father’s joy to see man helping/serving man than to employ the miraculous (no participation from man).

There is one master who fills us, supports us, guides us into health, satisfies us, gives us real wisdom, and leads us beside quiet waters, while many, many other masters (religion, morality, pleasure, comfort, ease, gluttony, wealth, etc) steal from us, exhaust us, wound us, confuse us and leave us alone. It is daily our choice as to whom we will serve…

Have we found the secret to contentment in the west or have we lost it? Have we moved closer to our Father or further away? How much of our modern activity steals from the substance of life and how much adds to what most people believe are the core ingredients of a life well-lived – peace, contentment, joy…

Sound bites have replaced detailed conversations, while statements and opinions have replaced civil discourse. We are daily tempted to draw conclusions quickly and to hold strongly to our personal opinions, often gained with little interaction and knowledge.

One of the most beautiful gifts that He gives to His children to give away and receive is the gift of encouragement.

A great way to encourage someone is to express gratitude for their life, their presence, their work, etc.

The Kingdom of God, as presented in the bible and in the life of Jesus (and historically), offers not to remove the pain, but rather offers to us the ability to put this earthly reality into an eternal perspective.

We must remember that EVERY topic and EVERY person is far more complex than we are able to appreciate from our first impression(s)!

As Jesus-followers, we don’t want to look back on our lives in a thousand years and see that we disregarded Jesus’ Kingdom emphasis of connecting to Him and to others as we, like those on the wide and well-trod path, were swept away by modern technology’s bells and whistles.

We are called to leave our computers and TV's, weep with those who weep, laugh with those who laugh and embrace, encourage and connect.

Understanding of our Father, of life, of circumstances, etc doesn’t give life (which many still seek), but rather it is daily appreciation for His care and His affirming presence that drives a life-giving relationship with Him, the foundation of which is His care and grace, so freely offered…

The more unlearned/unwise we are the more vulnerable we are to charismatic leadership and empty promises…

We push people toward a commitment with Jesus without honestly communicating the reality of the journey. Jesus didn't do this...

We don’t do the work of the kingdom as we gather for “church”, but we gather to support and encourage each other in our abandonment to Kingdom work (loving difficult people in difficult places) outside of the gathering.

An abandoned Jesus-follower cares not about where he/she lives, about painful sacrifices, about reputation, about financial security, about enjoying life… His/her passion is to know Him and to see others know Him, as well.

We commonly value our performance rather than value who we are (a loved and valued child of the One who created us in joy, just as we are). We praise a person’s “character” more than honor their beauty in the eyes of our Father (whether their behavior is “good” or otherwise). According to Jesus, all people are beautiful, quite apart from goodness (father running to his prodigal son).

Jesus clearly indicated that people engage in good/healthy/constructive and bad/unhealthy/destructive behavior, but He said that “goodness” was an impossible human standard and that only God is good.

Go! The global needs of beautiful people are innumerable. It only takes willingness to go to the hard places and willingness to learn what is necessary to help.

Jesus was a “people-ist” and constantly railed against a focus on the law, morality and an emphasis on “right” and “wrong.” He certainly encouraged healthy, nondestructive behavior, but placed huge emphasis on people over their behavior (or political views).

To disagree is human and healthy, as wherever there is more than one person involved in a decision, one will find disagreement. Why are we surprised (or offended) because, at this point in their journey, another doesn’t see the same landscape as we do?

Do we ask people what they believe, honor them, and enjoy hearing their reasoning or are we focused on providing for them all the “right” answers?

“And this is my commandment, that you believe and teach only correct doctrine, and that you persuade everyone to believe exactly as you do, and this is my second commandment, which is like the first, that you criticize, mock, ridicule and demonize anyone who disagrees with you.”

Do we love only those who love us and think like us? Must we attack and belittle people who disagree with us?

There is a humility and realistic vulnerability in rural Angola that causes one to honor another because, as the proverb says, when one falls into a pit, it is much easier to get out if you are not alone (“rugged individualism” is not admired or pursued here).

If we would more demonstrate respect and honor, perhaps more men and women would see themselves as worthy of respect!

Our relationship with Jesus is not a one-time commitment, but rather a journey of many changes, many errors, and many passions, and we must give grace to ourselves and to others as they(we) journey with their(our) Father. Encouraging trust and intimacy with Jesus, that will develop over eternity, is our Father’s heart for each of us.

I disagree with the idea that life is a marathon and that we must pace ourselves. I think it is more a series of sprints and rest, a seemingly random compilation of starts and stops, and a battle against that which distracts us from our Father and His Kingdom.

Rest is beautiful and satisfying when one has been spent. … spent by our Father for the sake of another.

We haven’t found life until we have been consistently spent for the benefit of another.

So much is spoken of about “finding God’s will for my life,” but I’ve heard few concerns about God’s will from those who have abandoned this life, those who are rubbing shoulders with “the least” every day, those who have died to personal ambitions/fulfillment, those who are “seeking first” the Kingdom of God, those who "care not” for the things of this world…

My cemetery walks are always good, sober times of uniquely refocusing on death, eternal realities and this life’s remarkable brevity… and strolling and connecting with my Father in a manner that will continue long after one of these markers bears my name…

Quick growth doesn’t last (grass vs trees), and that time, patience, and continued input are necessary, whether growing fruit spiritually or naturally.

We must not abandon relationship with people Jesus loves when they appear to be rejecting us or Jesus (we have all done the same).

God's directing of your journey and His joy in creating uniquely you is discounted when you compare yourself to another.

Only when living in the misplaced priorities of economic prosperity can one read the bible and hear that “things must go well with you”…

Today, we seek to fill our church services as we encourage people to experience the wedding without considering the cost/reality of a marriage… the ups and downs, failures and successes, conflict and harmony, the mundane and the exciting.

We need reminding often of the truths that we already know.

There is nothing easy about the journey of self-abandonment, yet this is where Jesus leads, and in 1000 years we will be pleased that we offered ourselves to be spent by Him and that we weren’t preoccupied with our own comfort and that which doesn’t last…

We push people toward a commitment with Jesus without honestly communicating the reality of the journey. Jesus didn't do this…

We don’t do the work of the kingdom as we gather for “church,” but we gather to support and encourage each other in our abandonment to Kingdom work (loving difficult people in difficult places) outside of the gathering.

An abandoned Jesus-follower cares not about where he/she lives, about painful sacrifices, about reputation, about financial security, about enjoying life… His/her passion is to know Him and to see others know Him, as well.

Variety maintains interest.

Abundance of anything can decrease its value, yet its value is our choice.

Money represents someone's (yours, another's...) work.

To lead is to know disappointment, misunderstanding, and conflict.

Sticks and stones may break one’s bones but words can wound one’s heart.

Beware of the ear-tickling "health and wealth" teachers/preachers. They preach to the flesh rather than to the spirit.

Discipline, perseverance, and teamwork are keys to survival in battle.

Every organization (and family) will have conflict within. Recognizing and addressing it effectively (not its absence) is the key to unity.

Self-less love, doubt-less faith, and hope without moments of despair are not possible in this life.

Grumbling/complaining is one of the most powerful forces in every organization.

One cannot build or lead a strong team if he/she takes disagreement personally.

Enter a relationship with exclusivity and commitment once in your life.

How you see yourself greatly affects how you see others.

Few things remind us of our mortality more effectively than illness and pain.

Balance maintained between work, leisure, and relationships will yield long-term benefits.

To learn, one must want to learn.

Medication is a tool for the care of one's body even as a wrench is for an engine and a hammer is for house maintenance.

To consult a physician for a health issue is the same as to ask someone to pray for you or to seek out a mechanic for automobile care, or an architect for home repair.

To hear, we must choose to listen.

Be these in the hands of God: a pawn, an instrument, a tool, soft clay...

It is not our teaching that impacts people as much as our life, and the passion that motivates us.

We have been called not to preach, to teach, to serve, or to heal; but to love.

We are not called to do something great in the Kingdom. We are called to abide with the King.

To live with a controlling person is to live without an identity.

To live with a domineering and overbearing person is to live as a slave.

God is more interested in what He's doing in you than in what He's doing through you. Not original

One must be quiet of heart to see the unseen and to hear His “still, small voice.”

Many equate being "Christian" with being nice/kind, but loving another often requires words and actions that will not be perceived as nice/kind.

A friend will speak to you the truth about you, as he perceives it. A non-friend will cheer for you, support you and encourage you while you continue along a destructive path in fear of the short-term discomfort associated with confrontation.

God is interested in peace makers, not in peace keepers.

We errantly think that certain earthly things (marriage, children, success, wealth, popularity, power, freedom from conflict, etc) will bring us a lasting sense of well-being and contentment. Jesus said that only intimacy with Him can bring this.

Trying to motivate the unmotivated is like getting one to drink who doesn't feel thirst.

All things in the "seen" world are to reveal something to us about the unseen world. Perhaps mosquitoes, flies, chiggers, parasites and pium exist to remind us of the ever-present, unseen, demons (the pests of the enemy).

It's a person's heart we will remember, rarely his/her words.

When the potential risk is great, think and act cautiously.

It's difficult living with uncertainty and ambiguity, but don't try to make certain that which is not.

Many know of God but few know Him.

“Casting pearls before swine” occurs often today. Many don't appreciate the value of Kingdom wisdom.

To love deeply is to experience deep joy and deep pain. How deeply we love is our choice.

There is nothing like a parent's love for their child, regardless of age.

Time passes quickly and your memory will fade. Appreciate every experience.

Passionate investment requires an attitude of marked indifference toward other things.

Knowing what to do and how to do it are helpful but they have no value until you begin to work.

If you are mentally, physically, and spiritually equipped to handle difficulty, I have raised you well.

We are often blind to our shortcomings and a true friend will point these out with care.

To never quit is not a virtue. Perseverance, in what you’ve been called to do, is a virtue.

God doesn't help those who help themselves, He helps those who ask.

What you don't have appears attractive, but this attraction "changes" when it becomes yours.

Faith is not belief, but trust.

Prayer is not talking to God. It is a conversation with our Father.

Being "born again" is not the goal, but rather the necessary beginning, the first step toward the goal of intimacy with God.

Our goal is not to make converts, but to love people and, in so doing, introduce them to our family and to our Father.

Knowing the Bible doesn't make one holy, it points to humble relationship with its Author.

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.

Live simply. Most material things are not blessings, but distractions from the significant, beautiful, and fulfilling - what you really desire.

People respond to pain by hardening their hearts, arresting their minds, or humbly exchanging their understanding for trust in a loving God

We cannot focus well on two things at once. To fix our eyes on Jesus, we must take our eyes off of ourselves.

Christians are not Bible followers, do-gooders or church-goers; they are Jesus lovers.

The man was dead and two days later was fully alive. He certainly was more than a teacher, a wise man, or a gifted leader.

To walk in the Spirit is often different than to follow the Bible.

Without breathing for three to five minutes, your life would irreversibly end. A worthwhile study: Examine all of the spontaneous, wondrous factors within your body, beyond your control, that occur to enable you to simply breathe once.

The more we look outward (our solar system, galaxy, and beyond), and the more we look inward (life on the cellular and atomic level), the more awe inspiring becomes both the design and its Designer.

Disagreement among brothers is normal. How we disagree is more important than the matter itself.

Prayer (communication with our Father) is like exercise in that often the biggest challenge is getting started.

Busyness prevents relationship building; idleness is an invitation to the enemy.

Marry young and hope that when you and your spouse grow up, they will still be the person that you now want to marry.

God often acts in ways that man would not choose or expect.

Arrogance says that life should be better, that I should have more, that I should not have to work so hard, that I should be happier. Humility recognizes that which it has been given, and is grateful.

We can only change the exterior, the superficial about us. The more we try to change, the less we change. The more we walk closely with Jesus, however, abandoning a focus on becoming better while putting our focus on His pleasure and others’ benefit, the more real, inner, deep change occurs.

If a part of the body acts independently of the head, no matter how skilled it is, the body becomes uncoordinated and will either fall or lose its effectiveness to function as a whole.

If the body acts without thinking (submitting to the head), injury to itself or another body will likely result.

Coordination of a body occurs simply when the various parts of the body work together for the same purpose, directed by the head.

Many parts of the body are quite humble in appearance or function, but a wound to the same, in a healthy body, affects the whole.

When one part of the body is wounded, the head uses another part of the body (often the hand) to provide comfort, while other parts are used to assist in healing the wound.

The function of many parts of the body is to serve, build up, repair, maintain, or protect the whole.

The eye sees nothing without light.

The senses appreciate both beauty and danger outside the body.

Certain parts of the body are more significant to survival than others.

Some parts of the body are not needed for survival (tongue) but their roles are highly significant in the effectiveness of the body's work.

Many parts of the body are directly dependent on another (heart, blood; brain, nerves; muscles, bones, etc), but all parts are interdependent on the others.

The organs most needed for survival are unseen.

Body parts must focus on playing their individual part well, as directed by the head, without concern for how the other parts are performing.

One part can admire and appreciate the work of another, while maintaining focus on performing its own task well.

Desiring to be another part of the body is never beneficial.

444) Gratitude for the life and work of other parts will always be present in a healthy body, with the acknowledgement that not one part can function independently of the whole.

The parts of the body are created, not self-chosen.

Pain is a necessary signal to alert the rest of the body as to the need for assistance.

Problems are not evil but our response to them may be.

Our response to problems/difficulty will be one of either pushing away from, or pushing toward, our Father.

There is no such thing as life without problems or change. Learn well how to respond to these rather than wish that they weren't there.

To wish that something wasn’t real, or could be different, has no value. A wise response, to what is, has value.

The pursuit of a dream is not a worthy endeavor. To pursue the God that made you, and His purposes for you, is a worthy endeavor.

The more reality varies from your ideal (the way life “should be”), the more likely that you will be depressed, frustrated, and discontented.

Recalling a man's words accurately is honoring. Altering them kills trust.

The majority of the world's religious people ignore that God desires relationship with them.

Two men enter the jungle to live. One enters with nothing. The second enters with tools, food, water, counsel from those who have lived there and much study to prepare. Adulthood is like the jungle. Enter as did the second man, equipped.

Acknowledge your weaknesses (we all have them), work in your strengths.

Remember that the message of the cross is foolishness to those perishing. You will be called foolish, stupid, simple, etc. if you follow Jesus.

A good teacher imparts the same truths repeatedly to his/her various students.

Our Father is not looking for more excellent leaders, but rather He is looking for "normal," flawed people who are willing to serve, dependent on Him.

Kingdom response, "Yes, Lord!"

You have desires, plans and dreams but what is your Father calling you to do today?

God's heart for His children (Prov 24:32): When I observed it (situation, circumstance, etc.), I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction.

To be baptized in Jesus is to be forever washed.

When you pray, use spoken words. Don’t “feel” pray.

The easiest and most “exciting” part of any race, endeavor or relationship (including that with Jesus) is the first.

It is vision that creates the motivation to persevere. What is your life vision?

When you know the embrace and the affection of God, you will be free.

In the Kingdom, both the costs and the benefits are great. The more you give of yourself, the more others benefit. The more you give of yourself now, the more you benefit eternally. The more you give in the "seen" world, the more you benefit in the "unseen"…

The typical "Christian" is like the Pharisees of old, clean on the outside and empty and dead on the inside. Resist the temptation to wear any type of mask and seek Him as you are.

There's often much difference between good ideas and God's ideas, between good plans and God's plans, between good works and God's works. Think and listen!

Planted seeds will not bear fruit in a day, a week, a month…

Your life will never remain the same.

One who can't forgive doesn't fully appreciate how much he's been forgiven.

Fasting takes you to a place of brokenness and it is usually in a broken state that our hearts are more able to receive.

Nothing's shape or character can be transformed without the current shape or character first being broken.

Religion says, "God will love you if..." Jesus says, "I love you, period. Nothing that you do will ever change my affection for you."

We are our own god on the level of the ancient pagans when we say, "I will follow God if..." or “I can’t believe in a god that…”

Kingdom living is "nevertheless" living. "This difficult/painful circumstance has occurred; nevertheless I will worship and trust my loving God." "He/she did/said that harmful thing to/about me, nevertheless I will love them, pray for them, serve them...

Kingdom living is "whatever" living. "Jesus, whatever you wish to do/say to/through me..." "Whatever path (easy or difficult) you wish to put me on, Jesus, in order to create in me greater intimacy with you...”

Making disciples is not about teaching as much as it's about modeling intimacy and surrender to Jesus.

Arrogance will make much of either its own success or its own failure.

Tension, caused by opposing forces, is a reality in both the natural world and in the Kingdom of God.

Look for the one outcast or wounded. It is there that the soil is likely ready for seed.

Leave enough “margin” in your life to be a “good Samaritan” when your day is “interrupted” by someone wounded.

Prayer is dependence. The more that we spend time with, make requests of, and listen to, our Father, the more dependent on Him we are.

The less that you spend time with, make requests of, and listen to, your Father, the more you are living independently of Him.

Prayer is conversation; speaking and listening.

My daughter, beware of the man that says, “I love you,” early in the relationship; He doesn’t know what love is and seeks to satisfy his own desires (the opposite of true love).

A man will say, “I love you,” in his desire to get sex or some form of physical affection. A woman will give physical affection (sex) in her desire to be loved.
—Unknown

My son, beware of outward beauty as it is only the cover of the book. It’s what is inside the cover that you will “read” for a long time.

If you selectively marry for physical beauty, you will regret it.

If you allow physical appearance to guide your choice of relationships, you will miss relationship with many beautiful people.

The best gauge for relational commitment is revealing, honest friendship.

The most effective temptations of the enemy are smiling, beautiful, and “interested” in you.

Beware of flattery, saying something nice to be liked. Don’t use it and learn to recognize it, so as to not be deceived by it.

The more time you spend with one person (boyfriend/girlfriend), the less time you spend with the other beautiful people put on your path by your Father.

Find a wife/husband while pursuing God as the other way around will fail.

Whom you choose to marry is the most important decision you will ever make, next to your decision to follow Jesus.
—Not original

True beauty resides within the family of God, His most varied, inexplicable, glorious, wonder-full creation yet.

The Gardener decides which flowers remain for a full season and which are harvested while young.

The return on worldly riches does not nearly equal the cost.

A self-focus will destroy you, from the inside out. A Jesus focus will give you life, from the inside out.

The speed at which life passes so increases when you have kids, when you would especially like to slow it down.

All good deeds can be done for self-gain or done with self-abandonment, trusting in your Father’s vision and control.

Lies may make you appear better to others but you will think less of yourself.

Treating people with honor and respect will give a good return.

If you lie and embellish, you will eventually neither believe yourself nor others.

Each and every second, there are more “beyond understanding” miracles taking place within your body, to sustain the gift of life, than Jesus performed in His entire lifetime on earth.

Criticism and praise both test your character.

To feel good/content/happy may be a result but if this becomes your goal, you will never taste it.

The inner drive to conquer is strong in men. Both young men and young women must be wise to this.

“Who am I?” “Whose am I?” “Who will I serve?” “Which voice will I obey?”... Key questions, especially when you find yourself in a desert place.

You will suffer pain, heartache, loss, and rejection. Whatever it is that you suffer, He has experienced the same. He knows what you are feeling.

Your Father chooses exactly how you will suffer. He knows your abilities and He knows what it takes in your life to bring you and/or others to Him.

Jesus didn’t suffer so that we would not. He showed us that suffering can glorify the King.

To seek to avoid suffering is to seek to avoid the manner in which you can be best used for His glory.

Our ever-present hope is that we look forward to a place without suffering and injustice.

To expect to avoid injustice in this life is to expect to walk through fire without getting burned. In following Jesus, you will walk through fire.

You are placed in difficult, unjust circumstances with purpose.

Success in the Kingdom is to walk, with Jesus, through injustice and suffering. Jesus walked with his Father through the same.

To pursue earthly success is to neglect the Kingdom.

To equate earthly success with Kingdom success is to completely miss Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God.

Whether we see our life and its circumstances as the result of chance, or as a gift, given with forethought and purpose in love and joy, affects everything.

To be self-confident is to be a sheep wanting to leave the shepherd, a hammer wanting to build a house, or a canoe dreaming of setting out on a river trip.

Insecurity is not, in and of itself, unhealthy. Whether it is healthy or unhealthy depends on what you do with it, and to whom you go, to gain security.

When you lead a small group, ask questions. It will keep all engaged and uncover otherwise hidden treasure.

Your life will always consist of both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and both that which comes easily and that which is difficult.

Appreciate the pleasant things in your life. “Accept with joy” those things unpleasant. Both are given/allowed by your Father.

“How will I look back on (this choice) tomorrow (in a week, a year, ten years, a hundred years, etc)?” is a healthy tool in your pursuit of making wise decisions.

Find those hungry for wisdom, hungry for righteousness, hungry for more of God, and spend time with them.

Hunger and thirst, disappointment and sadness, weakness and inadequacy, wounding and rejection… are all realities within the Kingdom of God.

It’s not possible to please everyone and there is no pleasing some people ever.

Wisdom is purchased in the marketplace of suffering.

Desperation is a rich instructor for the wise. The same hardens the heart of the fool.

Beware of the power of distraction. It has brought to ruin many who began with a sound vision.

Don’t mock or “make fun of” another, even in jest. To highlight the fault of another is to pinch a festering boil.

Laugh at yourself and build up the other. Many people turn this around.

A critical spirit suffocates joy.

If one pushes his opinion, insisting that you choose his course or method, he honors you as a master does his slave.

The wise give advice and let it go.

If we journey the road less-travelled, if we choose to enter the fray and fight His fight... there will be pain, injury and discomfort. He is our example.

The one who talks the most is heard the least.

Talk much about yourself and you will end up talking to yourself.

Don’t seek to earn another’s favor. Be yourself, be honest, and trust Him with the perceptions of your acquaintances.

Worry can cause unseen damage to our physical health, it puts those we love in bondage, and it destroys our trust in the One we follow...

The woman who lures you to physical intimacy outside of marriage loves neither you nor herself. Her god is self and she is using you in her desire to be loved.

The man who lures you to physical intimacy outside of marriage loves neither you nor himself. His god is self and he is using you in his desire to feel better about himself.

To secure the love of a woman is to catch a chicken in an open field.

Seek to always feel good and you will achieve nothing.

Time is your most precious commodity. Spend it wisely as how you spend your time today determines what you will harvest tomorrow.

It is wise to eliminate, “I want...” from your vocabulary.

With forethought, God made you exactly as he intended (in appearance, in personality, in gifts...) and declared, “It is good!” You honor Him with gratitude and a desire to be no one but you.

If you try to be like another, you put on a mask, hiding the unique beauty that is in only you.

Learn of your colleague’s journey. In doing so, you will learn much of why he believes, and behaves, as he does.

Proverbs are written because of love for the reader and an understanding of the certain challenges and difficulties ahead.

Mistakes are made by those courageous enough to step into the arena.

There are no failures in the Kingdom. There are those who fail, who fall, who make mistakes (in our eyes), but one cannot be a failure who walks hand in hand with the Judge and King.

All unhealthy addictions begin pleasantly without appreciation for their power to destroy.

First impressions are rarely entirely accurate. Hold loosely your initial impressions of people and situations.

Your life consists of seasons. These seasons will change and vary greatly.

Sometimes your biggest challenge will be the juggling of many good things.

The Kingdom of God is certainly multi-factorial but is centered in love, especially God’s incredible, undeserved love for you.

All participants enter a debate/discussion with bias. This will be evident especially in debates about such topics as creation vs. evolution, religion, politics, etc. Realize that the person you are debating is on a journey of discovery, still formulating answers and world views (despite his apparent certainty), no matter his age or experience. Debate humbly, because you are the same.

Your current immaturity will not be clear until you look back on it.

The Good News is about His beauty and goodness, not ours.

“As you are,” is a Kingdom phrase. Only those who see and worship God, as He is, find life. Only when you come to Him, as you are, do you discover His wondrous, life-changing love for you.

Speak about yourself, if asked. Avoid “I” speak otherwise.

If we are a broken vessel carrying the Light, it isn’t helpful to cover our flaws and prevent the Light from shining out.

About whom and what you speak reveals your interest. If you are frequently speaking about your activities, your work, your past, your opinions, your dreams...

Everyone is interested in themselves. Demonstrate your interest in another by asking them about their activities, their work, their past, their opinions, their joys, their fears, their dreams...

If you have a problem with someone, speak to them, not about them. If you have been offended by someone, speak to them, not about them. If you see someone sinning, speak to them, not about them.

When you speak ill of someone, you wound them far more than if you speak to them. Freely speak ill of others and you will destroy whatever group or organization of which you are part.

What does a soldier think and feel while in what will be a long and victorious the battle but fatigue, confusion, reexamination of purpose, doubt, loneliness, misunderstanding, dependence, fear, desire to quit/run, vulnerability...?

It is difficult to serve and to bless one ungrateful. Express freely your gratitude for the work and service done on your behalf.

Be a friend of another, seeking to build them up, to encourage them, to serve them and to ask questions of them, exploring who and where they are. Or be a “friend” of another because they build you up, they encourage you, they serve you, they listen to you and you enjoy their presence.

Humility is not a comfortable home to live in but all its neighbors know they are valued and loved. The home of arrogance is mansion-esque, a wonderful place to live, and others marvel at its features. Its neighbors, however, are unknown, unappreciated, and without value.

The majority of women, for the majority of men, are objects of pleasure and/or fantasy.

Leisure and rest have great value after hard work.

You may be identified by many things that you do, such as successes, failures, vocation, spouse, etc. but I will ever identify you for who you are, my son/daughter. With our Father, it is exactly the same. We are forever and unalterably His son/daughter.

On earth, we label people so quickly, creating an identity out of temporary behavior. Any behavior is redeemable with our Father. All people make some poor choices on a long journey. We must separate (our own and other’s) behavior from identity.

The family of God is a “but now” people. They are a people who “once were...”, “but now...”

Redemption is the redeeming of the “fix” you find yourself in. Redemption is especially God’s pleasure. Your mistake, your sin, your “fix” is an opportunity for Him to demonstrate His pleasure and ability. Go to Him!

To judge is to call one’s journey completed.

Every person you encounter is on a journey. How will you be used on their journey?

See your (and another’s) life as a story, being written moment by moment. It involves action and suspense, heroes, and heroines, climaxes, failure, success, love, enemies...

There exists evil (not simply the absence of good), motivated to destroy all that is good and of God. Most people do not recognize this force until they are personally confronted by it, when their world view is then modified to accommodate its presence.

To not recognize that we have an enemy bent on destruction is to live blind to reality, in ignorance and in denial. To fear him is to not know your Father.

To live ignorant of your enemy’s schemes is to be vulnerable to his will.

Denial is a powerful defense mechanism, in no way protecting those who use it from the destructive influences of what they deny.

Discrediting or minimizing the abilities of your enemy/opponent will lead to confused frustration and eventual defeat. Most “Christians” fail to acknowledge an enemy’s presence, much less his abilities.

Distraction can ruin a meeting, a conversation, a relationship, a job, a marriage, a family, a career, a calling, a life...

Nothing remains the same.

Life is lived in tension between many extremes. Identify the extremes and fight to remain in tension.

Choosing to die is not a “feel good” proposition for the one dying. In the Kingdom, we don’t die in order to feel good. The abundant life does not “feel” better than the alternatives, yet it is better.

We don’t follow Jesus so that we will feel happy or so that we will be more successful in what we do. In following Jesus, we lay these aside as our primary motivations for living, for something better.

To choose to die, to give up your life for another, requires trust that it will be worth it for the benefactor. You cannot die without trusting in Jesus’ care and control regarding the other’s benefit. Each and every moment, you decide whether to trust Jesus that dying to yourself is the best choice.

Many come to Jesus to improve their lot in life. He said rather that to find “life”, we must forsake this life, not seek to improve it.

Whose am I? Where am I going?

Only he that digs finds silver.

Surrender is the attitude of a Kingdom heart.

A life of ease is destructive to the soul. Work hard.