Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 29 and 30

Almost there!

CHAPTER 29

1Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism

will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

Constructive criticism isn't a bad thing. Like I mentioned in the last post, which had a similar verse, it only seeks to help you make better choices and decisions.  

Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 27 and 28

Barreling right along, today Chapters 27 and 28 are my focus.

CHAPTER 27

1Don’t brag about tomorrow,

since you don’t know what the day will bring.

2Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—

a stranger, not your own lips.

The first verse stood out to me because we can make sooooo many plans in life, travel to here, spend that, go there, do this, etc, but ultimately we can't tell the future. We can't tell what will happen tomorrow. It's really all up to God. So yes, make plans, but be mindful that anything can happen.

The second verse talks about self-praise. If I came to tell you that I'm such a nice person, very jovial and cheery versus someone else saying the same thing about me, doesn't it make sense that you'd give more credence to the other person?  

Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 25 and 26

3 more posts in this Proverbs Blog-Along series, and we'll be done!!! Today, I'm tackling chapters 25 and 26 and will be discussing any verses that catch my eye. Please feel free to share what jumps out to you from these chapters, in the comments :)

CHAPTER 25

5Evil people must be removed before anyone can rule with justice.(CEV)

Dear Nigeria... enough said.  

Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 23 and 24

In the last Proverbs Blog-Along post, the last few verses of Chapter 22 began with 5 of Thirty Wise Sayings, and they continue in Chapter 23. As always, I'll choose the verses that stood out the most to me. Please feel free to share what jumps out to you from these chapters, in the comments :)

CHAPTER 23

Wise Saying #6

1When you are invited

to eat with a king,

use your best manners.(CEV)

It actually goes on to say a bit more, but just this first verse caught my eye. If you take it on its own, it's pretty clear that the message is to watch your manners and behave properly in the presence of a king, or someone of influence maybe. Taken with the verses that follow though... it's a little more tricky. If you get it, please tell me in the comments. 

Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 21 and 22

Moving right along with the Proverbs Blog-Along, I'm going to share the verses that stood out to me from Chapters 21 and 22, and I hope you do too.

CHAPTER 21

3The lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just

than when we offer him sacrifices.

I think this is a good verse to  remember. Some people think that if they give offerings, financial or otherwise, they're good-to-go, without examining their hearts and what they do. Not good - no bueno!

9It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic

than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

19 It's better to live alone in the desert

than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. 

This is exactly the kind of wife I DON'T WANT to be!

Proverbs Blog-Along: Day 20

I sincerely apologize for stopping a little over halfway of my Proverbs a day challenge :( At first, it was the traveling back and forth, and then it became more of a people-aren't-commenting-so-maybe-I-should-reduce-the-frequency thing. But at the end of the day, it was something I really wanted to do for myself, and include anyone who was interested. Funny enough, I actually got emails and was told offline that the posts were really encouraging and helpful, so I don't know why I stopped. Well, I'm coming back to it and I'm finishing before September ends!!!

So here are my favorite verses from Chapter 20. (I used New Living Translation all the way)

3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor;

only fools insist on quarreling.

Proverbs Blog-Along: Day 19

Yup yup, moving right along to Chapter 19!

These are the verses I liked the most from this chapter...

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;

haste makes mistakes.

To me, this speaks about the value of planning. Yes, you might have a brilliant idea and want to run with it immediately, but you need to take a chill pill and explore how best to go about your idea before making any rash decisions. This can be applied to business ventures, wedding planning, your occupation, finances, etc.

3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness

and then are angry at the lord.

Lol, imagine that God has been telling you to stay away from a particular boyfriend or girlfriend, but noooooooooo, you insist that he/she is the one. The next thing, they cheat on you and break your heart, and you go and cry to God asking why He allowed such hurt to touch you. Lol, wouldn't it be funny, if God said, "Haha, you're a joker sha."

6 Many seek favors from a ruler;

everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

I think this verse is very true. People in power, or people who are rich and/or very generous tend to have a lot of friends and "friends."

8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;

people who cherish understanding will prosper.

Do you love yourself? Yes? Are you doing what you can to acquire wisdom, develop yourself professionally, spiritually, relationally, financially, etc-ally? No? Ooops, you don't love yourself.

11 Sensible people control their temper;

they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the progress made in my life, and I pray for your grace to get even better. Especially when I'm driving. Please forgive me for my terrible display this morning. Amen.

14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,

but only the lord can give an understanding wife.

Wow! Another chapter that mentions the value of a wife... an understanding wife, that is. :)

17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the lord—

and he will repay you!

I've mentioned a loooooong time ago how I feel about giving, especially to the poor, especially in Nigeria. There are beggars on pretty much every road, and while I choose to give to only disabled people or children, sometimes I wonder who I think I am to decide who is "worthy" or not of my giving. Of course, there are those who are only out to get money for drugs or alcohol, but is it my place to judge? At the end of the day, I'm obeying God's word and giving to those who are less fortunate, right?

23 Fear of the lord leads to life,

bringing security and protection from harm.

Amen.

Alrighty ladies and gentlemen, any verses that speak to you that I might have missed? Or would you like to contribute to my discussions?


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Proverbs Blog-Along: Day 18

Ooops, I stopped again. I'm soooooooooooooooo sorry. I made a mental note every day until today, but decided to just do it today, instead of thinking about it only. So where were we? Chapter 17 was the last post in the series. I meant to do Days 18 to 20, but this turned into a longer post than I planned.

DAY 18

1It's selfish and stupid to think only of yourself (CEV)

In light of the recent Ebola outbreak across West Africa, I'm using the first part of verse 1 to ask why anyone who knowingly has the disease or has come in contact with someone with the disease refuses to report themselves to the authorities or be quarantined. I hear someone in Lagos who was at risk of having ebola refused to be quarantined, and now she actually has the disease!!!! She has family members who are now at risk! Is it fair?!?!?! People, DO NOT BE SELFISH!!!

10The name of the lord is a strong fortress;

the godly run to him and are safe.

I only picked out this verse because of the song... "The name of the Lord is, a strong tower, the righteous run into it, and they are saaaaaafe." I like running into (no pun intended) verses that are the basis for Christian songs. :)

11The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;

they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

Let me not even lie, I feel more comfortable when there's a certain level of money available to me (which is relative because I'm sure some people consider me poor, whereas other consider me rich - haha, yeah right). The point is, when my account drops below a certain balance, I start to panic like the world is about to fall out of the sky. SO WRONG!!!

13Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

13 It's stupid and embarrassing to give an answer before you listen. (CEV)

I decided to quote from 2 versions because it gives a more weighty message. How many times have you started talking and arguing and jumping to conclusions before you've even gotten the full story? I know I have! 

16Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!

I can't help but think of how people who give bribes will now use this verse to their benefit. :(

21The tongue can bring death or life;

Watch what you say. Your words ARE powerful. Sometimes, I even extend it to my thoughts, because before you say it, you've thought it. If you can vanquish negative thoughts towards someone else, then you won't even utter the words. I have to admit that a lot of times sha, I have to ask God for forgiveness from some mean things in my head. 

22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the lord. (CEV)

22 A man's greatest treasure is his wife - she is a gift from the LORD. 

Cakes quotes this verse (I put 2 versions) and it makes me smile :)

24There are “friends” who destroy each other,

but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

24Some friends don't help,

but a true friend is closer

than your own family. (CEV)

Isn't this verse so true?!?! When you've found a true friend, you've basically found someone as good as, if not better, than even your own family members. I actually think it's doubly sweeter if/when your family members ARE your friends, e.g. my siblings and parents are among the best friends I could ever have. There's some form of communication EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I also have other non-family members who are so close, I call them cousins or sisters, because a lot people don't understand why we're that close.

What are your favorite verses from Chapter 18?

Berry.

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Proverbs Blog-Along: Day 16

Right off the bat, the first verse packs a big punch!

1We can make our own plans,

but the lord gives the right answer.

I mean, BAM! Has it happened to you before that you make all these plans, e.g. decide that your boyfriend is definitely the one for you, and then God is just like "Nope, I have something/one else for you." It's much better to go with what God has planned and purposed for you because, they will surpass anything that you have planned for yourself.

3Commit your actions to the lord,

and your plans will succeed.

It might look like we should make our plans and then commit them to God for them to succeed in this verse. But the truth is, as you commit your actions to Him and listen for His voice and instructions, He just might lead you in a different path. Or He might agree with your actions. The point is to commit whatever is in your heart to God, and He will give you discernment to lead to your success.

4The lord has made everything for his own purposes,

EVERYTHING. Including YOU. Made for HIS purpose. Just think on this and assess whether your thoughts, actions, and words are aligned with His will and purpose.

9We can make our plans,

but the lord determines our steps.

Just like verse 1, this talks about the plans we make.

24Kind words are like honey—

sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

The power of your words is so real. Wouldn't you rather hear compliments and kind words about yourself? Well, it's a two-way street. You should also be that person who has something kind and sweet to say.

31Gray hair is a crown of glory;

it is gained by living a godly life.

Hehe, I chuckled at this one. Everybody that's dyeing their grey hair... are you seeing? Are you hearing? So the 7 new grey hairs I found on my arm should be celebrated, right? :D


Have a pretty weekend everybawdy! Wash your hands regularly.
*still with the air kisses*

Berry

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Proverbs Blog-Along Day 15

Sooooooooo, it's time for us to pick up where we left off.

DAY 15
These are the verses that stood out to me...

15For the despondent, every day brings trouble; 

for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

16Better to have little, with fear for the lord,

than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.

Verse 15 is so right. Your attitude determines how you see life, and what happens to you. I've been like that before, where I saw things negatively and would see the bad in every situation, thereby blowing up problems into gigantic catastrophes. If you're happy and live with that outlook, you'll always have a cause to be thankful and celebrate. Verse 16 is also a good one. Imagine having all the money you can imagine times infinity, but you don't have inner peace. There's really no point.

17A bowl of vegetables with someone you love

is better than steak with someone you hate.

I heart this verse right here. What's the point of having riches, and the best things in life, if you're sharing it with someone you hate or dislike? I hear about a lot of Nigerian women who want the good life - designer this or that, and end up marrying men they can't stand. At the end of the day, they're really miserable, if you think about it.

22Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

31If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.

32If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

Mehn, these verses pack a punch! It can be applied to all facets of life - business, education, personal development and more. How can you grow if you don't get advice or listen to constructive criticism? The only way to grow is by learning, and there'll always be one person or another that you can learn from, whether it's a mentor, pastor, parent, friend, financial adviser, etc.

Any thoughts or other verses from this chapter you like?

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Proverbs Blog-Along Day 13

DAY 13
Some of the verses that stood out to me were

7Some who are poor pretend to be rich;

others who are rich pretend to be poor.

LOL, come to Lagos and see the number of guys pretending to be CEOs and MDs, driving big cars that double as their homes, because they can't afford rent.

8The rich can pay a ransom for their lives,

but the poor won’t even get threatened.

In a normal society, this is true. The wealthy people are the ones who attract thieves or kidnappers. However, Nigeria is not a normal society. 

Proverbs Blog-Along Day 12

So of course, we were busy throughout the weekend, and I wasn't able to update with Days 12 and 13 like I hoped I would. Well, here goes :)

DAY 12
Again, this chapter has the usual comparative sayings. Right off the bat, I very quickly saw verses that resonated with me...

1To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

At first I read this with a different context in mind, seeing discipline as defined by regular study or practice of something. In that context, I still think the first part of the verse is apt. You can't learn if you're not disciplined. How many people actually imbibe any knowledge, if they don't discipline themselves to regularly read, study or practice something often? Using the "correct" context though, looking at discipline as reprimand or correction for doing something wrong, it still holds true. You have to be willing to take correction and learn from your mistakes.

4A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones. 

4A helpful wife is a jewel for her husband, but a shameless wife will make his bones rot. [CEV]

I'm nowhere near perfect (as my dramatics confirm) but I really hope Cakes feels I'm a worthy wife to him. [Ahem, sorry for picking fights with you this weekend. It was the PMS]

9Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.

This might be just me, but I don't know how anyone can feel pompous and self-important, when they have nothing to speak of.

16A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

:( God is really dealing with my conscience here. I get irritated very quickly... wait, maybe it was the PMSing this weekend? Okay, no... sometimes I get irritated very quickly and start sulking when I should just calm down and chill out.

25Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

Cakes and my mum are always telling me to calm down and stop worrying. I literally feel sometimes like the weight of the world (okay Nigeria) is on my head and I can't do anything about it. I should learn to always cast my burdens and worries on Jesus...

I was going to put Day/Chapter 13 in this post as well, but this one is long enough already. I quoted using the NLT versions.

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Proverbs Blog-Along: Day 11

Now that I've finally caught up, hopefully, these should come with 1 chapter every single day :)

This chapter is full of comparisons between godly and ungodly people, wise and foolish people, honest and dishonest people, etc.

The very first verse that caught my eye today though was

14Without wise leadership, a nation falls;

Chai! NIGERIA OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Another couple of verses that made me go "hmmm" were

24Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

25The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

I think Cakes is a good example of someone who gives freely and it's been apparent that he's been doing better in life. I wonder though, if 'becoming more wealthy' is strictly related to just finances. I doubt it, because you hear of people who don't have much monetarily, but they're big givers and they're full of love, full of joy, and that's a kind of wealth, isn't it?

Verse 28 talks about trusting money...

28Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

For me, I struggle a little bit with this. It's not that I put money above God, but I feel safer and more secure when there's money in my bank account. Cakes and I differ in this aspect a lot. I worry about saving, saving, saving and he's more relaxed because he knows that God will provide, no matter what. I didn't actually think I would be like this, because when I was younger (and my mum will attest to this), I always said, "Money's important, but it's not THAT important. As long as I'm comfortable, everything's alright." And now, my perspective has changed a little bit. I'm not pursuing money or anything like that, but I begin to really panic when my bank account gets to a certain balance.

I pray that my attitude towards money changes with time, and that I learn to trust God more, so that even if I lose my job tomorrow (GOD FORBID O, I'M JUST SAYING) that I will put my faith in Him. Amen.

Have a pretty weekend, you pretty person. Yes, you too, you pretty male person. *winks*


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Proverbs Blog-Along: Days 8, 9 and 10

DAY 8
This chapter talks about Wisdom from beginning to end. But I just want to zero in on the following verses. First version is New Living Translation.

10Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.

11For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

12“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.

Here it is in the Contemporary English Version

10Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold.

11 Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire.”

12I am Wisdom—Common Sense is my closest friend; I possess knowledge and sound judgment.

What I get from these verses is that wisdom (knowledge, insight, understanding, discernment/good judgment) is more important than riches. You might say, "yeah right." But think about it. How many people with large amounts of money (e.g. people that win the lottery) have gone an squandered it all away because they lack the know-how on how to deal with their money??? You see it a lot of times. Some people in the entertainment industry make it big all of a sudden, and they just gather up expensive cars, clothes, houses, etc and before you know it, they're in debt (anybody remember MC Hammer?). Do you know that many celebs owe hundreds of thousands of Naira (if not even millions) to a lot of restaurants and clubs in Lagos??? You seek the money, but you don't seek the knowledge that will help you make wise decisions on how to give, save, and spend...

DAY 9
This chapter also talks about Wisdom, and ends with a few verses about Stupidity. Isn't it funny how both Wisdom and Stupidity call out to people? Which one will you answer?

9If you have good sense, instruction will help you to have even better sense.

And if you live right, education will help you to know even more.

10 Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom.

To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.

I like verse 9 particularly, as it just states the simple fact that if you pursue knowledge/wisdom (instruction and education), you will have more of it.

DAY 10
This is more like the Proverbs I know. *side note, it almost seems like I've never read Proverbs before, because it all seems so new* Anyways, there are a couple of topics here from Obedience to Discipline, but I particularly like

19You will say the wrong thing  if you talk too much—

so be sensible and watch what you say.

20The words of a good person are like pure silver..

I like this because we all need to know WHAT to say, WHEN to say it, HOW MUCH to say, etc. Remember, wisdom ultimately comes from God, so the more we seek and listen to His instructions, the easier it will be for us to discern how to use our words.

God bless!!!

YAY, I'm finally caught up!!! WOOT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Shey today's the 10th and my calendar isn't playing tricks on me?
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