Proverbs to live by

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 12 (Please read them all, I comment on a few).

Verse 1: To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. (If you don't want to learn, schooling will teach you little. But if you want to be taught, there is no end to what you can learn. This includes being willing to accept discipline and correction and to learn from the wisdom of others.)

Verse 3: Wickedness never brings stability; only the godly have deep roots.
(To have deep roots and be stable means to be successful. Real success comes only to those who do what is right. Those who are wicked my have success only temporarily and it is bought at the expense of character. Real success maintains personal integrity and you need to be a success by God's standards.)

Verse 13: The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble. (Evil people twist facts to support their claims and eventually are trapped by their lies. Those who tell the truth, give an unshakable defense.)

Verse 16: A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. (It is only natural to retaliate when someone insults you, but this solves nothing and encourages more trouble. Instead, answer slowly and quietly. Your positive response will achieve positive results.)

Verse 19: Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed. (Truth is always timely. It applies today and in the future because it is connected with God's changeless character. Consider the countless hours spent studying the Bible. The Bible withstands the test of time.)

Verse 23: Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly. (Wise people have a quiet confidence and insecure people feel the need to prove themselves, but wise people don't have to prove anything.)

Verse 27: Lazy people don't even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find. (The lazy people waste and it becomes a way of life for them. Waste is poor stewardship.)

Verse 28: The way of the godly leads to life; their path does not lead to death. (For unbelievers, death is a feared destiny. But for God's people, death is a pathway to a new and better life. So why fear death? Perhaps we fear pain or separation from loved ones, but God can help us deal with those fears. He shows us that death is not final, but just another step in the eternal life we received when we followed him.)

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Do you pity nonbelievers? I do, because they are missing out on the love of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life. Can we help them? Yes, we can by spreading the word of Christ and bringing nonbelievers into his light.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is out of rehab after many months for a crushed leg and doing well and being cared for by her ex. Pray for Gabe and Wanda. Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother who faces another round of chemotherapy and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer. Update on Robert: he has one more treatment and then three months of waiting for his psat test to come back clean.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
Pray for another friend named Carolyn whose faith remains strong, but is lost and confused about where and how to spend her elder years.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.