Proverbs to live by

The Book of Proverbs Chapter 14
(Please read them all. I only comment on a few with the aid of notes from NLT Bible)


Verse 4: An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable. (The only way to keep you life free of people problems is to keep it free of people. But if your life is empty of people, it is useless. And you end up living only for yourself, your life loses its meaning.)


Verse 6: A mockers seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. (Mockers are people who scoff at every word of advice or instruction. They never find wisdom because they don't seek it seriously.)


Verse 12: There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. (The "path" may require a few sacrifices. Easy choices should cause us to take a second look. The right choice often requires hard work and self sacrifice.)


Verse 29: Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes. ( A quick temper can be like a fire out of control. It can burn us. Anger, in itself, is not wrong. Anger can be a legitimate reaction to injustice and sin. When you feel angry, look for the cause. Perhaps you are reacting to an evil situation that needs to be set right.)


Verse 31: Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor him. (God has special concerns for the poor. He wants people with material goods to be generous with those who are needy.)



HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? This chapter speaks of good and evil and sin and fear and saving lives.Our God knows you are not perfect. He knows our hearts. He knows what is within our minds. Yet he continues to expect the very best from us. Don't disappoint him !


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.