Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 4

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1066 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical worldview, you must also have a proper understanding of God’s Word.

Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the Scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors. In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s Word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.

What is the purpose or significance of baptism? In today’s essay, we will explore passages that cover…

The pastor had been preaching a series of messages through l Peter. When it was time for 1 Peter [3:14]-22 he sincerely announced, “We’re going to skip this section since it’s just too strange.” He was right and wrong that day. As odd as it is, this passage is one of the most compelling in the New Testament, if you understand what it is saying.

But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way.  Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.  Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison, those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.  And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

The theme of 1 Peter is that Christians must withstand persecution and persevere in their faith. To understand how our odd passage fits with that theme, we need to get our heads around the concept of “types” and typology—a kind of prophecy that occurs in the Bible.

We’re most familiar with prophecies directly from the mouth of a prophet. But a “type” is an unspoken prophecy: it is an event, person, or institution that foreshadows something that will come. For example, Paul tells us that Adam was a type of Christ. He foreshadowed or echoed something about Jesus, namely that His work on the cross would affect all people just as Adam’s disobedience had a global effect (Rom [5:14]).

1 Peter [3:14]-22 uses typology. The passage presumes that events associated with Genesis 6 typify or foreshadow the gospel and the resurrection. The episode of Genesis 6:1-4, where angelic beings (the “sons of God”) cohabited with human women—the catalyst to the wickedness that brought the judgment of the flood, was especially significant. For Peter, these events were commemorated during baptism.

Peter was evidently familiar with Jewish tradition about Genesis 6. Jewish writers just prior to the New Testament era taught that God sent Enoch (Genesis [5:21]-24) to inform the fallen sons of God that they were doomed for what they had done. These angelic beings were, according to Jewish traditions, held in a prison under the earth.

Peter saw a theological analogy in these ideas. Just as Jesus was the second Adam for Paul, Jesus is the second Enoch for Peter.

Enoch descended to the imprisoned fallen angels to announce their doom. 1 Peter [3:14]-22 has Jesus descending to these “spirits in prison,” these fallen angels. He then tells them they were defeated, despite His crucifixion. God’s plan of salvation and ruling His kingdom was still intact. In fact, it was right on schedule. The crucifixion actually meant victory over every demonic force opposed to God. This victory declaration is why 1 Peter [3:14]-22 ends with Jesus risen from the dead and set at the right hand of God, above all angels, authorities, and powers.

How does this relate to baptism? It explains the logic of the passage. Two words in verse 21 need reconsideration in light of this backdrop. The word most often translated “appeal” (eperotema) in verse 21 is best understood as “pledge.” Likewise, the word “conscience” (suneidésis) does not refer to the inner voice of right and wrong here. Rather, the word refers to an attitude or decision that reflects one’s loyalty.

Baptism, then, is not what produces salvation: it is an oath of loyalty to the risen savior, a public avowal of who is on the Lord’s side in the cosmic war between good and evil. It is also a visceral reminder to the defeated fallen angels. Every baptism is a reiteration of their doom in the wake of the gospel and the kingdom of God.

Early Christians understood the typology of this passage and its link back to the fallen angels of Genesis 6. Early baptismal formulas included a renunciation of Satan and his angels for this very reason. Baptism was and still is spiritual warfare.

That will conclude our essay for this week. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue in the New Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “Jesus Is God.” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute Humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1065 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1065 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from John Keats, and it is, “Don’t be discouraged by failure. Failure, in a sense, is the highway to success because every discovery of what is false leads us to seek what is true. And every fresh experience points out an error which we shall, afterwards, carefully avoid.”

No one likes or enjoys failure, and many become discouraged and quit at the first sign of failure. This should not be. Failure is no more than a detour on life’s road to success.

If you are driving down the highway on the road to a sought after destination, say to visit your kids or grandkids, and you find the road is closed, and there is a detour, would you give up and return home? No, you would travel the extra miles needed on the detour so that you would continue on your road towards your eventual destination.

The highway to success is filled with the potholes of failure. When you see the potholes coming, you try to avoid them, but you will occasionally hit one dead on, and it most likely is not an enjoyable experience. If the road has many potholes, you become more cautious and learn to watch for them and avoid as many as possible.   Every discovery of a pothole leads to you know what the solid highway looks like and what is to be avoided.

In the same manner, every failure on your road to success will allow you to learn what to carefully avoid and give you the confidence to keep moving forward toward your destination. So don’t let the potholes of failure on your highway to success discourage you. Learn from them, avoid them when possible, and enjoy your journey. Keep in mind, ultimately it is God who provides our success.

Deuteronomy 8:18 – Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1064 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1064 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday.

Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time, to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind. 

Stuff…In our western cultures, and especially in the United States, accumulating stuff has become a national pastime. What drives this fixation we have with accumulating more and more? In our Meditation Monday today I want us to reflect on…

Our obsession with stuff carries a hefty price tag. As a society, we spend 110% of our disposable income trying to manage debt. We are obsessed with accumulating stuff. We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.

We have become a nation of hoarders. We have to build or buy larger homes to store all of our stuff, and when they fill up, we spend even more money renting storage buildings to store the stuff we never use and certainly don’t need. We fill our garages to the brim with worthless stuff, while we let our vehicles costing tens of thousands of dollars sit out in the weather to be ravished by the elements.

The US and most western governments do the same running on deficit spending. Why are we driven to such insanity? Who can keep up? No one can!

Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Greed comes in many forms. Greed for approval. Greed for applause. Greed for status. Greed to keep up with others. The tenth commandment in Exodus 20:17 clearly tells us, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Greed has many faces but speaks one language: the language of more. Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” We could also say, “Whoever loves stuff, never has enough stuff.” We are only caretakers at best of all that we possess in this world. When we depart, it is no longer ours. This old adage is also very true, “The more that we own, the more we are owned by it.”

The only way to feel full is to feel fulfilled. The only way to feel fulfilled is to understand that everything we have comes from God—and he gives us exactly what we need. All of it is on loan! And, someday we’ll have to give it all back, checking it at heaven’s door!

That is a wrap for today’s meditation. Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1063 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1063 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

Understanding ourselves and how others may interpret life through their paradigm better allows us to interact with each other with more love and compassion. This can be achieved by utilizing a profound tool called “The Enneagram.” The tool that we refer to as the Enneagram (Any-a-Gram) is a circle with nine interconnected points (Ennea refers to 9 and Gram referring to a drawing).  Check out today’s or a prior week’s Wisdom Journal for a representation of it. I have also included a copy of “The Enneagram At-A-Glance,” which was compiled by Suzanne H. Eller in today’s Wisdom Journal. If you would like a PDF copy, click on the link in today’s Wisdom Journal located on our website Wisdom-Trek.com.

For additional insight, I recommend the book The Road Back to You written by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. It is an excellent book about an enneagram journey to self-discovery from a Christian perspective.

We have concluded our deep dive into the nine types which are “The Reformer,” “The Helper,”“The Achiever,” “The Individualist,”  “The Investigator,” “The Loyalist,”  “The Enthusiast,”  “The Challenger,” and “The Peacemaker.”  Thirteen weeks ago, we began a series of episodes on Type Combinations, answering the question, “What are the potential relationship benefits and issues with each combination?” Covering all of the 45 different potential type combinations will take several weeks, but will be valuable in understanding each other, regardless of what type you are and what type those with whom you interact with each day are.

Since we are exploring the Enneagram in detail, I would also recommend reading the Wisdom Journal for each Friday to see the diagrams presented each week. As helpful as the Enneagram is, keep in mind, it is still only a tool and cannot replace or usurp the precepts that are found in God’s Word. All decisions and actions that we make in life must be in harmony with God’s precepts.

So the questions for the next several weeks will be…

“Hey, Gramps, why do people act and react to situations and circumstances in life so differently?  How can I gain wisdom to better understand myself and others so that I can love, serve, and minister to them on a deeper level?”

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

As with all double-type relationships, two Enneagram Sevens generally bring the same qualities to each other. Therein lies both a main source of the attraction as well as one of the main pitfalls. Thus, the level of health of each person is especially important for these types of relationships as are their dominant instincts. The key characteristics of double Seven relationships are easy to spot: high energy, spontaneity, frequent travel and entertaining, and an interest in anything new or that promises to open new possibilities. If both Sevens are psychologically healthy and well balanced, there is a noteworthy joyousness and sense of abundance that permeates their relationship and which spills out to everyone around them. A healthy double Seven relationship is emphatically happy—even radiant and exuberant-and both parties enjoy sharing their happiness with as many others as possible. They are thoughtful, sensitive, idealistic, hospitable, and generous. Double Seven couples are sociable and unusually good company for others as much as they are with each other.

Each brings to the relationship a spirit of personal freedom that is noteworthy. Neither wants to be tied down in routines or empty, formal commitments, and so both Sevens are determined to not impose many rules or expectations on the other. They want their relationship to be guided by the fact that both parties positively want to be with the other rather than feeling that they are locked into some constricting set of obligations. Both Sevens bring a sense of possibility, open-endedness, experimentalism, and realism that enables them to build a life together—while making it an enjoyable experience for themselves and their circle of family and friends. Double Seven pairings are optimistic and resilient, and always ready to pick themselves up and start over again when they run into difficulties. Gratitude for the relationship—and for finding each other—is the guiding spirit.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

Building a relationship usually takes time together, and patience to weather the disappointments and disillusionments that are also usually part of the picture. One of the main problems with double Seven relationships is that of impatience—of wanting the relationship to be more complete and developed than it really is. While double Seven pairings have no lack of energy and high expectations for their relationship, they may find it difficult to stay with both themselves and the other as both work through the growing pains of the relationship. As time goes on and the relationship is no longer the stimulating experience that it once was, Sevens begin to turn their attention elsewhere, possibly to their work or to other involvements.

Both Sevens feel that somewhere in the world exists the perfect person for them. Sevens are terrified of missing out on whatever in life they are meant to have. They hate the feeling that by committing themselves to one thing-whether it is one person, one place to live, or one career—they are limiting their life in some fundamental way. In short, Sevens tend to be commitment adverse, and it is a measure of their psychological health when they can commit relatively easily and permanently to someone. In a double Seven relationship, this problem is compounded, and one of the Sevens must be the first to risk commitment—and possible rejection.

Another problem for double Seven relationships is that both tend to be impulsive and irreverent, often saying and doing whatever brings relief in the heat of the moment. During arguments, things are said which cannot be unsaid, and feelings may be irreparably hurt by either. Both can be insensitive, self-centered, and unreliable. Both also tend to crave constant stimulation which can lead to a hectic social life. This can be exciting if both parties do things together, but if they begin to have separate interests and different sets of friends, their social lives will pull them apart. They may begin to have little time for each other or for their family. Someone is bound to feel left out, and on some level, each Seven is determined that it will not be him.

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

Both Enneagram Sevens and Eights are highly self-assertive, independent, and strong-willed. Both types also resist being controlled or limited by authorities or even by internal, psychological mechanisms. Once someone (or even some inner voice) says do not, both Sevens and Eights respond with defiance and a desire to push the limits, whatever they may be. Both types are practical, this world-oriented, not necessarily worldly or materialistic, but concerned with concrete affairs and finding happiness and fulfillment in the here and now. Neither likes to postpone their satisfactions or to settle for vague promises about the future. Both tend to overspend their budget on a bountiful lifestyle that is a source of pleasure for themselves and their friends and family. They love to entertain and offer the best there is to others as a sign of their generosity and as a signal of their success and standing in the world.

Both are high energy people, often gifted with vitality and gusto for life that is noteworthy. A Seven/Eight couple can get a tremendous amount done and are revitalized by staying active. They are adventuresome and are willing to try new things in their relationship. They are also both extremely outspoken and do not hold themselves back from voicing their own opinions or making their needs known. Sevens bring more lightness and a sense of fun and excitement, trying something new and different for the sake of keeping things fresh and stimulating. They are also usually the more talkative of the two: Sevens are usually highly engaging storytellers and raconteurs, turning their adventures (and catastrophes) into entertaining tales. Eights are usually surprisingly more reserved and moody than is often recognized, and they rely on the Seven to lighten the atmosphere and to make their practical affairs more fun and enjoyable. Eights also bring directness, decisiveness, and the willingness to face difficult situations with determination and persistence.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

While a Seven/Eight couple can be an extremely productive, high-energy pair, problems may begin if the constructive outlets for that energy are thwarted or misguided. Sevens and Eights both need to find positive outlets for their prodigious energies and interests, and if they do not, they will inevitably discover destructive ways of releasing them. They may also begin to turn against each other or bring each other down in a kind of dark collusion that can have tragic consequences for them both. Both Sevens and Eights are extremely strong-willed and independent, and so both resist being controlled by the other, often taunting the other with their lack of influence over them. Eights tend to be authoritarian and bullying, ordering the Seven around and making threats if they are disobeyed. Sevens will attempt to avoid being controlled, and can become highly insulting and contemptuous of the Eight and their heavy-handed tactics. Both types will flaunt the other’s inability to have their way, as if their defiance were a badge of honor. Both types can be extremely selfish and self-centered, feeling that the world revolves around them and their desires. Of course, this builds in the likelihood of conflicts.

Both types can also be verbally crude and insulting, frequently saying things that other types might only occasionally allow themselves to think. Their fights can be gargantuan brawls and public scenes in which physical abuse and violence may also play a significant part. The problem is, however, that both types tend to be addicted to excitement and the adrenaline rush of reckless behavior. Once they have begun to build their relationship on a certain level of physical excitement (whether it is from sexuality or violence), it is difficult for this couple to turn back to something more moderate. Anything less than being death-defying seems lifeless and boring. They may, however, push the limits once too far, with tragic consequences not only for their relationship, but for everyone around them.

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

Enneagram Sevens and Nines are one of the most often seen pairings of the types because they bring a good mix of similar and opposite qualities. Fundamentally, Sevens and Nines are both positive outlook types who are optimistic, upbeat, and who prefer to avoid conflicts and negatives in their lives and in their relationship. Both types are friendly, sociable, and generally happy with themselves and with their lives. Neither is typically introspective or brooding, preferring to get on with things rather than to look backward or to stew over failures or disappointments. Both are able to forgive and forget and to make the best of their limitations, whatever they might be. They might be separated physically or have few financial means, but Sevens and Nines can make the best of these circumstances and continue to build their future together. Both tend to be practical, although both can have a romantic streak and a physicality that adds spice to their relationship. Both are also often funny and can make even the most mundane events pleasurable and pleasant. Sevens provide the stimulation, Nines the audience.

On the complementary opposite side, Sevens are more active and self-assertive than Nines; they tend to take initiatives, to make plans, to have multiple interests, and to provide the energy for the couple. Sevens are mentally quick, self-confident, curious, open to new experiences, and resilient when there are setbacks. They bring fun, sparkle, and a sense of adventure. Nines bring a sense of steadiness, support, and acceptance to the relationship. They tend to be more sympathetic and soft-hearted than Sevens, as well as more relaxed and undemanding of themselves and their environment, including other people. Nines are also often generous and willing to make personal sacrifices to help others and to make them happy. Their personal simplicity and uncomplicatedness mesh well with the more assertive qualities of the Seven. As long as neither takes advantage of the other, there is a good balance between energy and relaxation in this couple.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

One of the main areas for potential problems is the fact that neither Sevens nor Nines are usually adept at working through negative or painful aspects of their lives or of the relationship. Both would prefer everything to be kept on the positive side; neither one wants to fall into the possibility of depression or to otherwise cut off their chance for happiness. At most, they will briefly acknowledge a problem or conflict in their relationship by blaming the other: both types tend to become anxious, critical, and edgy when under stress, taking these things out on someone else rather than working through negative feelings themselves. Both types also tend to be blind to their own share of responsibility for how the relationship has deteriorated, including their own contribution to communication problems. Nines tend to collapse in the face of the Seven’s angry demands, withdrawing into silence and, eventually, inaction. They become increasingly unable to make sense of the Seven’s grievances, and so they become stubborn and shut down further, with occasional outbursts of anger or anxiety, or both.

Of the two types, Sevens are far more equipped to talk about whatever is bothering them than Nines, although this does not mean that Sevens are necessarily more able to face what is really bothering them much less resolve it. Sevens tend to impulsively say whatever comes to mind and to fall into excoriating verbal abuse of the Nine whenever the Seven feels frustrated. Sevens often feel that the Nine is too checked out and unresponsive to them. Nines seem perpetually indecisive, slow, and ineffectual. Sevens’ criticisms and outright contempt for the unresponsiveness of the Nine only makes Nines retreat further from them and disengage from the situation. However, Sevens often feel that they cannot help themselves and that honesty demands that they tell the Nine how unhappy they are with them. One of the sunniest and most carefree couples can become one of the

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1062 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged. Our Thursday podcast will provide a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit a levity in your life.

We are told in  Proverbs 15:30, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny which is titled…

Three brothers, Milton, Gerald, and Donald all left home after college, went out on their own, and prospered. After many years of hard work, they got back together to celebrate their individual successes. At this reunion, they discussed the recent gifts they were able to give their elderly mother for the most recent Christmas.

Milton bragged, “As you all know, I built a big house for our mother.”

Not to be outdone, Gerald bragged, “That was nice, but I believe my gift was much more practical. I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.”

Donald smiled and said, “I’ve got you both beat. You remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can’t see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He’s one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it.”

Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks:

“Milton,” she wrote to her eldest son, “The house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house.”

“Gerald,” she wrote to her middle son, “I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!”

“Dearest Donald,” she wrote to her third and youngest son, “You have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken you sent was delicious.” 

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did, pass that smile onto someone else who needs it. For our Thursday thought, remember, “Sometimes it really is the thought, not the gift that counts.”

Today’s verse is  1 Peter 4:10, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1061 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1061 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday.

Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical worldview, you must also have a proper understanding of God’s Word. Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the Scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors. In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s Word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.

While much of the Bible is written from a patriarchal perspective, women certainly play an integral part of God’s redemption story. I don’t think it is by coincidence that when Scripture speaks of wisdom that it is referred to in the feminine gender. In today’s essay, we will explore passages that cover…

Hebrews 1:2 tells us, “And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.”  This is also emphasized in Colossians 1:16 and in I Corinthians 8:6.  Jesus’s role as co-creator with God is a familiar doctrine. But in Hebrews 1:3 there’s something that’s a bit odd, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

What’s strange about the phrase isn’t its meaning. We get the metaphor. Jesus “radiates” the glory of God; He is a brilliant reflection of what God is like. What’s odd is where the idea comes from, and how startling it would have been to the Jewish Christians for whom the book of Hebrews was intended.

The word “radiates” (apaugasma) occurs only here in the New Testament. To figure out what the writer of Hebrews meant, we have to look at his source. The writer is quoting the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, but the Septuagint included books that many Jews and Christians today do not consider part of the biblical canon, but which some in ancient times considered sacred. The phrase in Hebrews 1:2 comes from one of these books titled Wisdom of Solomon.

Which is different than the book of Proverbs in our Old Testament.  How can we be sure? Because the word (apaugasma) is found only one time in the Septuagint: Wisdom of Solomon [7:26]. Sure, the scarcity of the word is curious, but where’s the surprise? Not only is the word extremely uncommon, but the source of the Hebrews 1:2 quotation has a woman as God’s personified reflection. As Dr. Heiser puts it, “welcome to the biblical twilight zone.”

The Wisdom of Solomon [7:24]-26 from the Septuagint from which this word is taken reads as follows:

For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things.

For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her.

For she is a reflection (apaugasma) of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.

The Jewish writer of the Wisdom of Solomon got the idea of personified Wisdom as a woman from the book of Proverbs. While the term most often refers to practical, insightful living according to God s law, the writer of Proverbs at times portrays Wisdom as a woman as a feminine personal pronoun “she.” (Read Proverbs 1:20-33; 3:13-16; 4:6: 7:4; 9:1-6). Proverbs 8:1 describes Wisdom speaking to God’s people, “Listen as Wisdom calls out!  Hear as understanding raises her voice!”

But what is especially remarkable about Wisdom in Proverbs 8:22-30 is that she is described as God’s co-creator. The wording here echoes Proverbs 3:19, where we read, “By wisdom, the Lord founded the earth; by understanding, he created the heavens.”

This is also similar to Jeremiah [10:12]. Wisdom, personified as a woman, is cast as God’s agent of creation in the Old Testament.

How is this consistent with the New Testament teaching about Jesus? We need a little more backdrop to answer that question.

About 250 years before Jesus, Jewish theologians equated the Torah with wisdom mainly because torah was also a grammatically feminine word in Hebrew and the Torah made one wise. This meant that, to many Jews, the Torah (Wisdom) was divine. Again taken from the Septuagint:

Sirach 24:1-3, 22 – “Wisdom praises herself, and tells of her glory’ in the midst of her people. In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist’…All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses commanded us.”

Wisdom of Solomon 9:1, 4, 10, 18 –“God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy…give me the wisdom that sits by your throne…Send her forth from the holy heavens, and from the throne of your glory’ send her…that I may learn what is pleasing to you…and people were taught what pleases you, and were saved by wisdom.

For these writers, the word spoken by God at the creation in Genesis 1:3 was Wisdom—the word of the Torah. Proverbs [8:22] cast this spoken Wisdom as a living divine entity, whose instruction would later be written down by Moses. Wisdom (Torah) was God’s agent of creation and even the Savior for Jewish theology.

The New Testament writers had another view. Paul’s description of Jesus as “the Wisdom of God” (l Corinthians [1:24], 30) and God’s agent of creation was a theological jolt to Jewish ears. It places Paul’s struggle to articulate the gospel “apart from the law (Torah)” in an entirely new light (Romans [3:21]). Defining Wisdom as Jesus was another way for Paul to say that Jesus was indeed the Word of creation, the agent at God’s right hand, as John had as well (John 1:1-4). That also meant that Jesus was Wisdom (Torah), the means of salvation. In fact, Jesus asserts that He is the fulfillment of Wisdom (Torah) (Matthew [5:17]-20). It was Jesus who radiated God’s character to humankind as the bearer of salvation. Along with Paul and John, the author of Hebrews articulated this startling view by calling Jesus “The Son radiates God’s own glory.”

QUICK BIT: Proverbs 8 and the identification of Jesus with Wisdom was a controversial issue for the early church. In the debates at the Council of Nicea, those who believed Jesus to be God’s first creation sought affirmation in Proverbs 8:22, where the Lord brought forth Wisdom. The phrase “formed me from the beginning” is a Hebrew verb (qanah) that can be used for creation as we see in Psalms 139:13, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb” and Genesis [14:19], 22 (“creator of heaven and earth”). Some translations have possessor instead of creator which is a possible translation. The interpretation of this verb was a factor in the distinction between the “begotten, not made” language of the Nicene Creed.

Since Wisdom is a personification of an attribute of God, the key questions are “Was there ever a time when God did not have Wisdom? If so, how then can God be God?” It would be unthinkable to the biblical writer for the God of Israel to lack wisdom at some point. Wisdom is eternal since God (with His attributes) is eternal—“brought forth” as the agent of creation.

That will conclude our essay for this week. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue in the New Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “Baptism as Spiritual Warfare.” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1060 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1060 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Jose Silva, and it is, “Do not allow the first failure to destroy you, nor success to ruin you.”

Failure and success are often times two sides of the same coin. There is such a slight difference between the two. When you fail at something, you may be very close to the desired success. In the same manner, when you succeed, even greatly, you are always precipitously close to failure.

If you let it, failure can defeat you and destroy your desire to continue on.  In the same manner though, if you push so hard for success in one area of life, like finances, and you ignore the other areas of life, then success can utterly ruin you. In all areas of life, be balanced and practice moderation.

You can be so focused on gaining the whole world that you lose your soul. You lose the very person of who you are. You lose the relationships that are so important. Invest in being a success in all areas of life – spiritually, relationally, mentally, emotionally, economically and physically. It is then that you will be successful without ruining a part of your life. God’s Word provides us with the guidelines and precepts to achieve true success.

Matthew 16:26 says, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 11,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1059 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1059 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday. Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy.

For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.

In our fast-paced, constant stimulus, technology-driven world, we have little time to be alone with ourselves or alone with God. In our Meditation Monday today, I want us to reflect on…

How long has it been since you went off to an isolated place to be with God? I mean really alone? No distractions. No background noise. No mobile phone. Just you and God. How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice?

It is very difficult to do so, especially if you have children in your home constantly vying for your attention. It is important that we plan those times in our busy schedules, or it will not happen. We need to set the time aside to commune with God through prayer and to let Him speak to us through His Word. There is no substitute. It is a time of refreshment for renewing of your mind. It provides sustenance for spiritual strength. Is it really that important?

Apparently, Jesus thought so. Although he was fully God, in his incarnation, he was also fully man. As a human in his flesh, he was subject to the weaknesses of body, mind, and soul as we are, and yet without sin. He made a deliberate effort to invest time with God. If you invest much time reading about the life of Jesus, a distinct pattern emerges. He invested regular time with God, praying and listening. Mark 1:35 says, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Luke 5:16 tells us, “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”

Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?

That is a wrap for today’s meditation. Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1058 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1058 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or gramps questions about life in many areas.

Understanding ourselves and how others may interpret life through their paradigm better allows us to interact with each other with more love and compassion. This can be achieved by utilizing a profound tool called “The Enneagram.” The tool that we refer to as the Enneagram (Any-a-Gram) is a circle with nine interconnected points (Ennea refers to 9 and Gram referring to a drawing).  Check out today’s or a prior week’s Wisdom Journal for a representation of it. I have also included a copy of “The Enneagram At-A-Glance,” which was compiled by Suzanne H. Eller in today’s Wisdom Journal. If you would like a PDF copy, click on the link in today’s Wisdom Journal located on our website Wisdom-Trek.com.

For additional insight, I recommend the book The Road Back to You written by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. It is an excellent book about an enneagram journey to self-discovery from a Christian perspective.

We have concluded our deep dive into the nine types which are “The Reformer,” “The Helper,”“The Achiever,” “The Individualist,”  “The Investigator,” “The Loyalist,”  “The Enthusiast,”  “The Challenger,” and “The Peacemaker.”  Twelve weeks ago, we began a series of episodes on Type Combinations, answering the question, “What are the potential relationship benefits and issues with each combination?” Covering all of the 45 different potential type combinations will take several weeks, but will be valuable in understanding each other, regardless of what type you are and what type those with whom you interact with each day are.

Since we are exploring the Enneagram in detail, I would also recommend reading the Wisdom Journal for each Friday to see the diagrams presented each week. As helpful as the Enneagram is, keep in mind, it is still only a tool and cannot replace or usurp the precepts that are found in God’s Word. All decisions and actions that we make in life must be in harmony with God’s precepts.

So the questions for the next several weeks will be…

“Hey, Gramps, why do people act and react to situations and circumstances in life so differently?  How can I gain wisdom to better understand myself and others so that I can love, serve, and minister to them on a deeper level?”

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

Both Enneagram Sixes and Sevens are mental types, and there can be a great deal of mental stimulation in this pairing. These two types offer many areas in which they reinforce each other, and some areas in which the strengths of one counterbalance the limitations of the other. Sevens are usually entertaining and tend to lift the spirits of Sixes. Both are quick mentally and often have rapier wits: they enjoy bantering with each other, verbally sparring, and seeing how absurd or funny they can become as they push each other to more outrageous limits. Sevens are particularly good at generating new ideas while Sixes are particularly good at mastering the practical steps that are necessary to get things done. Sevens help Sixes put fear and limitation into perspective, and sometimes to move beyond them entirely. They thus make effective team members in which the Seven lays out the big picture and gets people excited about new possibilities while the Six moves in with the logistical and tactical know-how, following through with the details. In intimate relationships, the same balance pertains: Sevens are the stimulators, Sixes are the regulators—and they can keep each moving forward by allowing the other to counterbalance their own limitations.

To this visionary-functionary mix, Sixes bring commitment and loyalty to the Seven, often expertise and groundedness that the Seven comes to trust and rely on implicitly, as well as a strong grip on reality and what can be accomplished within given parameters. Sevens bring a driving sense of optimism and possibility, high energy, a sense of adventure, and fearlessness with regard to failure. They can teach Sixes how to be resilient and how not to fear the future, while Sixes can teach Sevens the difference between optimism and pipedreams.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

Despite how well Sixes and Sevens can reinforce each other’s strengths when they are healthy, in the average to lower Levels, the picture can shift quickly. Sixes are essentially interested in security and predictability, foreseeing problems and building procedures to prevent future uncertainty. They are aware of limitations and why things cannot be done—or at least done easily. Sevens, by contrast, are about seeking happiness and relief from increasing frustration or anxiety. They are about trying new things, seeing new possibilities and overcoming limitations. They do not want to hear about problems or obstacles: they want things to be done the day before yesterday. Sixes tend to be negative and pessimistic, while Sevens tend to be positive and optimistic.

Sevens are future-oriented, while Sixes tend to be aware of the past, of precedents, and the lessons of history that would prevent things from going badly again. Sixes very much want to find someone with whom they can have a long term commitment, Sevens tend to be fearful of long term commitments and enter into them somewhat reluctantly. Sixes tend to feel that Sevens are too hedonistic, selfish, and extravagant, and when the chips are down, they wonder if they can be relied on. Will they skip off to someone else or avoid their responsibilities in some form of escapism or addiction? Sevens tend to feel that Sixes are too anxiety-ridden, worry too much, and make themselves (and everyone else!) crazy raising every question and objection before trying anything. Sixes oppose everything, at least at first, and get distrustful and suspicious easily. They live a life of limits and rules that Sevens feel are restrictions largely imaginary and self-imposed. In a Six/Seven couple, these two opposing philosophies reflect the very different expectations Sixes and Sevens have from life and from a relationship, and unless they can be reconciled, it will be difficult for this couple to remain one.

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

Enneagram Sixes and Eights can build an extraordinarily strong, long-lasting relationship on what is, at root, a defensive view of the world. Both types feel that most people and the world are selfish and untrustworthy, and that their world is highly unpredictable. One, therefore, needs to take care of oneself and one’s own interests (Eights) and have strong allies and the ability to get back up from one’s friends (Sixes). Both Sixes and Eights have deep issues with trust—and with finding people they are able to trust, and so when they have found each other and have gone through a period of testing, their alliance can be solid and deep. Once they have bonded with each other, both types have done so on a deep level of their being, and while the relationship may change over time, they are never indifferent to each other. They both admire and try to embody strength, commitment to one’s word, honor, unquestioned loyalty, responsibility, hard work, courage, a spirit of protectiveness, and fighting for the underdog. Both are doers, and enjoy being active, getting tasks accomplished, building a more safe and secure world for themselves and their loved ones. Sixes bring warmth, the desire for personal connection and commitment, a certain playfulness and sensitivity.

They are also mental types and bring skepticism, analytic thinking, and the ability to think through decisions and to foresee outcomes and potential problems before acting. Sixes thus tend to act as advisors and lieutenants to Eights who tend to take the lead and provide the vision and audacity that Sixes sometimes lack themselves. Eights also bring directness and decisiveness, strong wills, confidence, and a can-do spirit that is energized by adversity and a penchant for taking on challenges. Sixes tend to look up to the Eights as their hero, while Eights are touched by the Six’s devotion and courage. Eights are aware of their inner struggles and what it takes to overcome them. When there is genuine affection between these two types, there may be fireworks and occasional fights, but the bond only seems to grow stronger with time.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

Both Sixes and Eights are emotional, although both tend to hide their emotions and vulnerabilities as best they can. Eights do so under a veneer of toughness and bravado, Sixes under a shell of defensiveness and bluster. Both tend to counterattack and go on the offensive when threatened—or when they feel they are being threatened. In general, Eights tend to take the lead in most relationships they are in and to set the tone and make decisions. They expect others to obey them and to be loyal to them. Eights may tolerate (or even be amused by) an occasional flare-up of independence on the part of others around them, but ultimately, they expect to be in charge. For the most part, this is also fine with Sixes, except for those times when Sixes feel the need to push back and to prove themselves. They need to show others (including the Eight) that they cannot be pushed around or taken advantage of. Power struggles of all kinds can ensue. This is especially true of “counterphobic” Sixes who can actually react much like Eights, displaying leadership, decisiveness, and independence (on the positive side) as well as bluster, aggression, and defiance. Sixes who are more counterphobic tend to get into more open fights with Eights until both have determined their territory and just how far each can push the other.

Sixes who are more openly phobic (fearful, timid, anxious) generally tend to avoid confrontations with Eights; instead, they tend to present no open threat to the Eight’s dominance, while being covertly passive-aggressive and evasive. Eights can get into conflicts with phobic Sixes by sensing their indirect, questioning qualities—and whether or not the Six is as loyal to the Eight as the Eight wants. Eights may become more or less openly contemptuous of them if they feel the Six is weak or vacillating. Problems in this relationship can be exacerbated by the Eight’s tendency to get into rages, to make threats to the Six’s security, or to bully and play on weaknesses. When trust and respect crumble in this relationship, constant testing from both parties brings about the end fairly quickly.

What Each Type Brings to the Relationship

This is one of the most stable and most common relationships. Although both types are very different, they want rather similar things—security and predictability (Sixes) and stability and autonomy (Nines). They both want their lives to be built on solid, dependable values and for good, honest work to be rewarded. Both types tend to personify “middle of the road” values in their time and culture, to be dutiful, respectful of authority, and to abide by the rule of law. On the other hand, there is a rebellious streak in Sixes and a counterculture streak in Nines that allows some of these couples to live on the fringes of society, to be unusual in their lifestyle and beliefs, and to be free thinkers unconcerned about conventional values and more.

More for Sixes and Nines than for most couples, much depends on their belief systems and the quality of their childhood experiences—and they are looking for a partner who will mirror this, including their own beliefs and reactions. To this mix, there are also complementary differences: Sixes bring a more active mind, questioning and alert to exceptions, to problems, and to safety issues. They can be more skeptical of others and find it more difficult to be trusting: others need to prove themselves first. Nines, on the other hand, are usually trusting and unquestioning, sunny and easy to get along with. They are optimistic and steady, offering support and non-threatening acceptance. If Sixes tend to see the exception and to focus on complications, Nines tend to see the general and to focus on what will work without problems. This couple gets along well, greasing each other’s wheels and adding just enough gas to the mix to keep them moving forward together. Change, when it comes, is slow and methodical. Both tend to see themselves as simple, regular people and do not feel special or exempt in any way. Both bolster the other’s confidence through their solidarity with each other. They are generous with each other and do not crowd the other or make special demands. When they find a relationship such as this, it usually feels like they have found what their heart has been seeking and their dream has come true.

Potential Trouble Spots or Issues

Since Sixes and Nines find it very difficult to say what is actually on their minds (and what they really want for themselves), there is a great tendency in this relationship to clam up, to be silently stubborn and defensive, and to make the other person guess what is going on. If there is little motive to do so, the two parties will fall into a stalemate that keeps the other at arm’s distance, yet close enough so that the other will not drift away. They may also begin to have health problems or other nonspecific complaints about themselves that seek to bind the couple in cords of concern and guilt. Psychological or physical problems help to ensure that the other person will continue to be there.

Moreover, while these two types fulfill social roles very well, they both tend to disappear in their roles too completely for their own good. Sixes are frequently burdened by guilt feelings and doggedly do whatever they think they must do to keep their job or their security in place. They try to make sure that they have covered the bases so that no one will be angry at them for failing in their responsibility. Nines also fulfill roles, but these usually have to do with mediating between people to keep them together in some way. They accommodate themselves and go along with what others need even as their own stress grows.

Another potential problem is that both types love the familiar and dislike change. The feeling is that familiarity equals security, which is reinforced by the conviction that they must not rock the boat. Both types will tend to put off confrontations until they are pushed to the limit, although Sixes have a shorter fuse concerning their anger. They will either give up on the Nine, or there will be an explosion in which a backlog of pent up hostilities will be said, often to the permanent damage of the relationship.

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1057 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged. Our Thursday podcast will provide a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit a levity in your life.

We are told inProverbs 15:30,“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.”We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny, which is titled…

Sam, a veterinarian, had been called to examine a very ill fifteen-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Duke. The dog’s owner, Ron, and his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Duke and they were hoping for a miracle.

Sam examined Duke and found he was dying of cancer. Sam told the family that he couldn’t do anything for Duke, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As they made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told Sam they thought it would be good for four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, Sam felt that familiar catch in his throat as Duke’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that Sam wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Duke slipped peacefully away.

Shane seemed to accept Duke’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. As Sam and the family sat together for a while after Duke’s death, they wondered aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, they all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned everyone. They had never heard a more comforting explanation.

Shane said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life—like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?”

Shane, the four-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today, if so, pass that smile onto someone else who needs it. Our Thursday thought is “love everyone, all the time and be nice to them.”

Our verse for today is Philippians 4:4-5, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1056 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!