Wisdom-Trek ©

Welcome to Day 1432 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomShipwrecked! – Humor UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1432 of our Trek, and 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 give a bit a levity in your life. We are told in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+15:30andversion=NLT (Proverbs 15:30) A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+17:22andversion=NLT (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:

Shipwrecked!Captain Biltmore, an experienced seaman, decided to set sail on a solo journey from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands. It was a very long and somewhat dangerous journey. The Captain departed in late summer for what he anticipated would be a two-week journey. His sailboat was well stocked, and with over 20 years of maritime experience, and five years as a captain, he yearned for the challenge. It was smooth sailing during the first few days, but then he received word that the weather may turn violent within two days. He checked his compass and maps and decided that he could make it to a set of little known islands about three days to his south. It was slightly off course, and more into the direction of the coming storm, but it was his only alternative. Captain Biltmore battled high waves and rough seas, but forge onward to his destination. After two days, his sail was ripped to pieces, and he started throwing cargo overboard to lighten the load. On day three, as he was approaching an uninhabited island, which was still about 40 knots away, his sailboat broke into pieces. Clinging to a large plank of wood which he used as a raft, he grabbed another board to be his paddle. He rowed and rowed for about a day, and finally reached the shore of this small island in complete darkness. Captain Biltmore was so exhausted that he crawled about 100 yards from the coast and collapsed in a deep sleep. When Captain finally woke the next morning, he could not believe what he saw. The sand is dark red. He mumbled, “I can’t believe it.” He then looked up into the sky, which was also dark red. Captain Biltmore continued to walk around a bit and sees that dark red grass, dark red birds, and dark red fruit on the dark red trees. He’s shocked when he finds that his skin is starting to turn dark red, too.

Captain Biltmore screamed at the top of his lungs, “Oh no!! I’ve been marooned!!”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did pass your smile onto some else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, Someone asked me if you were stranded on a desert island, what book would I bring... ‘How to Build a Boat.’Here is our verse for today:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A5andversion=NLT (Hebrews 13:5)

Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, “I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you.”

Just 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 ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’ If you would like to listen

Welcome to Day 1431 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomBiblical Foundations - God's Divine Family – Worldview WednesdayWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1431 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. This week, on our Worldview Wednesday episode, we will begin a new study, based on a course I recently completed taught by Dr. Michael Heiser. Our study is titled “Sons and Daughters of God: The Believer’s Identity, Calling, and Destiny” Throughout this multi-week course we will demonstrate that, in the Old Testament, “sons of God” and “holy ones” refers to supernatural beings whose Father is God and who work with God to carry out His will and that this divine family was present before humanity. By fully engaging with biblical texts such as Psalm 82; Psalm 89, and Deuteronomy 32:8–9, our study will show that this divine family functions as a template for God’s human family. God desires of humans, as His imagers, to participate in His council. This study addresses issues such as polytheism, the nature of the (little ‘g’) “gods,” and the uniqueness of Yahweh. Within this study, we will apply insights to the New Testament texts and shows how the metaphor of being in God’s family informs our sense of identity and mission as believers.

Biblical Foundations· Segment 1: God Has a Divine FamilyGod’s Divine Family in the Old Testament

The place to begin our journey is first to recognize that God has a divine family, and really, God had a divine family before He had a human family. The family terminology that we’re going to talk about in the Old Testament is very intentional. It’s going to communicate certain ideas about our identity: who we are, our calling, our purpose, and our destiny; how we’ll realize both the fullness of our status, our identity, and fulfill our purpose in this life and accomplish God’s will on earth.

In other words, the divine family is actually going to turn out to be a template for understanding the creation and purpose of the human family, and that’s why we’re going to start and spend a reasonable amount of time on this idea of God’s divine family in the Old Testament.

Familiar New Testament language about our membership in God’s family came from somewhere; it has deep Old Testament roots. God’s family didn’t begin with humans. Humans had to be grafted into it. Its beginning was divine. So for that reason, we need to start with that particular supernatural divine family. We are going to talk about the nature of that family (who is in there? what kind of beings are we talking about?) and then its function. As we talk about the nature and function of the divine family, we’re going to be laying a foundation for how all that material is repurposed in the New Testament and applied to believers.

· Segment 2: The Divine Family Was Present Before HumanityDivine Family in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38%3A4%E2%80%937andversion=LEB (Job 38:4–7)

Now, I mentioned that the Old Testament presents this idea that God had a divine family that was present before humanity. The primary passage for that is https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+38%3A4%E2%80%937andversion=LEB (Job 38:4-7), and this is the passage where God asks Job, beginning in verse 4,

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

Welcome to Day 1430 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomLife of Anticipation – Wisdom UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1430 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 Colin Urquhart, and it is: God wants us to approach life, full of expectancy that God is going to be at work in every situation as we release our faith in Him.

Life of AnticipationHow do you approach life? With positive expectancy, or fear? God uniquely created us to be bearers of His image. To show forth to a world that is seeking, what God is truly like. It is more than just reflecting His image, it is allowing His image to shine through us. That is what being an image-bearer means. Because of this we can and must grasp the truth that God is going to be at work in every situation as we release our faith in Him. Did you catch that last phrase? Grasp God’s truth by releasing our faith to the only One who can give us a life full of expectancy and hope. A rich and satisfying life. We can live such a life each day as we trust in God. This can be summed up in a few sentences that the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 3:14-21 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. 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. Just as you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.' If you would like to listen to any of our past 1429 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, I am your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,' and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you tomorrow for Worldview Wednesday!

Welcome to Day 1429 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomThinking While Studying The Bible – Meditation MondayWisdom - 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, 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 1429 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 in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making 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.

We are going to begin a new series this week on Meditation Monday, which will focus on Mastering Bible Study through a series of brief insights from Dr. Michael Heiser. Our first few insights will focus on study habits to build a strong foundation. Today let us meditate on:

Thinking While Studying The Bible· Insight One: Read the Bible with a Critical Eye –It Can Take ItChristians revere the Bible. That’s understandable. After all, it’s God’s Word, the authoritative source for truths we affirm, errors we deny, and the sort of character we strive to develop. Consequently, its sacred status might cause us to flinch at the suggestion that we should question what it says and scrutinize its contents. It feels a little like we’re judging a book that ought to be judging us. Is our hesitation biblical? Dare I ask, is it rational? Frankly, the answer is “no” in both cases.

The Bible has been fulfilling the roles described above for millennia despite repeated and relentless attempts to destroy it, undermine it, ridicule it, and marginalize it. After all of that, it’s still here. In fact, today, there are more Bibles in circulation in more languages than at any time in world history. How could we possibly harm it by asking it to make sense and then pursuing that goal?

The response that subjecting the Bible to critical analysis hurts us is equally incoherent, primarily because the Bible itself encourages its own scrutiny. Ezra is esteemed for his commitment to study (Ezra 7:10). Luke regards the close examination of the Scriptures as a virtue (Acts 17:11). Biblical writers not only quote Scripture but take care to observe minute details like the specific form of words (Galatians 3:16). We are God’s imager-bearers. God is the most rational being there can be. We share in his attribute. We are not commanded, nor does the Bible ever suggest, that we read Scripture irrationally or without the intellectual abilities for rational thought that God shares with us. Have you ever tried to read anything irrationally? It sort of defeats the purpose of written communication. Critical thinking is akin to any other human ability—speech, strength, creativity, resourcefulness—and it’s ours to employ in loyal service to the true God. Approaching Scripture with a passive, anesthetized mind will not protect Scripture from criticism. It needs no protection. Intellectual laziness in search of truth is no virtue.

· Insight Two: Thinking Is Better Than MemorizingDr. Heiser shares that when he was a freshman in Bible college, one of my professors was something of a zealot for Bible memorization. During the semester, he had them memorize 150 verses, punctuation included, using the King James Version. Dr. Heiser went on...

Welcome to Day 1428 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomSensors and The Internet of Things – Ask GrampsWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1428 of our Trek, and our focus on Fridays is the future technological and societal advances, so we call it Futuristic Fridays. My personality is one that has always been very future-oriented. Since my childhood, I have yearned for the exploration and discovery of new technologies and advancements for the future. I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and even today, while I am on my 64th revolution around the sun, I still dream of traveling in space. Each week we will explore rapidly converging technologies and advancements, which will radically change our lives. At times, the topics may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but each area that we explore is already well on its way of becoming a reality over the next couple of decades.

To keep with our theme of “Ask Gramps,” I will put our weekly topics in the form of a question to get us on track. So this week’s question is: Hey Gramps, I am starting to hear about sensors and the Internet of Things. What does this refer to, and how will it change our future?

Sensors and the Internet of ThingsLast week on Futuristic Friday, we explored Smart Cities and how life, especially in cities, will be changing radically over the next couple of decades. Our world is in a disruptive mode, which will speed up the exponential technology that is changing our world today. I am using some of the information mentioned in Peter Diamandis’s blogs and book “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”, as a starting point.

Sensor ProliferationSensors will not only transform healthcare and diagnostics. Any electronic device that measures a physical, quantitative value—light, acceleration, temperature, then sends that information to other devices on a network, qualifies as a sensor. Sensors add intelligence to our appliances. But more importantly, they add hours to our lives.

Consider that in less than a decade, when you run out of coffee, your kitchen cabinet will detect a shortage (cross-referencing sensor data with your coffee-drinking habits) and order more. A blockchain-enabled smart contract will subsequently place an order, triggering an Amazon drone delivery directly to your doorstep.

If we extend this scenario further, let’s imagine that you have your very own Butler-bot who could soon transport these freshly ground beans from delivery box to cabinet, sparing you the trouble.

If advances in computing power, AI, and high-speed global networks represent the center mass of the digital revolution, then today’s sensor uprising is the outer edge of that revolt.

If we consider the first part of tomorrow’s smart environment information-processing pipeline, sensors are the data-gathering apparatus that provide our computers with the information they need to act.

Connected Devices and IoTWe are in the middle of a sensor revolution. The street name for this uprising is the “Internet of Things,” the vast mesh network of interconnected smart devices that will soon span the globe. Let’s back up a little because it’s worth tracing the evolution of this revolution to understand how far we’ve come.

Just 31 years ago, in 1989, John Romkey, one of the inventors of the transmission control protocol (TCP/IP), connected a Sunbeam toaster to the Internet, making it the very first IoT device.

Ten years later, sociologist Neil Gross saw the writing on the wall and made a now-famous prediction in...

Welcome to Day 1427 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomThe Judge – Humor UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1427 of our Trek, and 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 give a bit a levity in your life. We are told in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+15:30andversion=NLT (Proverbs 15:30) A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. We are also encouraged in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+17:22andversion=NLT (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:

The JudgeAll was finally quiet at the Governor’s mansion after a hectic and stressful day. About 11:00 pm, Governor Smith told Jim, his chief of staff, that is was going to retire for the evening as he was exhausted and knew that the next day would be equally as busy. Jim wished him a good night, and said that he had a few more things to do before heading home himself. Just as Jim was about to leave, shortly after midnight, the phone rang in the Governor’s office. Jim considered not answering it, but with everything that was going on recently, he figured that anyone calling at this hour it must be important. As he answered, one of the top attorneys for the state, Don Donaldson, frantically blurted out, “I need to talk to the governor -- it’s an emergency!” Jim explained that Governor Smith had gone to bed over an hour ago, and asked if it could wait until morning. Attorney Donaldson responded, “absolutely not.” After some more cajoling, Jim agreed to wake him up.

After a few minutes, Governor Smith, sounding somewhat tired, said, “Don, what’s so blame important that it can’t wait until morning?” Sounding very anxious, Don excitedly said, “Chief Justice Pierson just died, and I want to take his place. I thought I better get my name in.”

Governor Smith, not believing that he was woken from deep sleep to be asked such this ridiculous question, started to fume. After a few moments of silence, trying to clear his mind and gain some composure, the Governor finally replied, “Well, it’s okay with me if it’s okay with the funeral home.”

I hope that brought a smile to your face today. If it did pass your smile onto some else, we all could use a kind smile each day. Our Thursday thought is, “Take a deep breath and give yourself permission to step back from everything that is making you feel anxious.”

Here is our verse for today:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+127:2andversion=NLT (Psalm 127:2)

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Just 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 ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’ If you would like to listen to any of our past 1426 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 that each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you in through...

Welcome to Day 1426 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomMastering the Bible – Figurative Interpretation and Biblical Symbols – Worldview WednesdayWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1426 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. Our focus for the past 39 weeks on Worldview Wednesday is Mastering the Bible, through a series of brief insights. These insights are extracted from a book of the same title from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars, Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. This book is a collection of insights designed to help you understand the Bible better. When we let the Bible be what it is, we can understand it as the original readers did, and as its writers intended. Today we will conclude this book study with the final two insights.

Mastering The Bible – Figurative Interpretation and Biblical SymbolsInsight Seventy-Nine: Figurative Interpretation Takes the Book of Revelation as Seriously as Literal InterpretationDr. Heiser shares that during his teaching career is that one of the biggest misconceptions he has encountered about Bible interpretation is the idea that interpreting what the Bible says with symbols or metaphors equates to concluding that what you’re reading isn’t real. This is deeply flawed thinking. But it’s nevertheless understandable.

Bible teachers and preachers are fond of saying that the Bible needs to be interpreted literally for it to be taken seriously. Taking something “literally” means you’re ruling out any type of figurative language. That only makes sense if the biblical authors wanted to be taken that way. Sometimes they didn’t. Since they were human, much of what they wrote could have meaning on more than one level. Insisting only on literalism stifles communication.

We use words every day in ways that would be comical or offensive if taken literally, yet we never expect what we say to be denigrated or considered phony. When you say on a hot day, “I was roasting out there today, were you?” When you say you’re madly in love with your wife, should I presume you’re insane for being attracted to her? If your boss is hard-hearted, have you just diagnosed arteriosclerosis? When you tell your neighbor his new car is a sweet ride, will he ask you not to lick it again? We can laugh at these absurdities, but all of these statements are meant to be taken seriously. They all have meaning that corresponds to reality.

Biblical writers didn’t live in an alternate universe where people never used figurative language, metaphors, or symbolic references. All of those things are stock elements of the way language works. Pitting “literalism” and ‘‘figurative” against each other in some sort of semantic death match demonstrates poor thinking.

The reason we can understand when to take a statement figuratively or literally is that the world we’ve experienced informs us how to interpret it. In other words, the cumulative effect of our upbringing, our cultural setting, our experiences, and our Worldview wires us in such a way that we intuitively know what is meant. To reject symbolic interpretations of the Bible is to deny the biblical writers their humanity. Instead of letting them be the authority for understanding what they wrote, we assume we know better.

Instead of bending the book of Revelation to our own will in the name of literalism, we need to do everything we...

Welcome to Day 1425 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomGod of Promise – Wisdom UnpluggedWisdom - 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, 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 1425 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 Colin Urquhart, and it is: God is the God of promise. He keeps His word, even when that seems impossible; even when the circumstances seem to point to the opposite.

God of PromiseGod is the creator and essence of truth. Since all truth comes from God, there is no truth outside of God. Within God’s Word, He has shared with us His completed revelation to humankind. This revelation contains many promises, some conditional, many unconditional. It is impossible for God to break the promises that He has given to us. If a promise is conditional, then we choose whether we desire to follow those conditions, so it is we who break the covenant. If His promise is unconditional, there is nothing we can do that would permit God to reverse that promise. God cannot go against His Word. We can cling to His promises, even when they seem impossible. We can rest in His promises, even when all the circumstances which surround us seem contrary to that promise. So regardless of your current situation, circumstance, or lot in life, God’s promises will remain true. Even when we are in the midst of chaos and hardship, none of God’s promises are compromised. Even during the most difficult of circumstances, we can cling to God’s Word as we are reminded in https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A12-18andversion=NLT (James 1:12-18) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

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. Just as you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.' If you would like to listen to any of our past 1424 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, I am your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this Trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Welcome to Day 1424 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomWhat Are You Known For? – Meditation MondayWisdom - 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, 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 1424 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 in prayer. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and making 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.

Today let us meditate on:

What Are You Known For?I read a story where a Buddhist was asked, “What do Christians do that makes them stand out in a crowd?” The answer was short and straightforward, “They argue.” I know, it sounds unfair, but it’s an honest perspective from an outside observer. And, it’s worth a little discussion.

I do sense an over-abundance of argument in our culture. In this season of heated political debate, and experts from everywhere sharing their views about the pandemic, arguments seem to be everywhere.

The impact of negative ads, half-truth accusations, character assassination, and name-calling is pervasive. The people who jump to conclusions and speak judgment and condemnation get too much media attention, and the aftermath lacks apologies or corrections. The goal is to win the argument, not telling the truth. If you believe the news media, we have become a dismantling culture. We have taken intolerance, adult bullying, and name-calling to a whole new level. Every few minutes, the sound bites and headlines sow divisiveness and discord on every side. You soon realize that every segment is to continue the argument. It’s all about being right or being loud. I no longer watch any of the news services, nor do I invest much time on social media for the same reason.

It isn’t easy to find news or shows that explores values, listens to ideas, accepts differences in opinion, challenges me to think outside the box, and validates people in the process. If your conversations were a newscast or talk show, what would it be like? You can have all the right answers and still be wrong. I’m tired of news segments programmed for argument. I want something more. I need something more.

As a Christ-follower, I want my identity to be based on something different than anger. I want to read books, visit websites, listen to music, and engage in media that leaves me a better person. I’m a Christian, and I want to be known for the way I treat people, the way I listen and learn and dig deep into life. I want to find the good in people I talk with, even if I disagree with them. I want to be like Jesus, who could change the subject and heal the soul.

It’s time for Christians in the USA, and throughout the world, to write a new story, to change the public narrative. It’s time to bury the argumentative identification and raise a new one. It’s time to be known as listeners, as followers, as healers, and peacemakers. It’s time to invade the impossible.We need to tell those skeptics of Christianity “I want to change your perception of Christians. Please, I want to show you something different. Will you let me?”

Jesus predicted that their love for people would be how Christians are known....

Welcome to Day 1423 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomSmart Cities – Ask GrampsWisdom - 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, 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. Today is Day 1423 of our Trek, and our focus on Fridays is the future technological and societal advances, so we call it Futuristic Fridays. My personality is one that has always been very future-oriented. Since my childhood, I have yearned for the exploration and discovery of new technologies and advancements for the future. I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and even today, while I am on my 64th revolution around the sun, I still dream of traveling in space. Each week we will explore rapidly converging technologies and advancements, which will radically change our lives. At times, the topics may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but each area that we explore is already well on its way of becoming a reality over the next couple of decades. To keep with our theme of “Ask Gramps,” I will put our weekly topics in the form of a question to get us on track. So this week’s question is: Hey Gramps, what will the cities of the future be like?

Smart CitiesLast week on Futuristic Friday, we explored High-Speed Global Connectivity, which is the delivery method for so many of the technological advances we will investigate. With the global pandemic still impacting the world, and when unrest seems to be nearly everywhere, you must understand that none of these issues will be long-lasting in the grand scheme of the world. Our world is in a disruptive mode, which will speed up the exponential technology that is changing our world today. I am using some of the information mentioned in Peter Diamandis’s blogs and book “The Future is Faster Than You Think.”, as a starting point.

We will do a deeper dive into some technologies, such as transportation separately. This week we will focus on the cities themselves. Each week alone, an estimated 1.3 million people move into cities, driving urbanization on an unstoppable scale. Advancement may slow somewhat due to the pandemic, but not long term.

By 2040, about two-thirds of the world’s population will be concentrated in urban centers. Over the decades ahead, 90 percent of this urban population growth is predicted to flourish across Asia and Africa. As discussed last week, many of these areas are just starting to adopt high-speed global connectivity. Already, 1,000 smart city pilots are under construction or in their final urban planning stages across the globe, driving forward countless visions of the future.

As data becomes the gold or currency of the 21st century, centralized databases and hyper-connected infrastructures will enable everything from sentient cities that respond to data inputs in real-time, to smart public services that revolutionize modern governance. I currently work for a company that is providing integral pieces of the software that will drive this revolution.

Connecting countless industries such as real estate, energy, sensors and networks, transportation, among others — tomorrow’s cities pose no end of creative possibilities and stand to transform the human experience completely.

Today’s podcast is a little longer since we’ll be taking a high-level tour of today’s cutting-edge urban enterprises involved in these three areas:

Hyperconnected urban ecosystems that respond to your data

Smart infrastructure and construction

Self-charging green cities

Let’s dive in!

Smart Cities that Interact with Your DataAny discussion of smart cities must also involve today’s most indispensable asset: