Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 724 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Great Expectations – Mindshift Monday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 724 of our trek, and it is time for our Mindshift Monday series. Wisdom-Trek’s primary focus is to assist you in creating your living legacy.

Creating your living legacy can only be accomplished by gaining wisdom in many areas of life. You can only gain wisdom by changing what you allow to go into your mind, which is a result of changing the way you think. In other words, to create your living legacy you must choose to be in a continual mode of Mindshift.

It is easy to get stuck in a mindset that your current circumstances cannot be changed. This is not true, but you must understand this fundamental principle, “In order to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about.” Our Mindshift Monday podcast and journal will be to provide you practical ways to make a mindshift to a rich and satisfying life. 

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Last week was a busy work week and a bit difficult to balance between our focus on the needs of the family helping with our kids and grandkids and many work-related tasks.

Each morning I start with great expectations of how the day will go, which is good, but the day does not always go as planned. We need a mindshift throughout the day to adjust and adapt to a very fluid schedule. The expectations that you have for yourself will greatly influence overall performance and success. Since these expectations are so important, make sure that your expectations are…

Great Expectations

As we think about expectations, let me start with a story that will help to illustrate this. An elderly man and a young boy were fishing near each other by a lake. The older man noticed that the boy was having considerable success with his fishing, but observed a very unusual habit. Each time the boy caught a fish he would hold it up to his hand and measure it. If the fish were larger than his hand, he would throw it back into the water, and he only kept the smaller fish.

Finally, the older man’s curiosity motivated him to slip over to the younger boy and ask. “Son, why do you keep the small fish and throw the larger ones back into the lake?”

The boy replied, “I can’t keep the big ones, I only have a 10-inch frying pan!”

This brings to mind for me that a lot of people are shortchanging themselves because they are limited to a 10-inch frying pan. They think no bigger, see no bigger, and expect no bigger. Instead of expanding their horizons by enlarging their expectations, they reduce their potential by shrinking their hopes.

Too many people fail to realize that their expectation measures the height of their future possibilities. It is impossible to achieve success without expecting it and then acting on the expectations. Think of your expectations as seeds that you plant for future harvest. This reminds me of a verse from the Bible 2 Corinthians 9:6, "Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop."

Many people are not harvesting abundantly in their lives because they have set their expectations so low. They have only planted a few seeds, so there is no possibility for a generous crop. Your expectations may have waned over time as life’s trek wears you down. Once you had dreams, but now you have doubts. Once the future looked bright with expectations, but now it looks bleak with reality. Sunny days ahead have been clouded by the bitter days behind.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 723 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Pushing Through - Ask Gramps

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 723 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. Starting this week and for the foreseeable future we are going to initiate a new series called Ask Gramps. This is a time when Gramps will answer questions that you would possibly like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, are unable to.

No matter how old we are, all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in all areas. We will address areas such as finances, relationships, health/fitness, business/work, home repairs/renovations, seasons of life, spiritual/Biblical growth, and any others areas that come our way.

As your fellow sojourner and mentor on this trek that we call life, it is my goal to provide you with practical wisdom and advice about any area of life. It is crucial that I receive a constant flow of questions, so please submit your questions to [email protected], send me a message at the bottom of any page on wisdom-trek.com, or text me at 740.350.5732, and I will answer them on our Friday podcast. I hope that this will become a highly interactive and informative time.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It has been a much cooler, and somewhat rainy week here in Marietta, and the leaves are starting to fall. I mulched, vacuumed, and hauled away six large loads of leaves last weekend. This weekend does not look real favorable as more rain is predicted, but we will invest our time when the opportunities present themselves.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that the leaves will remain on the ground until I am able to get them, so it is not something that will cause any stress. In fact, even as dusty and difficult as the task is at times, I do enjoy getting outside and getting to do some more physical work than most days allow me to. Sometimes it is difficult to push through each day with so many competing demands for our most limited resource, which is time. So here is our question for today…

"Hey, Gramps, 'How do you continue to push through each day even when you are tired and don’t feel like it?'"

Pushing Through

I have to admit, some days are easier than others. While it is best not to compare ourselves with others, it does appear that I tend to be more disciplined than many people.  So another question would be, is it my genetic make-up or habits that I have infused into my life over the years?

It goes back to the nature versus nurture scenario, and as with most questions like this, it is probably a mix of both. As I analyze this question, I have come to the conclusion that it largely boils down to WHY you practice certain habits.

Since I can only speak for myself, because I cannot really get into the mind of another person, I will answer for myself. I have found that I work best with at least some structure in my life, but not so rigid in that structure where I cannot adapt. I have practiced the habit of rising early throughout my adult life.

Currently, I get up at 4:45 am Monday through Friday. After getting dressed and taking care of bathroom functions, I start about 1.5 hours of exercising which currently includes pull-ups, leg lifts, push-ups, ab workout, stationary bike, weight machine, and treadmill. During this workout time is when I listen to Bible reading, other devotional emails, and podcast or audio books on my phone.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 722 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Kind Word Is Never Thrown Away – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 722 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little 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 Sir Arthur Helps, and it is, "Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away."

A Kind Word Is Never Thrown Away

Whenever truth and wise words are shared, there are many people that either choose to ignore them or are not receptive to those words. Wisdom-Trek’s purpose is to apply practical wisdom to everyday life as we intentionally focus on creating a living legacy each day. While wisdom is important, it must be shared and applied with kindness.

You may not see the immediate benefit to being kind to all people, especially those who are not kind to you. A kind word or deed will always germinate and sprout into something good, which will positively impact even those who are difficult.

Part of growing in wisdom is to practice kindness at all times and in every situation.  Kindness always produces a reward, even if it is not immediately evident. As we are told in Ephesians 4:31-32, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you enjoy these quotes, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like free access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.

As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, 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 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

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 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

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 721 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

What Is a Biblical Worldview? - Wisdom Wednesday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 721 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Starting today and on every Wednesday, we are shifting focus to explore new trails on how to gain wisdom. We are starting a series that will help us to explore our trek of life through a Biblical Worldview.

The first few weeks we will plot out what a Biblical worldview is, and why it is so important as a Christ follower to interpret life through the lenses of a Biblical worldview. Once we lay the foundation, we will then look at current issues that impact our world and society and explore them through the lens of a Biblical worldview, instead of the lens of modern media or social media. You may not always agree with my view, and that is okay. I am open to any comments that you may have on the subjects that we explore.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. My time invested last week with our partners in Arizona was productive as we start with the construction of Phase II townhomes in Mesa. We do have a tight schedule, so it is imperative that we stay focused and are able to meet our deadlines. I have found that most of us are more productive and can accomplish much more when there is a deadline and schedule that we must adhere to.

On the home front, Hazel is back at Children’s Hospital in Columbus this week. She was scheduled for chemo treatments through an IV and Spinal Tap. Unfortunately, during their initial testing, they determined that she has contracted chicken pox, which happens to some leukemia patients since the chemo kills off the cells created from the vaccination for it. They will have to alter her treatment because of this. Your continued prayers for Hazel and her family are appreciated.

As a Christ follower, how does a Biblical worldview help us to interpret events that impact our lives? Whether it is an illness, such as what Hazel is going through, or current events around the world, the first item we need to establish is…

What Is a Biblical Worldview?

The short answer is: looking at the world and all events past, present, and future from God’s viewpoint. Since we are certainly not God, what does this mean?

First, we have to understand that everybody has a worldview! From the remote tribes of the Amazon and villages in rural Africa to the staff members, officials, and elected officials at the White House, everybody has a philosophy of how they view the world.

Simply put, a worldview is simply the way that a human being regardless of ethnicity or background looks at life—the way we perceive things. This is also referred to as your paradigm or the filters by which you process life. You might say it is our “rose-colored” glasses by which we view the world.

Everyone has this lens that they look at the world through. And the way we look at the world makes all the difference in the world. It determines how we define reality, as well as how we relate to each other.

Everybody has a lens through which they interpret where life came from, why bad things happen, and what their purpose of existence is really all about. Anything from the very macro view of why are we here to minor everyday incidents, such as a flat tire.

In other words, everybody has a worldview.

If you are a Christ follower, as I am, then you should choose to have a Biblical worldview, which means that we view life through the lens of God’s Word. We believe the Bible is inspired of God, inerrant, and infallible in its original writing.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 720 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Fools Speak Because They Have to Say Something – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 720 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little 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 Plato, and it is, "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."One of the most beautiful sounds in the world is the sound of silence. It takes a wise and mature person to enjoy and be comfortable with silence, especially when you are with other people. All too often we destroy this peaceful bliss because we are uncomfortable with that silence.

We feel compelled to fill what we perceive is a void with conversation, even if it does not encourage or positively impact the lives of others. We engage in unproductive small talk, or meaningless chatter just so we don’t have to be alone with our thoughts.

We need to grow and mature to the point where we are comfortable with ourselves and with those who we invest time with, even if there is not a constant conversation.  Certainly if what you desire to speak encourages and helps others to learn, grow, mature, and gain wisdom, then there is an appropriate time to speak, but you should keep it limited.

Don’t fall prey to the trap of spewing out verbiage just for the sake of filling the silence. Be wise and speak when you have something to say. Don’t be foolish by speaking because you just have to say something.

James 1:19 - Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 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 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes or Google play, 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 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

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 719 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Success Through Failure – Mindshift Monday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 719 of our trek, and it is time for our Mindshift Monday series. Wisdom-Trek’s primary focus is to assist you in creating your living legacy. Creating your living legacy can only be accomplished by gaining wisdom in many areas of life. You can only gain wisdom by changing what you allow to go into your mind, which is a result of changing the way you think.

In other words, to create your living legacy, you must choose to be in a continual mode of mindshift. It is easy to get stuck in a mindset that your current circumstances cannot be changed. That is not true, but you must understand this fundamental principle: In order to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about. Our Mindshift Monday podcast and journal will provide you with practical ways to make a mindshift to a rich and satisfying life. 

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. When this episode originally airs, I should be back from Arizona working with our partners on our townhome project. Everything is in place now, and we have begun Phase II. We have a tight deadline for this phase, so it is important that we streamline our processes to be successful.

We learned many lessons during Phase I. Lessons learned is a nice way of saying we had many failures. Cost overruns, labor overruns, and time overruns caused the potential profits from Phase I to evaporate. This forces us to have a mindshift in our approach, and as with most important lessons learned, we know that Phase II will be…

Success Through Failure

For most of us during this trek of life, we have had a variety of experiences that we would consider failures. The frustration, hurt, expended energy, disappointments, and loss of resources is a feeling that applies to most of us. Perhaps it’s the feeling of failure that causes many to begin to fear failure. Maybe that fear stems from the fact that we have a misconception that failure is final. Even with significant failure, if it did not result in loss of life, those failures can be used to build future success through these principles.

1. A failure is not a failure if it prods you to keep on trying.

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it. In fact, we are often on that line and don’t realize it. Many a person has thrown up their hands and quit when with a little more effort and patience they would have succeeded. Just as the tide goes clear out, so it comes back clear in. There is no failure except from within yourself. This is no insurmountable barrier until you give up on your pursuit.

Booker T. Washington said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” Each person has a choice to live in one of two worlds: the crowded world of the defeated with those who quit or the roomy world of the successful with those who persist.

God does not desire for us to be defeated, but will allow hardships to grow us and mature us to handle the success. In most situations, it boils down to the laws of planning and harvesting as we are told in 2 Corinthians 9:6, "Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop."

2. A failure is not a failure if we learn a lesson from that experience and use it for good.

H. Lawrence said, “If only we could have two lives, the first in which we make the mistakes,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 718 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Facing Fears in the Valleys

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 718 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. We are focusing on how to live with less fear. We are exploring the trails on our trek of life that will help us to be fearless.

This does not imply that we will reach the point where were are completely without any fear, for that is not only impossible, but also not wise. There is a time and a place for an appropriate level of fear, but most fear that we experience on a daily basis has no grounding and can be eliminated as we grow in wisdom, insight, and understanding. So our objective is to experience a FearLess Friday on our trek of life.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As I have often mentioned on the Wisdom-Trek podcast, we go through many different seasons in our lives. It is now autumn in the US, and the leaves are starting to change and fall. We will soon be covered in leaves here and invest many days with our large leaf vacuum picking them up between now and the end of the year.

I enjoy fall with its cooler, crisp days and the anticipation of building roaring fires in the library as we enjoy the cold winter nights. We could look at it differently and complain, but instead, we choose to embrace the inevitable and enjoy the changing season. Life is much the same way, we go through times of sunny bliss and times of bitter cold. Times when we are on the mountaintop, and times when we are in deep valleys that are cold and fearful. Let’s explore today the times when we are…

Facing Fears in the Valleys

Today, we are going to explore one of the most comforting and definitely one of the most well-known psalms in the Bible - the 23rd Psalm. It was written by David, who presents us with the scenes of a shepherd’s life, which he was familiar with, since he wandered the hills and valleys of Israel as a young shepherd boy. In it, he describes God’s providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and in so doing provides grounds for confidence in His everlasting kindness.

David is someone whom most of us can relate to very well. He knew what it was like to be a lowly peasant because he served as a shepherd for his father’s sheep. He knew what it was like to be on top of the social ladder because he became king of millions of Israelites. He knew what sin was all about, having committed murder and adultery. He was a brilliant fighter and an excellent musician as well. Maybe that’s why most of us know the story of David so well; we can relate to him in some way. He was a man with a vast amount of experience, but the best thing that can be said about him was said by God, Himself. He called David a “man after my own heart.” David wrote this psalm, but he wrote it by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at the first two verses.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

What a peaceful picture! David, the shepherd of the sheep, said that God was his shepherd. The word LORD in this verse refers to Yahweh, which stands for the ever constant God, the one who had consistently been there for the Israelites, mercifully saved them from slavery to the Egyptians, led them for forty years through the wilderness, and brought them to the Promised Land. Jesus identified Himself to be that shepherd. David knew that this LORD was his shepherd. He is also the shepherd of Israel,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 717 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Wise Learn From Fools – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 717 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little 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 Cato the Elder, and it is, "Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise."

The Wise Learn From Fools

There are many ways to gain wisdom. What comes to mind first is to associate with wise individuals and learn from materials that teach us about wisdom. While those are probably the best way for obtaining wisdom, there is also another way that we may not think of. That is to observe those individuals who are not wise and practice foolish habits on a regular basis.

By observing those individuals and learning how not to act or live from them then, we can gain wisdom to avoid those same habits. We need to always be learning and always be gaining wisdom. We can do this by observing and learning from everyone that we meet.  Some will teach us much good, others will teach us by knowing what to avoid.  These three verses in Proverbs supports this thought.Proverbs 10:8 - The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

Proverbs 12:15 - Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 13:20 - Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you enjoy these quotes, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like free access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.

As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, 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 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

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 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

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Fear Less Friday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 716 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Lady Wisdom from A to Z - Proverbs 31

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 716 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the final chapter, Proverbs 31 from The Voice Translation, which gives us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we complete this 31 week series in Proverbs, I would like to reemphasize that all the precepts found in God’s Word have the law of planting and harvesting built into them. If you plant good seeds in life, you will reap a bountiful harvest of good. The opposite is also true.

Over the course of our lives, we will harvest what we plant. The entire book of Proverbs provides us with rich wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of life issues. Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if you follow the precepts in Proverbs, your life will be rich and satisfying. I encourage you to take them and plant the seeds of wisdom in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom throughout your life. Today we will explore Proverbs 31 about a very wise lady as we see…

Lady Wisdom from A to Z

In Chapter 31 we hear from the second non-Israelite. Like Agur, Lemuel is a wise son, but unlike Agur, Lemuel is also a king. This is “an oracle” of Lemuel (verse 1).

We don’t know anything about Lemuel, such as where or when he was a king, but just as Chapter 30 opened with Agur’s short autobiography (30:1-9), Lemuel begins with his own as well (31:1-9). We learn that all his wisdom came from his mother, who warned him about women and wine and instilled in him the high value of advocating for the poor and needy.

Women are very important throughout Proverbs as we saw the very idea of wisdom personified as a woman (Chapters 1-9). This final poem continues this theme by creating a portrait of a particularly wise woman who shows true, deep understanding.

This 22-verse poem is designed as another Hebrew alphabet poem. Each line begins with a new letter and shows how this woman embodies wisdom from A to Z. She blesses her household and is praised by her family. Just as we met Lady Wisdom at the beginning of Proverbs, it is a fitting conclusion to see this portrait of a wise woman who blesses her household and earns the praise of her family. It is a compelling vision of a life devoted to the wisdom and blessing of the LORD.

How has your life been shaped by wisdom? What areas still need to be aligned with God’s wisdom?

This marks the end of our time in Proverbs. This whole book is an exploration on how to live well in God’s good world. Come back to this book again and again as you build a life on the foundation of God’s wisdom.Listen intently as I read Proverbs 31.

1 These are the words of King Lemuel. An oracle of wisdom handed down to him by his mother:

2 Mother: What shall I say to you, my son? What wisdom can I impart, child of my womb?

What insight can I share, son of my vows?

3 Do not waste your strength on women

or invest yourself in women who would destroy even kings.

4 Take care, my son, O Lemuel.

Kings should not drink too much wine

or rulers should not crave strong drink;

5 For if they do, they will become drunk and forget the decree they just made

and alter the course of justice for all the poor and afflicted.

6 Rather, give liquor to one who is dying,

and offer wine to those struggling with life’s hars...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 715 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Wise Know When to be Silent – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 715 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little 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 an unknown source, and it is, "Wise men are not always silent, but they know when to be."

The Wise Know When to be Silent

As Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Specifically, in the 2nd line of verse 7, "A time to be quiet and a time to speak." For most of us, we have no problem speaking, and many times do so without much thought. We engage our mouths before we engage our brains.

I agree with this quote that those individuals who have sought after and been blessed with a measure of wisdom need to speak up when necessary. Equally important, though, a wise person knows when not to speak. Sometimes there is a fine balance between the two. Speaking enough to help, but knowing when to hold your tongue because what you speak brings no redeeming value.

We should encourage and strengthen others with our speech. If we find our speaking is negatively impacting others or is just empty words filling the silence, then we need to keep our mouth closed. As another quote says, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Proverbs 17:28 teaches us something similar, "Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent." We are also told in Proverbs 21:23, "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble."That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 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 the past daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe through iTunes or Google Play 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 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

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!