Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 574 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Humility - The Tools in Gramps' Backpack

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 574 of our trek, and we are hiking a series of trails called The Tools in Gramps’ Backpack.

Each Monday for a total of 20 weeks, we will explore a different tool that is needed to motivate and equip parents and grandparents to train their children and grandchildren to be successful on their trek of life. If you don’t have children or grandchildren of your own, use these tools to train others that you do influence. Today the 13th tool from Gramps’ Backpack is Humility.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. The renovations on the downstairs bathroom are now complete, and we are very pleased with the results. It provides a shower and an extra cabinet for Paula’s mom, so that will make it more convenient for all of us.

We are seeing the trend where many more households are becoming multi-generational either out of need or convenience. As we see this blending, it is important for us to realize and take advantage of the situation to teach our children and grandchildren the important character traits that we all should incorporate into our lives.  One of those traits, or as I refer to them, tools is humility.

As parents and grandparents, we need to be humble and show humility in all of our interactions. We need to demonstrate and teach our children, grandchildren, and others that we mentor what a truly humble person is like. It is very difficult to be humble in all situations and takes great wisdom to practice it continually. So the tool that we will explore today is…

Humility

We need to learn that humility is something that we choose to put on each morning, in the same manner as we get dressed each day. Most of us have the discernment to dress appropriately for each day.  Let one of those character garments be that of humility. The Apostle Peter in his first letter Chapter 5 verse 5 explains this to us, "In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

As fallible human beings, we have much to be humble about. Why, then, is humility such a difficult trait for us to master? Precisely because we are fallible humans beings. Yet if we are to grow and mature as Christians, we must strive to give credit where credit is due, starting, of course, with God and His beloved Son.

As Christians, we have been reborn or refashioned and saved by Jesus Christ, and that salvation came not because of our good works but because of God’s grace. It is foolish to think that we are “self-made” because, in reality, we are “God-made” and “Christ-saved.” How then can we be boastful? The answer, of course, is that if we are honest with ourselves and with our God, we simply can’t be boastful. We must, instead, be eternally grateful and exceedingly humble.

Humility is not easy for anyone. All too often we are tempted to swell up with pride, even if it is behind a façade of humility. God does expect us to work hard and be diligent and wise, but we have to realize that all that we are or ever hope to be, we owe to a loving God. Peter continues his teaching from the verse above in 1 Peter 5:6-7, "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." 

Throughout nature and in humans, God uses what is broken to bring glory to His name. Broken clouds to let down rain,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 573 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Value of Confidence - Results

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 573 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

Currently, we are on an extended multi-week trek as we explore the teachings from some of my virtual mentors, such as Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Earl Nightingale. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. I have learned a considerable amount from reading and re-reading this book on my own trek of life, and I trust that it will benefit you also. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I have adapted it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This week has been extremely busy with client work as we have multiple projects we are currently working on. In addition to that, we are finishing up the renovation of the downstairs bathroom. We are replacing the claw foot tub with a 4’ shower unit, replacing the toilet, adding a cabinet/counter space and replacing all the light fixtures. We are on week three of the project, and hopefully, this will be the last week.

We also have the special treat of having our grandson Kip with us this week, but it does change the dynamic of our work schedule. We certainly enjoy the blessed time having him stay with Granny and Gramps for the week.

It is a balance to cover all basis because we realize that if any aspect is neglected, then it will intensify future challenges. As we continue on our extended trek, our 4th trail is The Trail of Results. Today we will explore the value of confidence in determining our results.

If you have missed the past few Philosophy Friday treks, it would be good to go back and review them to get caught up on our progress so far. We have a lot of ground to cover today, so let’s break camp and continue on the fourth trail of this extended trek as we cover…

The Five Trails on Life’s Trek – Results Part 7

As a reminder, our overall extended trek covers these five trails:

Philosophy

Attitude

Activity

Results

Lifestyle

1. Neglect Intensifies Future Challenges

While challenges can serve a worthwhile function in helping you to achieve your goals, there is no need to deliberately invite them into your life. Ten years from now you will be somewhere, the question is where? Now is the time to fix the next ten years. Life will present you with enough obstacles without purposely attracting them to you.

One of the best ways to minimize future challenges is to anticipate the results of your current neglect. Anticipating the results of your current neglect begins with asking yourself important questions about your attention to the basics:

How many books have you read in the past ninety days?

How regularly did you exercise last month?

How much of your income have you invested this past year?

How many letters or emails have you written in the past week?

How many times have you written in your journal this month?

The answers to these and many other questions will provide you with vital information about your potential for progress and future rewards. If you cannot discipline yourself in the small things, you will lack the discipline to capitalize on the great opportunities when they appear. Every error defeated by disciplined activity p...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 572 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Are You a Kind Person? – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 572 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 Condoleeza Rice who said, "Terror and tragedy have made us more aware of our vulnerabilities and mortality...We're living through a time of testing and consequence, and pray that our wisdom and will are equal to the work before us."In today’s global political and economic situation, we face threats that we would never have imagined a few decades ago. With the advent of 24/7 news channels and instant information at our fingertips, we all fall prey to the over exaggeration of the terror and tragedy that we are faced with. Yes, there is reason for concern, but we must have the wisdom and insight to keep that concern in proper perspective.

The world overall is a safer and more prosperous place than at any time in recorded history. There is still much work to do to make the world even safer.

This starts with each of us being more kind and compassionate. This means that we must be willing to step up and take a stand when there is an injustice. This means that we need to treat others as we would like to be treated. This means that we need to put our faith, hope, and trust in God and pray for the wisdom to live a good and godly life - one that is built on a moral foundation and is full of integrity.

We need to put into practice what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter in Ephesians 4:31-32, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."The change that this world needs begins and ends with each of us individually.

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 Philosophy Friday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 571 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Benefits of Wisdom - Proverbs 2

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 571 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 Proverbs 2 from The Voice Translation which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I invested last week in Arizona working with our construction project there. Interest is strong for purchasing the townhomes that we are just completing. It appears that we will be able to start on Phase II within the next couple of months. The desert was green and in bloom and was beautiful in its own way. Spring in Ohio, which is just starting to show its colors is also beautiful in its own way. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

Although we don’t know exactly what the future may hold for us, there is a great benefit to having wisdom in our lives. It allows us to anticipate possible outcomes to our decisions and make wise decisions. So today in chapter 2 of Proverbs, we will explore…

The Benefits of Wisdom

This entire chapter is the father’s second speech to his son. It is more encouraging (and a little less bloody) than the last one, but his tone is still urgent. If you seek out wisdom, you will find it, but you’ve got to look hard.

Verses 4-5

“Look for [wisdom] as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

How badly do you want wisdom? Do you value it as something rare and precious? If so, you’re going to have to work for it like a man digging for gold. The good news is that God is pleased to give wisdom and success to people who seek it, so get ready for the most important treasure hunt that exists! But be warned of greed or pride. The best way to succeed is to stay humble and continue to ask God for help.

In verse 5 we learn that we must truly respect the Eternal One – the one True God. This is synonymous with knowing God. Like a child who touches fire and learns its true strength, when we know God, we humbly revere His huge, all-encompassing power. This transforms our stance towards Him, as well as our behavior. Don’t worry if this sounds intense! The father promises that as wisdom “enters your heart,” you will have direction and guidance, and knowledge “will be pleasant to your soul.”

Verses 12-22

There’s a lot of imagery here about the landscape of good or evil paths. The father warns about two specific dangers on the journey – you are going to encounter people who take shortcuts in life at the expense of others (evildoers) or who tempt you to break your marriage covenants for easy sex (the seductive woman). These people may seem thrilling at first, but their cheap, twisted, “shadowy pit” will lead you to misery, or, as the father says, “they will never again find their way back to true life.” That is serious. Remember, wisdom will keep you away from the grips of these people and will lead you to a life of stability and joy.

1 My son, if you accept what I am telling you

and store my counsel and directives deep within you,

2 If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her,

and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you,

3 If you cry out to her for insight

and beg for understanding,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 570 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

His Infinite Wisdom – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 570 of our trek, and it's 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 J.P. de Caussade who said, "Since God offers to manage our affairs for us, let us once and for all hand them over to His infinite wisdom, in order to occupy ourselves only with Himself and what belongs to Him."Most of us try to control every detail of our lives and many times the lives of others.  Much of the worry, anxiety, and drama that we have in our lives is because we feel out of control. We feel that the bad things of life are going to hit us, and there is little we can do about it. It is virtually impossible to control others, and many aspects of our own lives are beyond our direct control.

God does give us free will, which allows us to try and control our lives and gives us the false sense that we can control circumstances. God also tells us in His Word that He will take care of us so we can turn over to Him all of the worry and anxiety that consumes our lives. God has infinite wisdom. He knows what is best for our lives.  Instead of being occupied with all the things we cannot control, let is impact for good what we can and leave the rest to God. As Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:25-27, "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Let us focus on living a right life as Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

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 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!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 569 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Prayer - The Tools in Gramps' Backpack

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 569 of our trek, and we are hiking a series of trails called The Tools in Gramps’ Backpack.

Each Monday for a total of 20 weeks we will explore a different tool that is needed to motivate and equip parents and grandparents to train their children and grandchildren to be successful on their trek of life. If you don’t have children or grandchildren of your own, use these tools to train others that you do influence. Today the 12th tool from Gramps’ Backpack is prayer.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Communication is so important. We need to continually and effectively communicate with our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, and others that we have the opportunity to impact. It would be a dysfunctional relationship if compassionate and effective communication were not part of it. This is why our next tool is so crucial.

Since God created us, if we do not have continual and effective communication to Him through prayer, then our spiritual relationship will also be dysfunctional. As parents and grandparents, we need to communicate with God, and we also need to demonstrate and teach our children, grandchildren, and others that we mentor what it means to have an effective prayer life. So the tool that we will explore today is…   

Prayer

Every parent and grandparent should make frequent use of God’s indispensable tool - the tool of prayer. As James, the half-brother of Jesus instructed us in James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

“The power of prayer” – these words are used rather lightly within many Christian circles. They are familiar, yet sometimes I think we forget what they really mean. Prayer is a powerful tool for communicating with our Creator. It is the opportunity to commune with the giver of all good things. Prayer helps us to find strength for today and bright hope for our tomorrows. Prayer is not a practice that is to be taken lightly or to use infrequently when we have a crisis.So let me ask you this question, “Is prayer an integral part of your daily life, or is it a hit-or-miss habit?” Do you pray on a consistent and regular basis, or is it an afterthought when the difficult times of life overwhelm you? The Apostle Paul in his letter in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 encourages us to, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

The strength of your spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the quality of your prayer life. The phrase “prayer changes things” is often misused, but is true. It changes you. Instead of worrying, planning, and plotting your next step, when you have a consistent and effective prayer life with your creator, you can present your petitions to God and ask Him to give you wisdom, insight, and understanding that will give you the direction to take. James once again in chapter James 1:5 instructs us, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." Pray constantly about things great and small. God is listening, and He desires to hear from us. As King David put it in Psalms 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."Just as Christ was an example to us that we need to pray, we need to be an example to our children, grandchildren, and all that we impact.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 568 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Check and Measure Results

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 568 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

Currently, we are on an extended multi-week trek as we explore the teachings from some of my virtual mentors, such as Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Earl Nightingale. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. I have learned a considerable amount from reading and re-reading this book on my own trek of life, and I trust that it will benefit you also. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I have adapted it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. When this episode is initially released, I will still be in Arizona working with our partners on the final stages of Phase I of our construction project. The project owner and realtors have an open house planned for March 25th, so we are hopeful that it will generate some additional sales so that the funding group will move forward with Phase II. Although we have worked together on projects previously, any large project of this nature requires that results are often checked and progress is measured continually.

As we continue on our extended trek focusing on our 4th trail, which is The Trail of Results, we will explore why checking and measuring results in life is so imperative for a successful outcome. If you have missed the past few Philosophy Friday treks, it would be good to go back and review them to get caught up on our progress so far. We have a lot of ground to cover today, so let’s break camp and continue on the fourth trail of this extended trek as we cover…

The Five Trails on Life’s Trek – Results Part 6

As a reminder, our overall extended trek covers these five trails:

Philosophy

Attitude

Activity

Results

Lifestyle

1. Check Results Often

You cannot afford to wait ten years to see if your plan, your philosophy, your attitude, or your efforts need to be modified. Neglect and delay can be costly.

Progress must be measured on a regular basis. The timely checking of the key indicators in all parts of your life is a barometer of responsible thinking. How often you need to check your results depends on how far you want to go. The greater the distance, the more frequently you need to check. If you are only going as far as the next block, being off a few degrees isn’t going to make much difference. If you have your sights set on some distant star, then miscalculating by even one degree can lead you millions of miles off target. The longer you wait to discover this small error in judgment, the harder you will have to work to get back on course. Of greater consequence is that the passage of time tends to diminish your desire to get back on course. You may accept the little that you have and abandon your dreams of all that we might have been.

2. Making Measurable Progress In A Reasonable Amount Of Time

That is the great challenge of life – making measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time. That is what creates both purpose and value in your life.

If you are to confront this challenge with enthusiasm and with any hope for success, you cannot use your current circumstances as an excuse for your failure to make measurable progress. When circumstances make progress difficult,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 567 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Are You a Salty Person? – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 567 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 Sadhu Sundar Singh who said, "Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist. We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water. Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which he imparts to us."

Are you a salty person? Salt, when it is it completely dissolved in water, cannot be detected just by looking at it. In the same manner, a person who just sees you will not be aware of your status as a Christ follower. When you taste salt water, it is immediately evident that the water contains salt. It is only when others can experience your love for them and others will it be evident of your relationship to God.

There are so many Bible verses that relay this thought. The first one is 1 John 3:18-19, "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God."Salt is used to preserve food and also to enhance its flavor. In the same way, as Christ followers, we should preserve love in the world and enhance the lives of others. If we lose our saltiness, then we will fall prey to what Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."

So let me ask you again. Are you a salty person? Preserve and enhance your world through an overflowing love put into action.

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. 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 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 importantly your friend as I serve you through the 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

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 566 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Purpose of Wisdom - Proverbs 1

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 566 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 Proverbs 1 from The Voice translation, which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Let’s begin our trek today with a brief commentary on chapter 1 as we explore and discover…

The Purpose of Wisdom

Here we go! Before we explore the proverbs themselves, which start in Chapter 10, we are first going to explore nine chapters of poems. The point of these poems is to whet your appetite for how important God’s wisdom is in your life. These poems are speeches. Some of the speeches are from father to a son that you get to listen in on. Others are from a character called “Lady Wisdom” and are written directly to you. In Chapter 1, we hear from both of these voices.

· Verses 1-7: The Introduction

Before these speeches, there is an introduction to the entire book. The book opens with a pep-talk about its purpose, and the message is clear—whether or not you think you’ve got life figured out, you need this advice. The introduction ends by saying that gaining wisdom will be impossible if you don’t cultivate humility for God’s authority—“the Fear of the Lord,” a theme that will appear many times in this book. “Only fools despise knowledge and discernment,” concludes verse 7, bringing up the implied question: “Wise or foolish—which are you going to be?”

· Verses 8-19: 1st Speech from Father to Son

After the introduction comes a speech, the first of ten, from father to a son. There’s consistent language here about resisting evil, and the father doesn’t pull any punches while warning his son. His words are concise, direct, and rather forceful—if people tempt you with claims of an easy, deceitful life of “ill-gotten gains,” do not follow them. Period. It will only bring ruin. Period. The father ends with especially descriptive words about the violence that will come from falling into these ways.

· Verses 20-33: 1st Speech from Lady Wisdom

The next speech is the first from Lady Wisdom, a character in this book who personifies the concept of wisdom. She claims that rejecting her advice will lead to self-destruction and you’ll only have yourself to blame. If you don’t listen to wisdom, you’re going to crash and burn. Hard. She’s pretty much going to bust out with “I told you so.”

As a whole, Chapter 1 bluntly cuts to the point—our choices are a serious matter, but wisdom is accessible to us. The stakes are high, but we have instruction to guide us. Guard yourself, pay attention, and consider carefully how you will respond. Are you going to be open-minded and learn new ways of living well in God’s world? Of course, the answer should be YES!

1 I, Solomon, David’s son and Israel’s king, pass on to you these proverbs—a treasury of wisdom—

2 So that you would recognize wisdom and value discipline; that you would understand insightful teaching

3 And receive wise guidance to live a disciplined life; that you would seek justice and have the ability to choose what is right and fair.

4 These proverbs teach the naive how to become clever; they instruct the young in how to grow in knowledge and live with discretion.

5 The wise will pay attention to these words and will grow in learning, and the discerning will receive divine guidance,

6 And they will be able to interpret the meaning of a proverb and a puzzle,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 565 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Quality is Never an Accident – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 565 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 William A. Foster who said, "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives."Quality in our lives and all of our endeavors boils down to the choices that we make.  We can choose to barely get by in our work and in our relationships, or we can choose to invest our highest intentions and our most sincere efforts.

We can choose to make wise and intelligent decisions on the direction we will take, and we can choose to master the art of execution skillfully. It all boils down to the choices that we make.

Most of the time our choices are not choices between bad and good or between wrong or right. Most of our choices are between what is good, better or best. Choose wisely in every decision that you make small or large, and you will live a quality life and have a quality impact on others.

As Ecclesiastes 10:2 tells us, "A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one." We are also instructed in Romans 6:16, "Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."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 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!