Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 209 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Living Your Life with Purpose, On Purpose #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 209 of our Trek. I trust that you had a very blessed and merry Christmas. Yesterday, on Christmas Day, we finished up our hike along the Christmas Trail. We explored the lives of those individuals that had a significant impact on the story. It is my hope that you were able to learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year.  If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

Today we look forward as we start on our Trek into 2016. One commitment that I am making for 2016 is to live my life with purpose, on purpose.  I encourage you to join me in living a life that is both rich and satisfying, to live life to the full. This does not imply that we won’t have setbacks but rather that we will be able to traverse through them while learning the lessons that they teach us.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We drove up to Marietta on Christmas Eve and had a relaxing Christmas Day. Since Paula and I will be celebrating Christmas with our kids and grandkids on January 9th, it was great to sleep in and then share a wonderful Christmas dinner with my brother Jack, his wife Ann, and our dad.

For the past few years, Paula and I take the last week of the year to assess what we were able to accomplish during the year, but more importantly, what our plans are for the New Year.  We cannot predict with certainty what the future may hold during this next year, but we can confidently know who ultimately holds the future. With that then we can confidently make plans and map out the trails that we would like to hike. If we trip and fall or are detoured on our way, that is okay. We still have our destination set. That destination is to live life fully and to impact others positively each day which becomes our living legacy.

Keeping with our theme of life being a trek with its steep mountains to climb and deep valleys to navigate, let us focus on how we can live that rich and satisfying life each day. What is required for us to live life with purpose, on purpose?  For the next few days, let’s set our course to learn how to accomplish this. Our trek for today and the next couple of days is…

Living Your Life with Purpose, On Purpose #1

There seems to be an abundance of gurus of every kind that flood the TV and internet selling their secret formulas and magic juices for a more successful and more fulfilling existence. And there is, of course, no shortage of needy and sometimes very successful people in the market willing to part with their hard earned money to gain the insights that are being peddled.

This is because seeking fulfillment in life is almost a universal phenomenon. And the primary problem stems from the fact that while most everybody knows when they were born, very few know why they were born - and so they are searching for meaning. Your alarm clock can tell you what time to wake up in the morning, but it cannot tell you “why” to wake up in the morning.

Even as a listener to this podcast or reader of our journal, if I were to ask you if you believe that God has a purpose for your lives, you would most likely reply that you do believe that. Yet if I had to ask you what your God-given life purpose is, would you be able to tell me? Many people live their life without knowing what their true purpose is. Nevertheless, we all yearn to live meaningful lives.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 208 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Love: The Story of God's Gift to Us #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 208 of our Trek, and this week we are hiking the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Today, we will explore the second part of the story titled Christmas Love: The Story of God’s Gift to Us. This is the last story in this week’s Christmas series. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This episode is airing on Christmas Day. If you are listening to the podcast or reading the journal on Christmas Day, I want to say Merry Christmas!!! May your day be a blessed time as we focus on the reason that we celebrate this day.

Christmas was always such a special time for our family growing up. Mom and Dad’s love for each other and for each of the 10 children was reflective of God’s love for us. They especially sacrificed what they had to bring the best possible time of celebration for us as a family.  Let’s make sure that we do all that we can to show God’s love to others every day of the year.

During this Christmas week, we have invested our time on our Trek together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. It is by design that our hike on the Christmas Trail today we are exploring the ultimate gift, which is God’s gift to us – salvation through Jesus Christ whose birth we are celebrating. Today we are exploring the final part of our story.

Christmas Love: The Story of God’s Gift To Us #2

2. God’s gift to you is measured by its cost.

As we serve such a loving and Holy God, we are to give Him our best. He doesn’t want our leftovers. He doesn’t want cheap stuff. He wants the best you and I can give Him. Remember the story of the wise men when I referenced how King David insisted on paying the price for his offerings in 2 Samuel 24:24.

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.  

David said if he was going to give a sacrifice to the Lord he was going to give his best – something of value, something of worth. Why would David say that? Because that is what God has done for us. He has given us the most precious gift He could possibly give – something of worth, something of value, something that is one of a kind. He gave us His son.

Look at 1 John 4:10 again.

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

God knew what had to be done. He knew what price had to be paid. He knew what it was going to cost Him, and He sent the best for you and me. He sent Jesus Christ – born as a child for the salvation of the world. If He gave that much to me, what should I give Him?

FACT: God’s gift to me is valuable.

3. God’s present to you is measured by its effectiveness.

If you get a toaster for Christmas, you expect it to be able to make toast. If you get a coffee machine, you expect it to make coffee. If you get a hair curler, you expect it to be able to curl hair. So the question that needs to be asked is “Is it effective?

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 207 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Love: The Story of God's Gift to Us #1

 Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 207 of our Trek, and this week we are hiking the Christmas trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the first part of the story titled Christmas Love: The Story of God’s Gift to Us. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  This episode is airing on the day before Christmas, as we are be heading north and arriving at The Big House late this evening.  Since we are celebrating our family Christmas on January 9th in Charlotte, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day should be a nice relaxing time for Paula and me. We do plan on sharing Christmas dinner with my brother Jack, his wife Ann, and our dad. Jack and Ann are hosting the dinner, so all I have to prepare are my favorite creamy and buttery mashed potatoes. So, it will be a break from the usual cooking that I would be doing.

During this Christmas week, we continue to invest our time in our Trek together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. It is by design that on our hike on the Christmas Trail today and tomorrow we will be exploring the ultimate gift, which is God’s gift to us – salvation through Jesus Christ whose birth we are celebrating. Today we are exploring the first part of our story.

Christmas Love: The Story of God’s Gift To Us #1

I want to start with a story that I read recently, and it goes like this…Christmas was an exciting time and Joie was excited too. He was only 10 years old, and he was as excited as any ten-year-old boy could be. For him, Christmas was still a time of wonder. He did the things most 10-year-olds do. He played ball, rode his bike, climbed trees, and went fishing with his dad. He was a happy kid. He just enjoyed life – every part of life. To him, life was full of wonder and amazement. And Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year.

It was Christmas Eve and the ground was white with snow. It was cold, and it was clear. The stars were bright that night and seemed so close that you would have thought you could reach out and touch them with your hands. The family was on their way to the grandparents’ house – that was the family tradition. Joie could hardly wait. He was excited, and his mind just raced with ideas about what he might receive this year. What present would be under the tree for him tonight?

Every year the family would gather at grandpa and grandma’s house. There was always a huge tree and there was always a present under the tree for each person there. The kids would sneak peeks at the presents and find out where theirs was located. Joie was usually one of the first to find out where his present was placed, but this year it was different. He didn’t find his right away, even though he searched all over.

He began to worry because he couldn’t find it. Then his eyes caught a big box in the corner. It was a huge box – the biggest present he had ever seen. He slowly walked over to it and sure enough written on the tag were the letters J – O – I – E. He was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were wide with excitement.

Grandpa always handed out the presents. Grandpa was not very fast,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 206 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 206 of our Trek, and this week we are hiking the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the second part of the story titled Christmas Wisdom:  The Story of the Wise Men. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Final preparations and packing will be completed today so that we will be ready to head to The Big House for Christmas. We will remain there until New Year’s Day when we will return back to Home2.

During this Christmas week, we continue to invest our time on our trek together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the first part of our story…

Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #2

As we hike the Christmas Trail together today, let me start by reading the story of the Wise Men in Matthew 2:1-12.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking  “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

are not least among the ruling citie] of Judah,

for a ruler will come from you

who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” 

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 

After this interview, the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

The second point I want to make on our trek is…

2. A wise man’s journey is one of worship.

When the wise men came on their journey, it was for the purpose of worship. They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts have a lot of symbolism associated with them. Gold represents wealth. It is a gift fit for a king. (Jesus was the King of Kings.) Frankincense is the sap of a tree that was dried and hardened and used as incense to worship God. Thus, we see a gift for his deity. (Jesus was the Son of God.) Myrrh is a fragrant perfume that was used to anoint the dead – to embalm and preserve them.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 205 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 205 of our Trek, and this week we are hiking the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the first part of the story titled Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are many activities for this week as we wrap up before heading north on Christmas Eve. We should be leaving early in the day and dropping Paula’s mom off at her sister Ruth’s house in Spotsylvania, Virginia for Christmas. Then Paula and I will head on to Marietta and should get in late on Christmas Eve.

Fred and his friend Doug came over for dinner on Monday evening, and we watched the Grinch movie. We also were able to watch our grandson Kip on Monday, so Kip and Chelimo joined us for the evening. It is great to be able to spend time with family.

During this Christmas week, we continue to invest our time on our Trek together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the first part of our story…

Christmas Wisdom: The Story of the Wise Men #1

As we hike the Christmas Trail together today, let me start by reading the story of the Wise Men in Matthew 2:1-12.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking  “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

are not least among the ruling citie] of Judah,

for a ruler will come from you

who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” 

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 

After this interview, the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

The story of the wise men is a story that is shrouded in mystery. From tradition, we seem to know all the facts and details. But, as we study the scripture, we find that there are a lot of questions we cannot answer about the wise men from the Biblical text.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 204 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 204 of our Trek, and this week we started on a series of stories that we will study between now and Christmas as we hike the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the second part of the story titled Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We were blessed to be able to attend our local fellowship of believers in Charlotte this week. It was a special Christmas service, and we are so glad that we were in town. It has been several months since we were able to attend two weeks in a row.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the second part of our story…

Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #2

There are three parts to this story of hope that Mary had. Yesterday we covered Mary’s Hossana, which was her song of praise called The Magnificant. I will read it again today to tie in yesterday’s hike.

· The Magnificant: Mary’s Song of Praise

Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

     How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

For the Mighty One is holy,

and he has done great things for me.

He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.

His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

He has helped his servant Israel

and remembered to be merciful.

For he made this promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Today we want to focus on Mary’s humility and her hope.

Mary’s Humility

There are three key elements to humility. Do you know what they are?

First, realize you’re not in charge.

Matthew 6:27 - Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

There are some things you can change. There are many things you can’t change. What you can’t change, put in God’s hands.

Second, accept your position as servant.

Matthew 23:11 -The greatest among you must be a servant.

Third, submit yourself to God.

James 4:6-7 - And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Mary knew that she would now live her whole life under a cloud of suspicion from her family and neighbors. Embedded in her decision to be fully submissive to God’s call was the willingness to suffer possible ridicule, loneliness, and contempt. God chose her, and she submitted to His will.

Mary accepted God’s will in Luke 1:38, "Mary responded, 'I am the Lord’s servant.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 203 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 203 of our Trek, and this week we started on a series of stories that we will study between now and Christmas as we hike the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the first part of the story titled Christmas Hope:  The Story of Mary.  These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Saturday we were able to visit the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina. It was all decorated for Christmas and so beautiful. It has become a tradition for Paula and me and is a nice day trip from our home.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the first part of our story…

Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #1

I want to start off this podcast by doing an exercise. Not a physical exercise but a mental exercise. I want you to remember being 15 years old. What were you doing at 15? Fifteen is an awkward age, isn’t it? You are no longer a child yet you’re not quite an adult. Hormones are doing all sorts of weird things in your body. Peer pressure is especially important at that age, and so is testing the waters of life. Wanting to be independent is also important at that age.

Scholars tell us that 15 was about the age of Mary when the angel came and visited her and told her she would become pregnant. In all likelihood, she was between the age of 13 and 16. Our views on maintaining purity until marriage may be somewhat tainted in the world today, but the issue is not new. Put yourself in Mary’s position as a young teenager who loves God and views remaining pure until marriage as one of her top priorities. She was already pledged to Joseph for marriage. If you were that age and received news like this, how would you respond?  Let’s look and see how Mary did. The story of Mary is found in the book of Luke Chapter 1:26-56. It is a rather long passage but crucial to learn the entire story of Mary.

· The Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 202 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 202 of our Trek, and yesterday we started on a series of stories that we will study between now and Christmas to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year.  Each story will cover two days, so for today, we will finish our story titled Christmas Courage:  The Story of Joseph.  These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are coming to the end of another busy week but one that has been rich and satisfying. This term that I use frequently does not mean that everything is going splendid or as planned but that life is an adventure and we should enjoy all aspects of it, even the difficult times.

This week we packed up the containers of caramel corn and got them sent off to their intended destinations. I had to make some additional batches of caramel corn to complete what we needed, so we made a total of 18 batches so far this year although I do make a double batch in each pot. If I calculated properly that would equate to nearly 150 cups of popped corn and 10 cups of various types of nuts. My favorite is with almonds. It is the making of memories that makes the time extra special, but let’s move on down our trail for today.

As mentioned on yesterday’s Trek with Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will start with our story…

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph #2

I will re-read the passage from yesterday to set the continuation of our story today. This passage is Matthew 1:18-25.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,[b] for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!

She will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Immanuel,

which means ‘God is with us.’”

When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

God gives us the courage to overcome our doubts and fears.

We can only imagine how Joseph must have felt when he found out that Mary was pregnant. His natural response would have been that she had been unfaithful to him. He knew the child was not his. She must have been unfaithful. What emotions do you think he would have?

Shock, disappointment, embarrassment, sorrow, anger…Probably a mixture of all. Yet Joseph’s character enabled him to keep a rein on his emotions.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 201 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 201 of our Trek, and for the past five days, we stayed in camp to dig up the nuggets of wisdom that are found in Proverbs Chapter 6. Now through Christmas, we will hike the Christmas trail to learn about some of the key players in the story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world not only during Christmas but for each day of the year. Each story will cover two days, so for today and tomorrow our story is Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph.  These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Wednesday, we were able to pick up Kip from his preschool and watch him until Chelimo was able to get off work. After that, we had our monthly dinner date with my sister Rebecca, and we enjoyed a meal and time of fellowship together. We both look forward to this time each month to be able to catch up and share. Granny was also able to attend a Christmas breakfast and enjoy additional time with Kip at his school on Thursday. It is important to take time from our busy schedules to enjoy life, relax, and reflect.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will start with our story…

Christmas Courage: The Story of Joseph

If you have seen the movie World Trade Center, you realize how courageous the rescuers were in the days following 9-11. The movie is about a team of rescuers who are searching for survivors in the rubble of the twin towers. The rescuers search through the rubble risking their own lives – they are men of courage – because at any moment the tangled mass of steel and concrete may collapse on them. The movie focuses in on one team of rescuers as they risk life and limb to save two firemen who were trapped in the collapse of the towers. The movie depicts the danger of the situation. The movie shows the risks of everyone involved. But the movie also shows the courage that everyone displays under life threatening conditions.

There is a story of courage that took place at the first Christmas. We often miss it because our focus is on a young mother and a baby. But the character I want us to focus on during today’s hike was in the story too. He heard firsthand that his bride-to-be was pregnant, and it was not his child.  This was difficult for him to deal with, but he wanted to handle the situation properly. As he thought about what to do, he experienced a personal message from God because of the extraordinary event. He stood by the manger where the baby was laid. He provided protection for the mother and child during the early years of the child’s life. The man’s name, of course, is Joseph.

What can we learn from Joseph?  Let’s read his story from Matthew 1:18-25.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 200 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:30-35 Lessons for Daily Life #5

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 200 of our Trek, and for one final day, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 20-29, and today we will dig into verses 30-35. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There has been a lot of work and activities this week, but we continue on each day accomplishing all that we can.

If our plans do not change, Paula and I will head to Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday for our annual Christmas visit. Biltmore is America’s largest home and with its 250 rooms is magnificent to visit any time of the year, but when it is decorated for Christmas, it is a site to behold.  We do look forward to these short excursions that we are able to take, even with a busy schedule.  As I continually try to learn to be a good and wise husband, I am still learning the importance of these times away from our work to spend with each other.

We will remain at camp for another day as we finish up Proverbs Chapter 6 digging deep for additional nuggets of wisdom that we can digest. As we accumulate this wisdom, it helps us to create that living legacy each day so we can impact our world throughout eternity. Never underestimate the value that you bring into the world with just a single act of kindness.

To use an analogy for our life, gathering together with like-minded people around a campfire is always a reflective time – a time to share stories, to laugh, and to enjoy each other’s company. As I reflect back over this past year, we have been able to accomplish a significant amount by God’s grace and also your support. Today our Wisdom-Trek passes the 200th day of our trek. The time really has rushed by.

I want to thank you for being on this trek of life with me over these 200 days. I have really enjoyed being your guide and your mentor but most importantly your friend. Please leave a comment at Wisdom-Trek.com or email me at [email protected], and let me know how our days together have impacted your life. Also, let me know how I can improve so the next 200 days bring an even greater impact. Thank you in advance.

For today, let’s get started and dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter 6:30:35. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read the entire passage, and then we will break it down into small segments as we dive deeper into our exploration.

30 Excuses might be found for a thief

who steals because he is starving.

31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,

even if he has to sell everything in his house.

32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,

for he destroys himself.

33 He will be wounded and disgraced.

His shame will never be erased.

34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35 He will accept no compensation,

nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

So now let’s do a deep dive into the verses.

30 Excuses might be found for a thief

who steals because he is starving.

31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,

even if he has to sell everything in his house....