Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 304 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Popularity vs. Integrity

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 304 of our trek, and yesterday we discovered the 9 signposts that help us to navigate the difficult trails of change. In particular, we discovered that when we come to an end of one trail, it is actually the beginning of a brand new tail. Today’s trail will take us to a place that may not be comfortable as we compare and contrast popularity or success with integrity.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we watch spring wake up from its winter sleep, we have spotted at least three different varieties of woodpeckers. The largest one is a pileated woodpecker (think Woody Woodpecker), next a red belly woodpecker, and then a couple of downy woodpeckers. That is an advantage of having very large and mature trees on our property, as they attract a lot of different wildlife. It appears that our pair of red shoulder hawks have laid their eggs or are getting close to doing so. The female is spending most of her time on the nest while the male seeks out food and additional nesting materials.

On Wednesday, we will be onsite with one of our clients locally to assist them with their monthly billing. It is very important to our clients and us that we have the utmost integrity in all of our transactions with them. In a world of moral relativism and situational ethics where success/popularity is more important than keeping your word, it is important that we understand the difference between.

Popularity vs. Integrity

The current election cycle in the United States brings this topic to the forefront of our minds. Although I do not like to generalize, most politicians and political candidates will say and do just about anything to persuade us to support them. The thinly veiled rhetoric leaves us confused as to what the truth really is. Most of the modern news outlets also contribute negatively to what actually is the truth. We should not get caught up in this same cycle in our own lives. The question to ask is, “Are popularity and success mutually exclusive with integrity?”

While it is difficult to see it in many areas of our current world, I would propose that true integrity is the very backbone of true popularity and success. If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this, Popularity and success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose. So, never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity.

We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Sales people overpromise and under deliver, all in the name of making their quota for the mon...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 303 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Signposts to New Beginnings

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 303 of our trek, and yesterday we explored 9 ways to stay young. On our trek today, we will be on the lookout for the 9 signposts that will help us to navigate the difficult trails of change.  In particular, we will discover that when we come to an end of one trail, it is actually the beginning of a brand new tail.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. After a relaxing Sunday afternoon, we have many tasks and activities for this week. This includes both client work and tasks around The Big House. The weather has turned a bit cooler this week, and if you hear our wind chimes in the background today on our podcast, it is because the wind is quite brisk today. The extra special blessing is that we are enjoying being able to invest time with our grandson Kip this week as he is staying with us until we return to Charlotte on Sunday.

As we head out on our hike for today, we need to recognize and understand that just as there are different seasons of the year, there are different seasons in our lives. Change is inevitable, and the more we are prepared for these changes, the easier they are to accept and adapt to. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."

Let us look for the...

9 Signposts to New Beginnings

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

During certain seasons of life, we may choose or be forced to start a new beginning. When you can no longer think of a reason to continue, you must think of a reason to start over. There’s a big difference between giving up and starting over in the right direction. And, there are three little words that can release you from your past regrets and guide you forward to a positive new beginning.

On our hike today, let’s look for the signpost with these words, “From now on…”

So, from now on…

Let the things you can’t control, GO. – Most things are only a part of your life because you keep thinking about them. Positive things happen in your life when you emotionally distance yourself from the negative things. So, stop holding on to what hurts, and make room for what feels right. Do not let what is out of your control interfere with all the things you can control.

Accept and embrace reality. – Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. For everything you lose, you gain something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else. You don’t have to like it, but it’s just easier if you do. So, pay attention to your outlook on life. You can either regret or rejoice; it’s your choice.

Change your mind. – Change is like breath. It isn’t part of the process; it is the process. In reality, the only thing we can count on is change. And the first step toward positive change is to change your...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 302 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Ways to Stay Young

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 302 of our trek, and yesterday we explored the 9 different moments each day that will bring us happiness. Today we are going to travel on the Fountain of Youth Trail and learn 9 ways to stay young.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.”  These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on.  If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It was a great weekend of activities. Our three older children and their families were with us Saturday, and we had a family Easter dinner that evening. On Sunday together we worshiped our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. What a great blessing it was.

We also have the blessing of our grandson Kip staying with us for this week. We will continue our renovations and have a full client load, so it will be a challenging week accomplishing all that we would like to complete. We are glad that we are young both mentally and physically for our age, as it gives us the strength to carry on even when we are busy.

There are certain habits or character traits that will help you to feel and stay young. On our trail today we will explore and examine...

9 Ways to Stay Young

Youth is wasted on the young—or at least, that’s what has been declared, but it would be a travesty if it were true. Youth is not only a time of life; it’s also a state of mind.  Paula and I often speak on how we still feel that we are in our 30s.  We do still consider ourselves young—and we intend to stay that way.

You can have a youthful outlook and attitude at an older age, or an old-fogey attitude at a young age. The choice is yours.  Want to stay young at heart and mind? Here are a few ideas to help you:

1. Keep only cheerful, positive friends.

You can pick your friends, and I like to choose those who are positive and those who challenge me. They make me feel good. They don’t drag me down or make me angry at the world. Negative people see the difficulty in every opportunity while positive people see the opportunity in every difficulty. We need to be choosy of who we become close friends with or spend a lot of time with. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, "Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character."

2. Keep learning.

I think Henry Ford put it best when he said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”  You should consider that you are a disciple all of your life. Never stop learning.

3. Enjoy the simple things.

Don’t forget to take the time to enjoy the things that you like to do—go for a walk or to the movies, read a good book, watch a favorite TV show, or spend time with your family. To stay young, you have to have a good balance in life.

4. Laugh often.

Starting your day with a good laugh, or, at least, a big smile, is as beneficial to your health as it is to your mood. Scientific studies have concluded that laughter benefits the heart, lungs, stomach,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 301 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Moments of Daily Happiness

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 301 of our Trek, and yesterday we explored the Wisdom of Silence. Through it, we discovered that there is much to be learned from silence and that it is not necessary to be speaking unless it is both encouraging and relevant.

Today on our trek, we want to search for 9 different moments each day that will bring us happiness. Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.”  These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy.

While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode will originally air on Easter Sunday, which is the most special day in the Christian calendar as it is the day that Christ rose from the grave which allowed us access to God through Christ. We should all take some time to reflect on this.

On Saturday, our three oldest kids, their spouses, and their children came over for dinner and a great time of fellowship together. They have other plans for dinner on Easter, so this certainly was a special time for us to get together. Being able to have all six of our grandchildren with us at the same time is always a special treat for Granny and Gramps. Kip will be staying with us here at The Big House again this next week since it is spring break at his preschool. Buddy and Chelimo both have to work during the day, so it gives us an opportunity to invest another week with Kip. This certainly builds on our legacy we desire to live each day and brings happiness and joy into our lives.

Speaking of being happy, it is time to break camp ad head up the trails for us to search for the 9 moments that should bring us happiness every day. Let us discover how we can infuse into our lives the…

9 Moments of Daily Happiness

Success and happiness aren't easy to achieve. It takes a lot of time, hard work, and choosing the right attitude to get there. That's why, along the way, you've got to take advantage of moments -- those brief periods of time each day when all can be right in your world. As I have said several times, "Happiness is a journey, not a destination." Throughout our daily trek of life, here are nine moments worth experiencing every day.

1. A Moment of Laughter

William James said, "We don't laugh because we're happy – we're happy because we laugh." There's physiological evidence that shows that laughing puts you in a better mood. Take time every day to laugh and you'll find it's both contagious and uplifting. Surround yourself with funny people, find opportunities to laugh at yourself, and laugh your way to success in any area of life.

2. A Moment of Celebration

This is how Tony Robbins puts it, "Say to yourself, here is an opportunity for you to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary." We don't take the time to celebrate small successes enough - or even big successes. At the end of every day take at least one moment per day to celebrate the good in your life. Even if they are small situations.

3. A Moment of Reflection

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 300 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Wisdom of Silence

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 300 of our trek, and yesterday we compared the trails of inheritance versus legacy.  We discovered that although many people think of them as the same, there are distinctive and important differences between the two.

We have crossed over the 300-day milestone, and we are excited as we continue toward completing a full year of Wisdom-Trek.  Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume small “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy.

While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we have been observing our pair of hawks, we have settled that they are Red Shouldered Hawks based on their coloring and calls. We do not believe that they have laid their eggs yet as both of them remain very active working on the nest, flying around and eating small rodents. We will keep you updated as we observe more.

It is great as I enjoy watching God’s creation and being able to see spring wake up, all while standing in silence at my computers and doing what I love, including creating these journals for our daily Wisdom-Trek. There is wisdom in being silent and observing.  This brings us to our trek today as we explore…

The Wisdom of Silence

Today let us discover the art of Learning to Talk Less and Say More.

You know who I really appreciate? Those people who aren’t uncomfortable with silence. Those people with whom you can sit at a table and have a delicious meal and not feel uncomfortable when none of you has anything to say. I love people who can communicate with one another not just with words but also with silence.

As we hike onward today, I will mix some quotes, proverbs, and some good practical “horse sense” about the treasure of silence. I am sure that you have experienced being with someone who just could not stand a moment of silence, so they filled every gap of silence with speaking even if it was not relevant. Some people are convinced that to be a good conversationalist that there has to be a verbal conversation going on.

Life is a series of balances. Extremes on either end of the spectrum are usually not prudent. As a Swedish Proverb says, “Fear less, hope more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Hate less, love more; And all good things are yours.”

I am sure all of us have done the same where we have been in a situation when we have talked too much or have said something that was either inappropriate or irrelevant. There are times we just talk and talk without actually saying anything. Maybe it’s because we want to feel that we’re heard and that people acknowledge our presence and existence. But, is that really the way to go about it? Wouldn’t it be wiser to talk less and say more while at the same time immersing ourselves in those moments of silence and allowing them to just be? Those individuals that habitually talk too much are usually a victim of a low self-image or a puffed up ego, which are two sides of the same coin.

Plato described it this way,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 299 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Legacy vs. Inheritance

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 299 of our trek, and yesterday we remained at camp around the campfire and explored the importance of investing time to relax and recharge as part of our life. I do struggle with this on a personal level but am committed to making a little R&R part of my regular schedule.

Today we will head back out and compare the trails of inheritance versus legacy. While there may be some cross over, they are distinctively different. Since we started our trek on day 0, today is our 300th day on the trails of life. Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume small “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy.  If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We have had some real beautiful spring days this week, the daffodils are in full bloom, and watching our pair of hawks outside our office window as been an awesome sight.  I have also included a couple of pictures from the refinished library in today’s journal.  We will have to let the polyurethane on the floor dry solid before moving the furniture back in this weekend.

It is now time to break camp and head out to explore a couple of trails that are similar but can be drastically different. Since one of the objectives on our Wisdom-Trek is to create a living legacy each day, we want to make sure that we have a clear understanding of the difference between:

Legacy vs. Inheritance

So often we tend to equate legacy to inheritance, but in fact, they are very different things. Inheritance is about money and possessions but legacy is about the person. Let’s think about it in these two descriptions.

Inheritance is something you leave. Legacy is something you place in them.  An inheritance is something given to a person. A legacy is something done in a person. When you leave something behind as an inheritance, the recipients are temporarily happy and satisfied. But when you leave them a legacy they are permanently transformed.  If you have been on our Wisdom-Trek over the past 300 days, you know that one of our primary focuses is not just to leave a legacy when you die, but to impact everyone each day through a living legacy that will change eternity.

The truth of the matter is that we need to be much more concerned about our legacy each day than the inheritance we will leave some day. Sure, we need to make sure our wills and other financial areas are in place and protected for the next generation. The Bible mentions inheritance nearly 60 times, so it does have an importance in our lives, such as is mentioned in Proverbs 13:22, "Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly."

Even with its importance, legacy goes far beyond the time the money or stuff runs out. Legacy is eternal. Inheritance is gifts received. Legacy is values imparted into someone else. Inheritance is a temporary reward. Legacy is an eternal reward. One day we will all die, and we can’t take anything with us. That is why it is important that we live with our eternal impact in mind. That impact is the one thing that will last forever.

We need to first be sure our eternity is secure and that we have dealt with the ...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 298 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Tips to Relax and Recharge

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 298 of our trek, and yesterday explored our final trail of the total of 18 trails on the trek we call the Principles of Spiritual Growth. It was quite an extensive trek and was a little different than our previous treks that we have taken. I trust that you found this information valuable in your own life, regardless of where you happen to be on your faith trek.

Today we will remain at camp and sit around the campfire as we invest some time exploring ways to relax and recharge. I struggle with this on a personal level, as there are always more projects to work on than there are hours in a day. I do realize that time for proper sleep, rest, and relaxation are an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. I am certainly trying to learn these lessons as we explore them. We have covered many different types of terrain on our nearly 300 daily hikes, so if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We are making good progress on both our client workload and renovations. I have completed the library woodwork and floors, so we will be able to move the furniture back in this weekend. Paula is going to paint the back wall of the built-in bookshelves in the library before we move all of the books back in. It is the old plaster walls and they could use a good coat of paint. I will post some pictures in the journal later this week. Although it is difficult work doing the renovations, I also find it a relaxing time away from constantly being at my standing desk in front of a computer.

It is time to share 9 tips to relax and recharge around our campfire today. I learned these tips from one of my virtual mentors, Brian Tracy whose courses I have learned much from over my business career so far.

9 Tips to Relax and Recharge

Most of us realize that regular relaxation is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. The question is, if we know that, why don’t we make it a priority in our lives. I certainly am pointing my finger at myself on this one, so let us digest these nuggets of insight together. Here are some techniques for relaxing physically that are used by the most successful people in our fast-paced society of the western world.

1. Take Time Off Every Week

First of all, work only five or six days per week, and rest completely on the seventh day. Every single study in this area shows that you will be far more productive in the five or six days that you work if you take one or two days off completely than you ever would be if you worked straight through for seven days. Of course, God was the original designer of this concept as it declares in Genesis 2:1-3, "So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation."

2. Get Your Mind Busy Elsewhere

During this time off, do not catch up on reports, organize your desk, prepare proposals, or do anything else that requires mental effort. Simply let your mind relax completely, and get busy doing things with your family and friends. Maybe work around the house, go for a walk, engage in physical exercise, watch television, go to a movie, or play with your children. Whatever you do, discipline yourself to shut your mental gears off completely for at least one 24-hour period every seven days.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 297 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Principles of Spiritual Growth - Continuance

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 297 of our trek, and yesterday we hiked on the 17th trail of this trek, which was the Trail of Cultivation. Today we will explore our final trail where we will learn how valuable it is to continue on our overall trek each day as we hike the Trail of Continuance.

There were a total of 18 trails on the trek we call the Principles of Spiritual Growth, which is adapted from a short book written by Miles J. Stanford. These practical lessons were instrumental in my spiritual growth as a young man seeking to create and live my legacy. As we complete our overall trek, I trust that you have found this information valuable in your own life, regardless of where you happen to be on your faith trek. Each of the trails that we hike builds on the previous one, so if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. The new Air Conditioning and Furnace were installed on Monday and Tuesday, which replaced the furnace that had a crack in the heat exchanger. This was quite a large and unexpected expense, but as we mature we realize that things break down. And life does not always go as we expected or hoped. Regardless of what happens in life, we must continue on. Another Big House related task, we are continuing to make progress on the woodwork in the library as we balance that with our client workload.

Just like every area of our lives, our spiritual growth is one of continuing on each day. It may not always be easy or enjoyable, but that should not prevent us from living the rich and satisfying life that Christ has given us. It is now time to continue on for one last hike on our current trek called the Trail of Continuance. This is the 18th  and final trail, which makes up the trek we call…

Principles of Spiritual Growth – Continuance

As with most new initiatives in life when we first start out on our spiritual trek, we are hungry and enthusiastic to serve God. We feel like we are making extensive progress, and yet we have barely begun. As our Lord takes us along through the years, it slowly dawns on us that there are vast, almost infinite, areas of development through which He must still lead us.

Many of these development areas are like a dry desert—no noticeable spiritual activity, no service, little or no fellowship with God or with others. We feel like our prayers are forced and sometimes dropped altogether for months at a time. Bible study finally grinds to a halt; everything seems to add up to nothing. It is during these necessary times that the Christ follower often feels that God has ceased to carry out His part and that there is little or no use in seeking to continue on. When we are honest with ourselves, even during these dry times, there is a hunger deep within that will not allow him to quit. Truths like those found in 2 Timothy 2:19 helps us to carry on, even when we don’t feel like it and life does not make sense, "But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and 'All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.'”

Are we to love and trust and respond to God only when He seems to be “blessing” us? What sort of love is that? Self-love? Our Father may strip everything away from time to time in order to give us the opportunity of loving and trusting and responding to Him just because He is our Father. He knows what the cross is going to mean in our lives. He knows the death-march that lies ahead of us so th...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 296 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Principles of Spiritual Growth - Cultivation

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 296 of our trek, and yesterday we hiked on the 16th trail of this trek, which was the Trail of Help. Today we will explore the importance of balance in all areas of our life as we hike the Trail of Cultivation.

There is a total of 18 trails on the trek, we call the Principles of Spiritual Growth, which is adapted from a short book written by Miles J. Stanford. These practical lessons were instrumental in my spiritual growth as a young man seeking to create and live my legacy. As we continue on each trail of our overall trek, I trust that you will also find this information valuable in your own life, regardless of where you happen to be on your faith trek. Each of the trails that we hike builds on the previous one, so if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. There is a lot of activity in and around The Big House this week. Sunday afternoon I invested several hours varnishing the woodwork in the library. I have the trim on two more walls to apply the 2nd coat to, and then it is onto the floor. Hopefully, we will have the library completed by the end of this week, and then we will move onto the other front room, which we call the parlor.

Our pair of hawks have been extremely busy this week and spending more time near their nest, which is right outside of our upstairs office, so it is enjoyable watching them. We can’t tell if they have actually laid their eggs yet as we do see both of them still flying around, but there is usually one of them near or on the nest. The female is noticeably larger than the male of this particular pair. If this is the same pair of hawks as in previous years, this is either their 5th or 6th year using the same nest.

As spring is manifesting itself with daylight lasting longer, the temperature rising, and flowers blooming, it is time to start cultivating our gardens and fields in preparation for planting crops. As we head out on our hike for today, we want to explore this important concept of our spiritual lives on the Trail of Cultivation. This is the 17th of 18 trails, which makes up the trek we call…

Principles of Spiritual Growth – Cultivation

The cultivation of good habits and character traits in all area of our lives is very important. As our children were growing up and still to this day, I emphasize the importance of balance in everything that we do or are involved in. There can be little question concerning the importance of balance. It is so vital in the mechanical, physical, aesthetic, and spiritual realms. Faulty balance often results in the breakdown and possible devastation to the surrounding area.  This is true as we think about the cultivation and growing of crops in our spiritual lives.

In the agricultural world, there has to be the balance of the proper amount of rain, sun, nutrients, and temperature for proper growth to occur with any type of crop. When there is the proper balance, then the crops will produce a bountiful harvest that can be shared with many. As the crops are properly cultivated, all of its resources are initially used so that plant can grow to maturity. Once mature, it can then start producing what will later become the harvest.

It is the same with our spiritual lives. Each of us must be thoroughly cultivated before we can effectively cultivate others through us. As we are maturing, there will be areas of service that we can provide for God.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 295 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Principles of Spiritual Growth - Help

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 295 of our trek. Yesterday we hiked on the 15th trail of this trek, which was the Trail of Rest. Today we will explore a trail that all of us occasionally require which is the Trail of Help.

There is a total of 18 trails on the trek we call the Principles of Spiritual Growth, which is adapted from a short book written by Miles J. Stanford. These practical lessons were instrumental in my spiritual growth as a young man seeking to create and live my legacy. As we continue on each trail of our overall trek, I trust that you will also find this information valuable in your own life, regardless of where you happen to be on your faith trek. Each of the trails that we hike builds on the previous one, so if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We drove up to Marietta on Saturday and arrived late Saturday evening. The daffodils are in full bloom and are beautiful. I have included a couple of pictures in today’s journal. It was cloudy and a bit rainy when we arrived, so I will try to get some additional pictures when it is sunny out this week. We do have a full week with work projects and renovation work ahead of us, so we will need to stay focused to meet our expectations. It does require coordination with Paula and me having a clear understanding of our individual strengths, so we can best serve our clients. We do not have to beg each other for help. We understand that help is available at all times. This allows us to maximize our effectiveness as we work closely with our clients assisting them with their businesses.

As we head out on our hike for today, an important aspect of our spiritual lives is to understand where our help comes from as we explore the Trail of Help.  This is the 16th of 18 trails which makes up the Trek we call…

Principles of Spiritual Growth – Help

I would like to take a bit of a different approach to this concept of help. For most of us, it is time to stop asking God for help. He didn’t help us to be saved, and He doesn’t intend to help us live the Christian life. Now, this probably sounds somewhat far-reaching, but stay with me as I explain. We need to know and understand that God’s help has already been set aside for us. It is up to us to appropriate and apply that help to our lives each day. We do not have to continually beg for his help. His help is ours for the taking.

There is no question where our help comes from. Psalms 121:1-3 tells us, "I look up to the mountains, does my help come from there?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber."

As a Christ follower, it is not a matter of continually asking God for help. It is Christ living His life in us that already has provided all the help and strength that we will ever need. Hebrews 13:6 explains the confidence that we can have, "So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?'” 

The evil one, Satan, wants to keep us in the place of continual defeat in our lives so that we remain ineffective. He wants us to be in the place where we are always asking for what God says He has already provided. This is a defeatist attitude that should not be part of our lives as Christ followers. This principle holds true for all aspects of our Christian life. In Christ, we are complete and have been provided with ev...