Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 254 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 9:1-6 - Closing Arguments #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 254 of our trek, and today we will remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs Chapter 9. Yesterday we explored Proverbs 8:32-36 where the woman Wisdom has finished the presentation of her case in a legal proceeding before the city gates. She has presented a strong case which we can learn from. Since each day’s trek builds on the previous one, 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 Sunday, we were able to attend our local church, and then we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, to take the upstairs/downstairs tour at the Biltmore Mansion. It was very interesting to see several rooms that are not available on the regular tour. Paula and I always enjoy visiting Biltmore, as it was built at about the same time period as The Big House in Marietta and has some similar architectural features. Of course, Biltmore is a lot larger and grander, but it does provide some renovation ideas.

As we begin Chapter 9, which is the third of three great poems written by King Solomon, he presents the closing arguments in Wisdom’s hearing. Once again let’s transport ourselves back to ancient Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon. We take our place among those that are seated just outside of the gates of the city.

The discourse and closing arguments that we will begin today will be presented by King Solomon himself and is still part of the section called…

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

Solomon starts with describing some of the work that the lawyer Wisdom is completing in Chapter 9:1-6,

1 Wisdom has built her house;

she has carved its seven columns.

2 She has prepared a great banquet,

mixed the wines, and set the table.

3 She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come.

She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.

4 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.

To those who lack good judgment, she says,

5 “Come, eat my food,

and drink the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;

learn to use good judgment.”

In verse 1, Solomon supports Wisdom’s integrity as he positively describes the lawyer, called Wisdom, as a very hard worker. To adequately provide for those people who will follow her wise ways, she has built a great house with seven columns that are hand carved. Many times in the Bible, numbers have significant meanings. A basis for the 7 columns is that 7 is the number of completion or perfection, so the 7 columns of Wisdom’s house shows complete wisdom. As I studied this, I had to ask myself, what are the 7 columns that make up complete wisdom?

I searched for insight on this, both from other philosophers, students of the Bible, and my own study.  Some scholars point back to Proverbs 8 and list prudence, knowledge, fear of the Lord, counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength. While these are good traits to have, I have settled on the fact that these seven columns are described in a letter written by Christ's half-brother James. I came to that conclusion with the realization that if ultimately all good wisdom comes from God, then the 7 columns must be listed in God’s Word.

In chapter 3 of the letter written by James, there is a listing of what wisdom is not and then he describes what wisdom is starting in the 17th and 18th verses the passage  reads,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 253 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 8:32-36 - Wisdom Calls for a Hearing #4

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 253 of our trek, and today we continue to remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Proverbs 8:17-31 where the woman Wisdom is presenting her case in a legal proceeding before the city gates. We have come to understand the great value of learning from and loving Wisdom. She has an eternity of experience as she was the architect at God’s side during creation. Since each day’s trek builds on the previous one, 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 looking forward to a busy but exciting week. On Thursday, we will travel to Mesa, Arizona, to work with our friends and partners Charles and Alison Mecom on the construction project underway there. We are making good progress on the project, but there are always challenges with projects of this size. We are thankful for the Mecom’s experience and commitment to the project as we all wish to honor and bring glory to God in all that we do.

This past Saturday we celebrated the 4th birthday of our grandson Kiprono at Discovery Place in Uptown Charlotte. Paula and I had never been there and it was very interesting. Of course, the best part was spending the time with our children Fred, Janet, Buddy, Chelimo, and of course Kip in celebration of his life. We do enjoy these times with family.

As we remain in camp on our trek again today, let’s be transported in our minds back to ancient Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon. We take our place among those that are seated just outside of the gates of the city. The lawyer called Wisdom continues to build her case before those that are in attendance. This second of three great poems written by Solomon found in Proverbs 8 is titled…

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

Let’s listen as Wisdom finishes her testimony starting with verse 32,

32 “And so, my children, listen to me,

for all who follow my ways are joyful.

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise.

Don’t ignore it.

34 Joyful are those who listen to me,

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

35 For whoever finds me finds life

and receives favor from the Lord.

36 But those who miss me injure themselves.

All who hate me love death.”

In verses 32 and 33 the lawyer, Wisdom uses a term of endearment as she refers to us as children. It is clear that she loves us and desires for us to love her. She asks us to listen to her. She will bless us and teach us to be wise. We should not ignore what she is teaching us.

In verses 34 and 35, she tells us if we listen to her testimony and follow her instructions, it will bring joy to our lives. We should desire to learn more from her every day. We need to pursue wisdom every day and watch for opportunities to obtain wisdom. We should seek for wisdom as if she were a literal treasure because figuratively she is much more valuable. What we discover when we find wisdom is a rich and satisfying life, and we receive God’s favor in our lives.

As we end Chapter 8 with verse 36, we find that if you refuse wisdom, then you will suffer. God does not choose to punish us and will always give us the opportunity to turn to Him. If we refuse God and refuse to follow the words of Wisdom, then the punishment is severe. God is holy, and we all fall short of God’s standard so we m...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 252 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 8:17-31 - Wisdom Calls for a Hearing #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 252 of our trek, and today we continue to remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Proverbs 8:6-16 where the woman Wisdom is presenting her case in a legal proceeding before the city gates. In Old Testament times the city gates were similar to our courtrooms today, where all legal matters and major business transactions were presented and decided. Since each day’s trek builds on the previous one, 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 past week has been a very busy one, and the days just flew by. There will be plenty of projects and tasks for next week.

This weekend we do have two special events planned, in addition to watching the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl. On Saturday, we are celebrating the 4th birthday of our grandson Harold Guthrie Chamberlain, V, who goes by his Kenyan name Kiprono. We will start at Discovery Place and then return to his home afterward. It is a blessing they live in the Charlotte area also.

On Sunday after church, Paula and I will be going to the Biltmore Mansion again to take the “behind the scenes” Upstairs/Downstairs Tour. They have a special promotion during February - two for the price of one. We have wanted to take the tour, and saving money is a great incentive to go now. I will let you know about it in a couple of days.

For today, let’s move onto our trek as we are transported once again back to ancient Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon. We are seated just outside of the gates of the city as the lawyer called Wisdom continues to present her case before those that are in attendance. She has a very strong case, and today we find out the benefits of searching for and choosing to love wisdom. If you pay attention to her words and integrate them into the very fabric of your heart, mind, and soul, you will live that rich and satisfying life, which Christ spoke of in John 10:10.

This second of three great poems written by Solomon found in Proverbs Chapter 8 is titled…

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

Let’s listen as Wisdom continues with verse 17,

  17 “I love all who love me.

Those who search will surely find me.

18 I have riches and honor,

as well as enduring wealth and justice.

19 My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold,

my wages better than sterling silver!

20 I walk in righteousness,

in paths of justice.

21 Those who love me inherit wealth.

I will fill their treasuries.

In verse 17, we are instructed to love wisdom and told if we seek for her, we will find her. This is a great invitation, and the benefits are outstanding. Wisdom sweetens the deal in verses 18 and 19 by offering both gifts and wages for the work we will complete. Wisdom possesses riches, honor, enduring wealth, and justice. The gifts she gives are better than 24 karat gold. The wages she pays are better than sterling silver. We do need to travel with Wisdom though with right living on the paths for justice…But, the rewards for taking this trek are wealth that will fill our lives with untold riches.

In verse 21 we can clearly see that the lawyer called Wisdom is generous. She gives true wealth. You can love many things. You may love wine or food. But too much wine or food will kill you. You may love money,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 251 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 8:6-16 - Wisdom Calls for a Hearing #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 251 of our trek, and today we continue to remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Proverbs 8:1-5 as the woman Wisdom is calling everyone together for an important hearing to present her case in a legal proceeding before the city gates. We learned yesterday that the city gates were similar to our courtrooms today, where all legal matters were presented and decided. Since each day’s trek builds on the previous ones, 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. Within our heavy work schedule, we are carving some time out for our Wisdom-Trek projects. We will be releasing Your Life Plan Blueprint and Wisdom-Trek Journal Volume 1 soon. Although it is taking longer than hoped, I want to keep mentioning it to hold us accountable to complete this phase of the task as soon as is feasible.

Let’s move on to our trek and visualize today as we remain in camp sitting around the campfire watching the flames and listening to the crackling of the wood as it burns. Campfires are a great setting for telling and listening to stories. For our story today, let’s transport ourselves back to ancient Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon. We are just outside of the gates of the city, and we hear the proclamation from the lawyer called Wisdom. Let’s pay attention as she presents her case taken from Proverbs Chapter 8, which is titled…

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

This is the second of Solomon’s three great poems. We all will do well to listen to what she has to say as she sets up her case in Chapter 8:6-11,

6 Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.

Everything I say is right,

7 for I speak the truth

and detest every kind of deception.

8 My advice is wholesome.

There is nothing devious or crooked in it.

9 My words are plain to anyone with understanding,

    clear to those with knowledge.

10 Choose my instruction rather than silver,

    and knowledge rather than pure gold.

11 For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.

Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Let’s take a seat at the city gates of Jerusalem as the lawyer Wisdom begins her testimony. As a judge would instruct the jury or courtroom, starting in verse 6, we are instructed to listen to the woman called Wisdom for she has important things to tell us.

She lays out her case by informing us that everything she has to tell us is right and that she speaks the truth. This is because she detests any kind of deception. Since her advice is wholesome, we can be sure that there is nothing deceitful or wrong with her testimony.

To make sure that we fully understand, she uses easy to understand language and not “legalese.” If we have a moral compass within us, her words will be clear.

God uses the Bible to teach us. The Bible is the Word of God. Psalm 19:7-8 tells us,

7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,

    reviving the soul.

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

8 The commandments of the Lord are right,

    bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are clear,

    giving insight for living.

The lawyer Wisdom instructs us that we need to believe her,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 250 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 8:1-5 - Wisdom Calls for a Hearing #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 250 of our trek, and today we continue to remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we finished exploring Proverbs 7:21-27, which was the story of the naïve young man who made several unwise life choices leading him toward the path of destruction. Since each day’s trek builds on the previous one, 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. It has been a rainy couple of days for us with some localized flooding. In addition to our usual client workload, we are working on the final formatting and proofing of Volume 1 of the Wisdom-Trek Journal. The first volume will provide us a guideline and template for the other volumes, so hopefully creating subsequent volumes will be much quicker. Our objective is to produce a volume for each month. So far we have completed 8 months of Wisdom-Trek.

As mentioned on previous days, Paula and I are also refining all of these daily concepts along with worksheets for Your Life Plan Blueprint, which we covered in January, into an easy-to-use workbook. I will let you know when these projects are complete so that you can download them.

Today we remain at camp sitting around the campfire, far away from lights and the noise of our everyday life, which provides an opportunity to relax and listen to the sounds of the woods. This is especially true during the night when an entirely new set of sounds emerge. We need to practice listening to what is important. As we are listening, it provides us with the opportunity to consider the words of the woman called Wisdom and Understanding in chapter 8 and 9.  The title of this section is…

Wisdom Calls for a Hearing

This is the second of Solomon’s three great poems. Wisdom, represented as a woman, gives a speech to all the people. We all will do well to listen to what she has to say. Let’s begin with Proverbs 8:1-5.

1 Listen as Wisdom calls out!

    Hear as understanding raises her voice!

2 On the hilltop along the road,

    she takes her stand at the crossroads.

3 By the gates at the entrance to the town,

    on the road leading in, she cries aloud,

4 “I call to you, to all of you!

    I raise my voice to all people.

5 You, simple people, use good judgment.

    You, foolish people, show some understanding.

In verse 1, there are not two women. Wisdom is one woman, but she has two names. Her names are Wisdom and Understanding. This is because wisdom is the same thing as understanding. Right decisions and accurate knowledge are also an indication of wisdom.

Wisdom ultimately comes from God, but it does not come immediately. We need to learn to be wise. This is a slow process. Each day, we should learn new lessons. God teaches us in different ways. Sometimes he teaches us from the Bible. Sometimes he uses other people to teach us. Sometimes he uses life’s experiences, nature or other methods to teach us. This concept is the entire premise for Wisdom-Trek.

It takes many years of life experiences and God’s teaching for us to obtain wisdom. I still pray every day for wisdom, because you never can become “all wise” – that is reserved for God. The really neat aspect of gaining wisdom is that God promises to provide us with wisdom. All we have to do is ask. James 1:5-6 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 249 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 7:21-27 - Another Warning About Immoral Women #4

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 249 of our trek, and today we continue to remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Proverbs 7:10-20. Since each day’s discussion builds on the previous one, if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

As mentioned on previous days, Paula and I are refining all of these daily concepts along with worksheets for Your Life Plan Blueprint, which we covered in January, into an easy to use workbook. I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The hours each day just fly by, and before I realize how much time has passed, it is time for me to make dinner. Dinner preparation is a time for me to sort of wind down from the day. I really enjoy preparing dinner, and we do strive to eat healthy each day. It is part of our overall life plan to remain physically, mentally, and spiritually fit for a long time into the future. It does take consistent persistence as we pursue our life purpose to be difference makers in our world. We had our son Fred over for dinner Tuesday evening, and it was a good time to get caught up with his daily life and routines.

 

Let’s now return to camp for a time of sharing and telling stories around the campfire. The fire dancing off the logs is mesmerizing to me, and it is easy to get lost in my thoughts. As the flames reach for the sky and the smoke is blown back and forth in the light breeze, it reminds me of the story that we will continue with today from Proverbs Chapter 7.

The title of the story we began 3 days ago is...

Another Warning about Immoral Women

Yesterday we left off on our story about a simple, naïve young man who finds himself in the embrace of a beautiful woman who is very convincing. She is dressed seductively and tells this young man that she has prepared her bed specifically just for him. The young man finds himself in this situation because of the choices that he made earlier that evening. He may be thinking that this is where he really desires to be. We are told that he lacks common sense, and certainly he is thinking with his body and not his mind… But, he still has a choice. Does he stay, or does he flee? Let’s continue on to see how the story unfolds in Proverbs 7:21–27. I will break this passage into two sections.

· Chapter 7

Unfortunately, he does not flee as we continue in verse 21-23:

21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech

    and enticed him with her flattery.

22 He followed her at once,

    like an ox going to the slaughter.

He was like a stag caught in a trap,

23     awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.

He was like a bird flying into a snare,

    little knowing it would cost him his life.

We see that the naïve young man chose to remain. The woman’s seductive, pretty speech was more than he felt he could resist. She enticed him with flattery making him think that he was really something special in her eyes. This reminds me of Proverbs 5:3, "For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil." She appeared to be both sweet and smooth.

Any time we make unwise choices the outcome of those choices is never what we thought they would be. In this story, we see this simple man lead away for the slaughter, he was caught in her trap and does not realize that it could liter...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 248 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 7:10-20 - Another Warning About Immoral Women #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 248 of our trek, and today we will remain at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Chapter 7:6-9. Since each day’s discussion builds on the previous one, if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

As mentioned on previous days, Paula and I are refining the daily concepts along with worksheets for Your Life Plan Blueprint, which we covered in January, into an easy to use workbook. I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As expected, this week is keeping us very busy with life activities including work of course. We do not necessarily separate our work from other life activities since we look at each of the 7 areas of our lives as an integrated holistic entity. Our aim is to maintain a balanced Wheel of Life because a balanced life will allow us to live a full life that is rich and satisfying.

For most of us, to sit around a campfire on a pleasant summer evening chatting about life, reminiscing about the past, and dreaming about the future is one of the most enjoyable times of relaxing and living a full life. As we think about the stories told, we also realize that there are some people who are living a story that will not end well. Such is the case in the story that we are continuing with today in Proverbs Chapter 7.

The title of the story we began 2 days ago is...

Another Warning about Immoral Women

Yesterday we left off on our story with a simple, naïve young man, who lacks common sense, heading down a path that was not good for him. He started off with a group of his equally naïve friends, but apparently when he crossed the street, he went alone. We find him continuing down this street at dusk attracted to the nightlife. As mentioned yesterday, he made two conscious choices that led him to his current situation. One, he went out as night was approaching seeking fun, and two, he crossed the street to an area of town that was not a good environment to be in. Let’s continue on to see how the story unfolds in Chapter 7:10-20. We will break it into shorter segments to adequately cover the passage.

· Chapter 7

10 The woman approached him,

    seductively dressed and sly of heart.

11 She was the brash, rebellious type,

    never content to stay at home.

12 She is often in the streets and markets,

    soliciting at every corner.

The description in these three verses would indicate that this woman knew exactly how to dress and act to attract young naïve men. She was probably very attractive and would easily catch the wandering eye of anyone in the area. It is also evident this was not her first night on the streets. She was a professional at her craft. She had a rebellious heart, and a rebellious heart is the beginning of a wayward life. Let’s continue on.

13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,

    and with a brazen look she said,

14 “I’ve just made my peace offerings

    and fulfilled my vows.

15 You’re the one I was looking for!

    I came out to find you, and here you are!

This woman knows all of the ways both physically and with her words to make herself very attractive to any man but especially to young men seeking adventure and pleasure. This is compounded by the fact that this young man was simple,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 247 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 7:6-9 - Another Warning About Immoral Women #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 247 of our trek, and for the next several days, we will be remaining at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we explored Chapter 7:1-5. 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 traveled back to Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, the weather had moderated, which allowed for a cool, but beautiful trip south. Our schedule for this week is full, as usual, with many life events. Even though we are now in February, we are continuing to fine tune aspects of our life plan for 2016. Life planning is an on-going process as we take each day and week and make minor course corrections to our overall plan.

We are gathered around the campfire today, and we see the logs burning and crackling before us. If you are like me, I enjoy poking at the burning logs and watching the sparks fly into the air and smelling the scent of the logs as they burn. If you are not careful, though, it is easy to get too close and get burned or get smoke into your eyes blinding you with a sudden shift of the wind.  This is a perfect analogy to our story today in the 7th Chapter of Proverbs. Let’s dig for the nuggets of wisdom contained in this chapter. We do not have to dig very deep to gain understanding.

The subject of today’s passage is:

Another Warning about Immoral Women

· Chapter 7

6 While I was at the window of my house,

    looking through the curtain,

7 I saw some naive young men

    and one in particular who lacked common sense.

8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,

    strolling down the path by her house.

9 It was at twilight, in the evening,

    as deep darkness fell.

The story begins here in verse 6. Solomon was watching the people. He was watching because he knew how easy it is for people to make unwise choices. He wanted to see the reason that other people made mistakes. He wanted to understand more. He wanted to become wiser so that he could better advise those who were being tempted.

In verse 7, Solomon saw a young man who was naïve or “simple.” (See Day 246 for insights on a simple person.) This young man had not learned to be wise. He was in danger because he was not wise. He lacked common sense, and it was easy to tempt him. He did not think about what was right.

As we consider verse 8, we want to shout to the young man, “Stop!” This simple young man made an unwise choice by crossing the street and then found himself on the wrong path. He may have rationalized to himself that he was just crossing the street to get a closer look, but it would not hurt him. Sort of like getting a bit too close to the campfire. Remember anytime we rationalize our actions we are telling ourselves rational lies. We may convince ourselves that it is ok, but that does not make it so. He chose to cross the street which was clearly a naïve choice. Down that path, there was danger. He approached the place where the woman would tempt him.

The young man was simple and lacked common sense. He did not think about wisdom. Perhaps his father never taught him. Perhaps the young man never listened to his lessons. Maybe he forgot about wisdom. Regardless of the reason, they are only excuses. The fact is that he made a conscious choice to cross the street and pu...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 246 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 7:1-5 - Another Warning About Immoral Women #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 246 of our trek, and yesterday we arrived back at base camp after a 25 day trek which covered our Wisdom-Trek Life Plan program called Your Life Plan Blueprint. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. Paula and I are refining all of these daily concepts along with worksheets into an easy to use workbook, and I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it.

For the next several days, we will be remaining at camp as we search for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. We will continue with Chapter 7 where we left off in our previous study of Proverbs.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This past Friday evening we took Mom Jarvis, who lives with us, to Applebee’s for her 83rd birthday. We had a good meal, and mom had one of her favorites “Brownie Bites” for dessert. Afterward, we stopped by Elizabeth and Nat’s home and spent time with the grandkids and also had some birthday cake. It was a pleasant evening.

After returning home Friday, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Alf Herigstad for his newly released Being a Better Man podcast. I will let you know when it airs.

On Saturday, I made very good progress on the woodwork and floors in the library. When we return later in February, I will be ready to apply the polyurethane. On Sunday, we headed south back to our home in Indian Trail.

For today, let’s gather around the campfire and dig into the nuggets of wisdom which are found throughout the book of Proverbs. Sit back and relax as we share together. As you visualize the campsite today, take in the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Listen to the crackling of the fire as it whispers bits of wisdom. Let them permeate your heart, mind, and soul. Today we will continue with Chapter 7.

If you recall, the first 9 chapters of Proverbs are considered Solomon’s Wise Lessons in which he instructs his children and specifically his sons how to gain wisdom and warns of the perils that will come to them if they do not follow these lessons.

Proverbs Chapters 7 through 9 are considered the last and greatest of Solomon’s lessons. Since Chapter 1, we have read the words that Solomon taught to his children. Solomon’s Wise Lessons end in Chapter 9. From Chapter 10 on, the remainder of the Book of Proverbs lists short distinct and, many times, contrasting proverbs or wisdom nuggets.

In the Hebrew text of chapters 7-9, Solomon writes three great poems.

The first great poem is in chapter 7. This poem is about a woman who tempts a simple man. This man behaves like a fool because he trusts her. He does not realize what will happen to him.

The second great poem is in chapter 8 and the first part of chapter 9. This moves us as the readers into a court situation – in Old Testament times, legal matters were handled and settled at the city gates. This poem is a legal hearing, such as you would hear in front of a judges or elders of the town. The speaker who is a woman lawyer is called Wisdom. She argues the case that everyone should listen to her words and precepts.

The final great poem is in the last part of chapter 9. This poem contrasts the woman lawyer Wisdom, against another woman lawyer called “Folly.” Both lawyers plead their case and invite the simple people to an eternal feast. If you accept the right invitation,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 245 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Your Life Plan Blueprint - Final Recap #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 245 of our Trek, and today we will arrive back at base camp as we finish the 25th day of our Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint. Since our life planning series has covered many days, if you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

I am incorporating all of these daily concepts along with worksheets into an easy to use workbook, and I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it. If you have any questions or would like additional information as we go through our daily trek, leave a comment on Wisdom-Trek.com or email me at [email protected].

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. When this episode is released, we will be heading back to our Charlotte home for about 20 days. In the middle of that time, we will be heading to Phoenix to invest four days with our business partners and friends Charles and Alison Mecom. We will be reviewing the progress on our construction project in Mesa and streamlining some more of the processes and procedures on the backend of the project.

As we finish our Life Plan trek today with a summary, this is day twenty-five of the hike which we refer to as…

Your Life Plan Blueprint©

We will continue reviewing the major checkpoints of Your Life Plan Blueprint with the statement that was popularized by Steven Covey in his 7-Habits book:

Begin With the End in Mind

In yesterday’s recap we explored at the following five checkpoints:

1. Determine Your Life Purpose

2. Determine Your Life Objective (Your Legacy)

3. Understand Your Wheel of Life

4. Understand the WESPER Framework

5. Determine One Major 7-Year Objective for Each of the 7-Areas of Your Life

Our next point of review is:

6. Breakdown Your 7-Year Major Objectives into 1-Year Objective Goals

For each of your 7-year objectives, ask yourself, “What will I need to accomplish by the end of Year 1 to be on track to meet my 7-year objective? What is your specific checkpoint to compare against?” This 1-year goal will have tasks or activities associated with it, but specific details are best left for the next three steps. Write down your 1-year goal in each area of life. Repeat this step at the beginning of each year.

7. Breakdown Your 1-Year Objective Goals into 1-Month Activity Goals

For each of your 1-year goals, ask yourself, “What will I need to accomplish by the end of Month 1 to stay on track to meet my 1-year goal?” You will start listing a few more detailed tasks and activities, but granular tasks are left for the final two steps. Write down your 1-month goal in each area of life. Repeat this step at the beginning of each month.

8. Breakdown Your 1-Month Activity Goals into 1-Week Activity Tasks Goals

For each of your 1-month goals, ask yourself, “What will I need to accomplish by the end of Week 1 to stay on track to meet my 1-month goal?” This goal should be specific, measurable, and clearly understood. It is crucial that you reach this objective. Write down your 1-week goal in each area of life. Repeat this step at the beginning of each week.

9. Breakdown Your 1-Week Activity Tasks Goals into Daily Tasks Activities (To-Do)

For each of your 1-week goals, ask yourself, “What do I need to accomplish each day of this week to stay on track to meet my 1-week goal?” These are no longer goals but detailed specific and measurable tasks that need to be accomplished each day of the week to meet you...