Wisdom-Trek ©

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....

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 199 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:20-29 Lessons for Daily Life #4

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 199 of our Trek, and for this week, 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 12-19, and today we will dig into verses 20-29. 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. I know that Christmas is close when I make my world famous caramel corn. At least it is famous in my little world. I made 12 batches total with some batches including either pecans, almonds, or walnuts. We give most of it away to siblings and neighbors but do keep some of the delicious, mouthwatering treat for ourselves.  These are a few of the huge walnut bowls where I place the finished product.

It is great to have traditions in our lives which are part of our living legacy. I know that our grown kids will be looking forward to some fresh batches of caramel corn when we celebrate Christmas with them on January 9th.  They won’t be disappointed.

As we remain in camp for this week in our study of Proverbs Chapter 6, it reminds me of several years when Paula and I took our kids, and usually many of their friends and church youth groups, for a week of primitive camping at a music festival in the hills of Pennsylvania called Creation Fest. We all have many fond memories of our times there. It is my hope that you and I are forming those fond memories and friendships as we share together each day on our Wisdom-Trek.

Let’s get started for today and dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs 6:20-29. 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.

20 My son, obey your father’s commands,

and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

21 Keep their words always in your heart.

Tie them around your neck.

22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.

When you sleep, they will protect you.

When you wake up, they will advise you.

23 For their command is a lamp

and their instruction a light;

their corrective discipline

is the way to life.

24 It will keep you from the immoral woman,

from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.

25 Don’t lust for her beauty.

Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.

26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,

but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap

and not have his clothes catch on fire?

28 Can he walk on hot coals

and not blister his feet?

29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.

He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

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

20 My son, obey your father’s commands,

and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

21 Keep their words always in your heart.

Tie them around your neck.

We should love wisdom. Wisdom should be in our hearts and in our minds. We keep wisdom in our minds or hearts by constantly being aware of the choices that we make. Wisdom should be so evident in our lives it is as if we are wearing a very noticeable necklace. We should always live in a wise manner.

22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 198 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:12-19 Lessons for Daily Life #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 198 of our Trek, and for this week, 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 6-11, and today we will explore verses 12-19. 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 was nice to be able to attend church services on Sunday with our local gathering of Christ followers. Since we were in Marietta the last several weeks, it had been about a month since we were in Charlotte on a Sunday. On Sunday evening, we went on our annual shopping date at Ollie’s Discount Store to pick up a few items for the grandkids. They have one evening a year prior to Christmas when all toys are 25% off and everything else is 15% off, so Paula and I have set this time aside for several years. Both of us are rather frugal by nature, so this is an enjoyable time together, especially knowing the prices are extra low.

We did get a call from our renovation contractor on Friday about the work they are doing in The Big House, and we were glad to hear that they are making good progress. With us being out of the house and the fact that we prepared the two front rooms, the foyer, and downstairs hallway, they were able to get most of the drywall on the ceilings, start patchwork on the cracks in the walls, and fix a pocket door that had a broken track. We are excited to return on Christmas Eve to see the progress.

Let’s get started for today as we remain at camp sitting around a nice warm fire. Visualize the smoke’s gentle wisps in the air and the flames that leap from the logs burning brightly. I find staring into a campfire almost mesmerizing. In the same way, if we are not careful of who we associate with, we can become mesmerized by their philosophies. Let’s look for this today as we dig for more nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter 6:12-19. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read this segment, and then we will dive deeper into our exploration.

12 What are worthless and wicked people like?

They are constant liars,

13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,

a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.

14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,

and they constantly stir up trouble.

15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,

broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

Sometimes, an evil person is easy to identify, but other times, we must be careful. There are many that have perfected the practice of lying to the point it is even difficult for that person to realize it.  Jesus was very stern when he described such a person.  In John 8:44, Jesus was confronting the group of people that did not believe He was God’s son. Jesus said, "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."

The basic nature of evil people in Proverbs 6:12-15 says that they are liars.  They are dangerous to associate with because their evil plans are secret. His signals are small, but these signals might help us to identify him. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus  tells us to be careful when we are around them,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 197 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:6-11 Lessons for Daily Life #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 198 of our Trek, and for this week, we will stay at camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs, starting with Chapter 6. Yesterday we explored verses 1-5, and today we will explore verses 6-11. 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 Paula and I were able to finish up with a few Christmas decorations in the house which turned out simplistic but are a nice touch. The remainder of the day was spent working on financial transactions for our Arizona construction project.  The project is significant in size, and we are catching up from a delay due to computer issues on the site.  Although we initially had set aside the day for 2016 business planning, this project was certainly a top priority for Saturday. I am trying to learn the lessons from Proverbs 16:9, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps..."

As we enjoy the time at camp and around the campfire today, let’s start digging for those precious nuggets of wisdom as we explore Proverbs Chapter 6:6-11. This chapter in Proverbs is referred to as…

Lessons for Daily Life

Today I will read this segment, and then we will dive deeper into our exploration.

6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

Learn from their ways and become wise!

7 Though they have no prince

or governor or ruler to make them work,

8 they labor hard all summer,

gathering food for the winter.

9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?

When will you wake up?

10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Now let’s dive into the individual verses starting with 6-8.

6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

Learn from their ways and become wise!

7 Though they have no prince

or governor or ruler to make them work,

8 they labor hard all summer,

gathering food for the winter.

As Christians, you should work at the tasks that God has given to you. You might have a job or work for yourself. You might stay at home and take care of your families. You might work for a church or other non-profit organization. Regardless of what you do, it is your ministry before God, and you should work on it with your full attention and do your very best. Whatever we do, we should not be lazy.

Solomon writes about the work ethics of ants. If you have ever studied how ants work or had an ant farm when you were young, you understand how very hard they do work. Ants work together in groups with no discernable leader except the instinctive behavior God made them with. They are wise because they store food. They do not waste their time, and they are very industrious.

Dealing with lazy people is as old as creation.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13, some Christians refused to work. The church gave food to them. Paul told the church not to do this. "Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: 'Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.' Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn thei...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 196 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Proverbs 6:1-5 Lessons for Daily Life #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 196 of our Trek, and yesterday we finished our hike to the summit of Rationalize Mountain as we learned to make better and more logical decisions ourselves and to assist others in making better decisions. Today and for this next week, we will remain in camp digging for nuggets of wisdom as we continue our exploration into the book of Proverbs, starting with Chapter 6. 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. Friday evening Paula and I had the privilege of watching a live performance of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” put on by the Intune School of Arts.  The acting and singing were excellent. They also had a short gospel message at the end, which tied in well with the storyline of the play.

Today and throughout this next week, we will remain in camp and dig through Proverbs Chapter 6 for nuggets of wisdom. As if we were digging for real gold, the lessons learned may be difficult, and we will soon find out that all of us have dirty hands and mud caked under our fingernails. We will also learn, though, how we can wash that dirt away and be completely clean. Proverbs Chapter 6 is referred to as…

 

 

Lessons for Daily Life

Today we will dig through Verses 1-5, but let’s first look at Verses 1-2.

1 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt

or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—

2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement

and are caught by what you said—

In this poem, Solomon compares our mistakes to a hunter’s trap. When a hunter works, he may build traps. He hides his traps so that animals will not see them. He hopes that the animals will fall into his traps. Then he can kill and eat the animals.

In our lives, our mistakes can be like traps. Perhaps we want to do the right thing. Perhaps our plans are good. But our best plans could fail. Then, like a trap, our plans can destroy us.

This passage specifically refers to co-signing on the debt for another person. In verse 1, Solomon’s son had good intentions. He wanted to help his friend because his friend did not have good credit to borrow money on his own. The son trusted the friend. The son tried to do the right thing, but in the end, the friend was unable to pay. In the agreement, Solomon’s son promised to pay if his friend could not. The lender now expects Solomon’s son to pay. The son’s plan failed, and now he is in danger.

Sometimes we place ourselves in danger. Our own choices can become like traps, even when they seem harmless at first. In today’s society, many people suffer from all sorts of addictions. This could be alcohol, dangerous drugs, pornography, sex outside of marriage, or even food.  Originally, you just want to enjoy yourself, even if you realize that it is outside of God’s precepts. Once addicted to the substance or behavior, though, when you try to stop, you will fail. Now you must turn back to God and ask Him to help you. God is greater than all addictions, of course, and he can free you from those addictions. But we still may suffer some of the physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences.  As you ask God to free you from the traps that you may find yourself in, keep in mind that He may work through the assistance of a doctor or counselor to help you.

We all do wrong things against God.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 195 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Rationalize or Rational Lies? Part 2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 195 of our Trek, and yesterday we started our hike up Rationalize Mountain to determine some of the reasons why we rationalize all sorts of actions and behaviors in our lives. Today we will finish our hike to the summit as we learn to make better and more logical decisions ourselves and to assist others in making better decisions. 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. If all goes according to our plan, we will spend most of Saturday laying out the groundwork and business plan for our new business segment. Starting in 2016 we will be creating a community of Christian podcasters called Christian Podcasting Network. We will start small, but during 2016, our plan is to grow the network to the level where we will be considered the authority and premier platform for podcasters who are Christ followers. This will include podcasts covering all areas of life and business. Some may be Christian themed podcasts while others will cover all areas of life and business from a Biblical worldview.

The remainder of our hike today takes us to the summit, and we have a lot of ground to cover on the trail called…

Rationalize or Rational Lies – Which Is It? #2

3. Making Rational Decisions

Here’s an interesting thought. Once you stop living under the illusion of being an entirely rational human being, it actually helps you to make more rational decisions!

When you realize emotions are driving your decisions, you can use that to your advantage. You realize that your feelings are an important part of the decision-making process. So how you feel about the decisions you make this week, this month, and this next year, especially from a moral and ethical standpoint, is much more important than satisfying your ego or self-image today. When making decisions, always consider the long term consequences physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. This will give you the strength to make rational decisions instead of rationalizing the decisions that you make.

Let’s look at two examples:

First, say you love donuts. Who doesn’t love a warm Krispy Kreme glazed donut? They taste so yummy as they literally melt in your mouth. Yet, after eating several of them, you notice they actually make you feel pretty bad afterward. I don’t mean bad as in “Oh, I shouldn’t have eaten that” bad. I mean actually, physically bad. Starting about half an hour after eating the donuts, you start feeling bloated, lethargic, and slightly irritable.

Although donuts make you feel great while eating them, you also rationally realized they make you feel bad for hours afterward, not even considering the health implications. When you think logically, you can decide in advance that it simply isn’t worth eating the donuts. You will even feel better financially for not spending money. So you can use logic to control your decisions.

To look at another example, consider this idea…I don’t think any of us like paying taxes, but they are needed for a civilized society to function and do result in many benefits for us. Most of us don’t feel like the government spends the tax revenue wisely. So when you are doing your taxes, do you rationalize cheating on your tax return or consider not filing at all?  This is not only illegal, but it can bring much grief if you are ever audited. In this situation,