Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 174 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

7 Ways to Boost Your Gratitude

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 174 of our Trek, and yesterday we hiked on the trails of unleashing gratitude in your life. Today as we hike on our trail, we will search for the 7-mile markers to boost your gratitude. 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. By the time this episode is released, we will be back at The Big House for a couple of weeks. In addition to a smaller family Thanksgiving celebration, we will be headlong in the leaf harvest. Most of the leaves have fallen, and the ground is covered quite thick with leaves. With about three acres of open area to collect from, that is a lot of leaves. On Wednesday this past week, we were able to spend an evening out with my sister Rebecca, which is one of the monthly blessings that I look forward to as we always enjoy the time reminiscing and sharing God’s blessings in our lives. Rebecca is a marvelous piano player, and as I approached her door to let her know we had arrived, the beautiful playing of the old hymn “Count Your Blessings” was flowing from her fingertips. One of the best ways to boost your gratitude is to count your blessings and name them one by one. It is then you will see that your life is full.

So let’s get started on our trek in our exploration for the…

7 Mile Markers to Boost Your Gratitude

It is the season to be grateful. After all, the dictionary defines the word “thanksgiving” as "the expression of gratitude."

Gratitude refers to feeling thankfulness and appreciation for people, places, and events. An attitude of gratitude can really change your life. As Willie Nelson once said, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

How do you boost your attitude of gratitude?

Okay, I will admit, there are times when we just don’t feel very thankful. Sometimes life deals us a bad hand, which may be completely out of our control. But how we play that hand is what counts. Let’s hike our trail today and look for the seven mile markers to help you boost your gratitude. I will let you in on a little secret here…Most of these take very little time and absolutely no money! I want to challenge you to make a point to try any one (or more) of these today to improve your attitude of gratitude.

1. Say thank you more frequently.

Thank everyone around you, from the people who serve you or those who simply exist in your life. No need to wait until someone does something huge for you. Just the mere fact that your spouse or friend is in your life can warrant a "thank you."

More than just saying it, it is also important that you really feel it. President John F. Kennedy put it this way, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them."

We focus so much on saying "thank you," in our society (especially with children) that sometimes we don't make the connection between the words and the genuine, heartfelt gratitude they should convey. Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful reminder for all of us to take some time to thank the people in our lives for all those intangible gifts they give us every day – gifts of compassion, friendship, laughter, support, and love. So much to be thankful for!

Make sure when you do thank someone you also experience the sense of appreciation for them.

2. Be present.

Many of us are well versed at juggling dozens of different thought...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 173 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

4 Steps to Unleash Gratitude in Your Life

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 173 of our Trek, and yesterday we hiked on the trails of gratitude and thanksgiving through a series of inspirational stories for our trek of life. Today and for the next week, we will continue this hike on the trails of gratitude and thanksgiving. 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. As we continue our focus on the season of Thanksgiving, regardless of how difficult life may or may not have been during this past year, each of us has much to be thankful for. The best way to maintain an attitude of gratitude is to make a gratitude list and review it daily to focus on those blessings that we have each day. It’s the best way to start each day.

On today’s trek, we want to head down memory lane and learn how to…

Unleash Gratitude in Your Life!

I have many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving on the Farm. Mom always prepared a huge turkey with all the trimmings and side dishes. I have continued that tradition with hosting family Thanksgivings at The Big House for many years.  During my trek of life, I had a mom who loved us and taught all 10 of us to cook.  I especially enjoyed the times in the kitchen that we spent together as she taught me the love of cooking. One of my favorite memories is mom and I making fruit cakes.  It was one baking event that just mom and I did together.

 

It’s been over 16 years since mom lost her battle with cancer, but I am so thankful for the 68 years of life that she was granted. She lived life to the fullest. While it would be wonderful if she were still with us to impact our lives and the lives of her grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, in a very real way she is through the impact that we can make each day. All who knew and loved her are reminded and thankful for all the great moments they shared. The laughter, the lessons, and the wisdom that she shared with me is invaluable. What I have learned is that she is not in my past but in my future. I celebrate her life and blessing of mentorship that she shared.

During this next week in the United States, everybody is getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with my family, sitting around the table and enjoying good food and the incredible opportunity to express gratitude for all the many blessings in my life. Thanksgiving is not something that should be restricted to a day, though. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle that anybody can cultivate. Gratitude is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Here are a few lessons on how you can unleash gratitude in your life.

1. Gratitude is one of the most important habits you can ever develop.

As a business person, church leader, gramps, dad, and husband, I have been privileged to influence and encourage many throughout the world to have a greater impact on their world. Many people wonder and desire to learn how to be happy and successful. However, many don’t immediately realize that the first lesson they must learn is in gratitude. This may be puzzling at first, but I know that no other force but gratitude will empower you for true joy and success in life.

For many years, I have made a conscious decision to keep a list of what I am grateful for. I then review that list first thing every morning and thank God for each blessing on the list.  There are seasons and circumstances that change,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 172 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

3 Trails of Gratitude

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 172 of our Trek. Yesterday we asked the question, “Are you affecting or infecting others that you impact?” Starting today and for the next week, we will hike on the trails of gratitude and thanksgiving through a series of inspirational stories for our trek of life. 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. While I enjoy all seasons of the year, fall seems to be extra special for me. It may be from growing up on an apple orchard when we would pick apples and make fresh apple cider and apple butter in the huge copper pot over an open fire. It may also be that the crisp fall air carries with it a fresh relief after the hot and humid days of summer.

Growing up in a family of 10 children with loving parents, for me fall also meant a huge Thanksgiving feast and then on to Christmas. Both holidays hold a very special meaning for me. As we trek through life, let us always be thankful for the bountiful blessings that we have. Let us also remember the birth of Christ who provides us with a rich and satisfying life on earth and eternal life.

 

Even if you do not live in the United States, where we celebrate Thanksgiving in November, take this time to share in our celebration of thanks and gratitude.

Let’s hike three trails of gratitude today, which we will title…

Gratitude Stories

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the following gratitude stories might be helpful to you. They all fall under the theme of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Of course, this verse doesn't mean that everything that happens to us is God's will. It's not God's will that we lose our jobs or get a diagnosis of cancer, or that our children make poor choices. What this verse does say is that it's God's will for us to be thankful people in all circumstances, even in hard times — especially in hard times.

Consider these three trails.

1. Robinson Crusoe

When Robinson Crusoe was wrecked on his lonely island, he drew two columns and listed the good and bad of his situation. He was cast on a desolate island, but he was still alive. He was divided from humanity, but he was not starving. He had no clothes, but he was in a warm climate and didn't need them. He had no means of defense but saw no wild beasts which threatened him. He had no one to talk to, but the destroyed ship was near the shore and he could get out of it all the things necessary for his basic survival. He concluded, therefore, that no condition in the world was so miserable that one could not find something to be grateful for.

2. John Claypool, Part 1

When the late John Claypool lost his ten-year-old daughter to leukemia, gratitude was the only way he survived. He tells about that experience in his profound book, Tracks of a Fellow Struggler. After his daughter's death, John walked down three different paths. The first path was to say, "Well, it was just God's will. I have to accept it." But that was not helpful. He could not believe that God willed ten-year-old girls to die of leukemia. A second path was to try to find an intellectual answer as to why this happened. He tried to make sense of it. But that didn't work either. His daughter's death didn't make any sense. Finally, John walked the path of gratitude. He realized that life is a gift. We are not entitled to it.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 171 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Do You Affect or Infect Others?

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 171 of our Trek, and yesterday we finished exploring the 5 trails needed to get over yourself so you can trek on in life. Today we will ask the question, “Are you affecting or infecting others that you impact?”  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. Our workload continues briskly, but we continue on our trek, one step at a time. If we do not stop, I know we will reach our destination. My voice is starting to get a bit stronger, but I hope my raspy voice has not been too distracting this past week. It has been years since I have had any type of sinusitis or cold like has hit me pretty hard this past week. I am on the back side of it now, though, so hopefully my voice will improve each day.

Do You Affect or Infect Others?

Words, words, words! In my opinion, when we talk about the connection between attitude and behavior, there are two words that come to mind, "affect" and "infect." My first reaction is to think of "affect" as a positive verb and "infect" as a negative verb, but I guess they can be both.

According to www.dictionary.com:

af•fect - verb (used with object) - 1. to act on; produce an effect or change in; 2. to impress the mind or move the feelings of; 3. (of pain, disease, etc.) to attack or lay hold of.

in•fect - verb (used with object) - 1. to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs; 3. to taint or contaminate with something that affects quality, character, or condition unfavorably; 4. to corrupt or affect morally; 5. to imbue with some pernicious belief, opinion, etc.

I love this quote attributed to, Eleanor Roosevelt, "Every one of us every day has choices to make about the kind of person we are and what we wish to become. You can decide to be someone who brings people together, or you can fall prey to those who wish to divide us. You can be someone who educates yourself, or you can believe that being negative is clever and being cynical is fashionable. You have a choice.”

How true…Which one are you? What would your family, friends, and/or work colleagues say about you?

If you have listened to many episodes of Wisdom-Trek or read the daily journals, you've heard me say over and over, "Attitude is a choice!" It’s a split second choice, 24/7/365!

As we begin winding down yet another year of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, let’s take a few moments to be thankful for all the good in our lives rather than focusing on the negative.

By making a conscious choice to be a "power surge" rather than a "power drain," we can open ourselves to have a positive "affect" (influence) on ourselves and others regardless of the conditions around us. We can even "infect" our world in a positive way – spread the positive attitude virus, look for the good, and trust for the right results. How freeing this thinking is! What an uplifting, renewing way to live!

“So it is, life is actually made up of our choices. We are the sum total of them, and if we hold to an attitude of love and thanksgiving for all the good things within our grasp we may have what all ambitious people long for — success,” Maya Angelou.

What about you?  Have you have been infected with the disease of a negative attitude and mindset through those you associate with or because you have not filtered out the garbage that is en...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 170 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

5 Trails to Hike to Get Over Yourself #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 170 of our Trek, and yesterday we explored trails 1-3 of the 5 trails needed to get over yourself so you can trek on in life. Today we will complete trails 4 and 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. After a relaxing, but productive weekend, the work week is full with activities that we need to wrap up before heading back to Marietta at the end of this week. Leaf harvest will keep us busy for a few days when we return to the Big House. We will remain in Marietta through the 1st week of December. The days, months, and years are rapidly passing us by. I have to continually remind myself to slow down and enjoy the journey.

5 Trails Hiked to Getting Over Yourself So You Can Trek On With Your Life

Let’s review the introduction from yesterday’s exploration of trails 1 -3 to refresh your memory. If you did not trek with us yesterday, please listen to Day 169 before proceeding with us today so that you will experience the entire trek that we are taking.

Have you ever noticed that life just happens? It just does. And yet we spend so much time trying to control what happens in our lives, micro-managing how it happens and then telling everyone else what they should do to control and manage their lives that often we miss the point of what we are actually experiencing in ours.

The question is why do we expend so much energy trying to control things we really have no control over. At the end of the day, isn’t it just exhausting?

Life is actually quite simple. We have two choices in any given situation, circumstance, or event. We can be a victim and believe that things are happening to us, that we have no control over our situation, and blame others for the injury we have suffered. Or, we can start taking responsibility for our own lives, our own thoughts, our own words, and our own actions and decide that regardless of the injury, we are going to choose to live life on our own terms, powerfully.

In our society, we are supported, encouraged, and even rewarded for being victims. And yet, does being a victim ever feel good? Not usually. Being a victim tends to make us feel weak, vulnerable, and powerless. And these feelings in turn can lead to depression, frustration, and uncertainty.

The difference between taking responsibility for ourselves when life throws us a curve ball versus being a victim of a situation is that we become far better equipped spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and many times even physically. We stop allowing energy vampires to suck the life out of us, and rather than feeling powerless, depressed, and frustrated, we are able to experience our situation as an opportunity to test our superpowers of strength, positivity, clarity, and focus.

If you are sick and tired of feeling frustrated, drained, like you just can’t get a break, and are ready to get over yourself and on with your life, here are a few guidelines for living life on your own terms.

Yesterday we hiked the first three trails which were:

1. Stop blaming everyone else.

2. Your life is your responsibility.

3. Things are not always as they seem.

Today we will hike the final two trails.

4. Acknowledge your feelings.

Feelings are simple, really. We like things that make us feel good – love, affection, romance, acknowledgment…We don’t like things that make us feel bad – frus...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 169 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

5 Trails to Hike to Get Over Yourself #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 169 of our Trek, and yesterday we explored verses 15-23 of Proverbs Chapter 5. Today we are heading back out to the trails as we look for the 5 trails to getting over yourself so we can trek on in life. We will hike on trails 1-3 today. 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. Last week seemed to zip by too quickly, but we did have a great time with Kip on Saturday picking out materials for his quilt that Granny will be making for him. On Sunday, we had a good time of fellowship and worship at our local church. This is the first time we have been in Charlotte for the weekend for nearly two months, so it was a great time to be back.

5 Trails Hiked to Getting Over Yourself So You Can Trek On With Your Life

Have you ever noticed that life just happens? It just does. And yet we spend so much time trying to control what happens in our lives, micro-managing how it happens, and then telling everyone else what they should do to control and manage their lives that we often miss the point of what we are actually experiencing in ours.

The question is why do we expend so much energy trying to control things we really have no control over. At the end of the day, isn’t it just exhausting?

Life is actually quite simple. We have two choices in any given situation, circumstance, or event. We can be a victim and believe that things are happening to us that we have no control over our situation and blame others for the injury we have suffered. Or, we can start taking responsibility for our own lives, our own thoughts, our own words, and our own actions and decide that regardless of the injury, we are going to choose to live life on our own terms, powerfully.

In our society, we are supported, encouraged, and even rewarded for being victims. And yet, does being a victim ever feel good? Not usually. Being a victim tends to make us feel weak, vulnerable, and powerless. And these feelings in turn can lead to depression, frustration, and uncertainty.

The difference between taking responsibility for ourselves when life throws us a curve ball versus being a victim of a situation is that we become far better equipped spiritually, mentally, emotionally and many times even physically. We stop allowing energy vampires to suck the life out of us, and rather than feeling powerless, depressed, and frustrated, we are able to experience our situation as an opportunity to test our superpowers of strength, positivity, clarity, and focus.

If you are sick and tired of feeling frustrated, drained, like you just can’t get a break, and are ready to get over yourself and on with your life, here are a few guidelines for living life on your own terms.

1. Stop blaming everyone else.

Seriously, stop it. Stop giving your power away and blaming others for what is, or is not, happening in your life. Your life is not anybody else’s fault, and people are not doing anything to you. This reminds me of the old Bob Newhart episode clip where his diagnoses for all his patient issues was “Stop It.” You can view the clip here if you wish to watch it.

What you are experiencing is not somebody else’s fault. They may have had a hand in creating an uncomfortable experience, but YOU are the one who gets to decide how it goes from there.

Something better than Bob Newhart’s treatment though can be found in Colossians 3:13,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 168 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 5:15-23 Making Wise Choices #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 168 of our Trek, and yesterday we explored verses 7-14 of Proverbs chapter 5. We will remain at camp for today as we finish up the 5th chapter of Proverbs before heading back out on the trails. 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 productive week for us, and we accomplished a significant amount of work. I have been struggling somewhat with either severe allergies or a cold, which probably has been evident in the quality of my voice on our daily trek’s this week. I trust that this has not been too distracting and that the lessons we are learning are still effective.

This episode is being released on Sunday this week. Paula and I plan to take our grandson Kip with us on Saturday to Mary Jo’s, which is a fabric outlet in Gastonia, North Carolina. Granny wants Kip to help her select the materials that she will use for his planned quilt that she will be making. I also enjoy spending the time with Paula and helping her decide on material selection for her on-going quilt projects. She is very talented with quilting and cross stitch.

For today, though, we want to spend one more day around our campfire as we explore the remaining verses in Proverbs Chapter 5. Just like a campfire can be extremely enjoyable when it is kept within the confines of its designated parameters, so the physical relationship between a husband and wife will bring much joy and pleasure when it is kept within the boundaries set out by God in His Word. The Bible is so full of practical wisdom for life, especially in the book of Proverbs. This includes what makes for a proper and fulfilling physical relationship within a marriage. I realize that not everyone has been as fortunate within a marriage relationship as Paula and I have for over 36 years now, but it is never too late to make a new beginning.

Let’s look at what Solomon recommends to his sons when it comes to the proper physical relationship between a husband and wife.  For today’s Trek, we will explore verses 15-23 of the 5th chapter of Proverbs. I trust that some of the candid language used in this passage will be taken in the light that it was written and not tainted by any secular views. There is nothing more pure or holy than the appropriate physical relationship between a husband and wife within the boundary of marriage. Let us start with verses 15-17.

15 Drink water from your own well—

share your love only with your wife.

16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,

having sex with just anyone?

17 You should reserve it for yourselves.

Never share it with strangers.

Here Solomon uses the analogy of the physical relationship in marriage and compares it to water. In dry countries, which is the setting for which the book of Proverbs was written, water is valuable. Clean water is very precious. You should not waste water. It should not flow into the streets. It should not pour out, into the town. Your family and your animals should drink it. You should water your crops. Use it wisely!

Think about your own life in the same way. You should use your strength wisely. If you follow your base physical and emotional desires, you will waste your energy on something that is not yours to have. You should have sex with only your husband or wife and not with anyone else. Our lives belong to God.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 167 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 5:7-14 Making Wise Choices #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 167 of our Trek, and yesterday explored the first six verses of Proverbs Chapter 5. We will remain at camp for a couple more days as we explore the remaining verses of Proverbs Chapter 5. 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. As we sojourn through each day of life, it is good to take time each day and reflect on all the blessings we have in our lives. Even if you are going through a difficult time, there are still many things in life that you can be thankful for. One way that I keep this focus is every morning when I get up, the first thing that I do is to read and pray through a list of items for which I am thankful. As new items come to mind, I add them to my list, and any items that may no longer be relevant I remove.  Starting each day with my gratitude list helps to set the tone for my entire day.

As I mentioned yesterday, I have discovered that as we sit around the campfire and the night wears on, the stories shared become more personal in nature. Today we will dig for more of these personal wisdom nuggets found in Proverbs Chapter 5. Solomon continues to warn his children with strong words about the dangers of stepping outside of God’s precepts for marriage and relationships. While this passage cautions about an inappropriate sexual relationship, it can also be applied to others areas of life when we choose to ignore the guidelines that are set out in Scripture. While we may not fully understand all the reasons, principles, and precepts that God has established in His Word, by faith we can trust that it is because of God’s love for us that he has established these boundaries in our lives.

The next few chapters of Proverbs deal with some of the weaknesses we have as humans, and since God chose to leave them in His love letter to us, we will cover them as well as we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are contained in the verses.

Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have struggled with keeping God’s commands, especially when it comes to appropriate physical relationships, but it also applies to all relationships that we have. Sometimes we may think it is more than we can handle, but Paul addressed this in his 1st letter to the church in Corinth in Chapter 10 verse 13 where he wrote, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Of course, it is up to us to choose the steps that lead up to that temptation. Just like the campfire that burns brightly before us at our camp, the closer we get to the fire and the more we play with the burning wood, we will likely get burnt by the very embers that we are playing with.

The overall subject in Proverbs Chapter 5 is avoiding immoral women although the same principle applies in avoiding immoral men also. If you missed yesterday’s Wisdom-Trek, it would be best if you listened to it first so that you will be familiar with the story before today’s passage.

Let’s continue and look at verses 7-14.

7 So now, my sons, listen to me.

Never stray from what I am about to say:

8 Stay away from her!

Don’t go near the door of her house!

Solomon advises that his sons should not even meet the married woman.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 166 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 5:1-6 Making Wise Choices #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 166 of our Trek, and yesterday we finished our exploration of Proverbs 4. We will remain at camp for a few more days as we explore Proverbs chapter 5. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, 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 is good to be back to somewhat of a routine this week. Being a disciplined person, I tend to like a structured schedule that allows me to get up at the same time each day for exercise and meditation. I find that I am able to accomplish much more when my schedule is set. I have been recording the Wisdom-Trek podcast early in the morning over the past few weeks, which seems to be working out well in my schedule as well. If I sound a bit raspy this week, it is due to allergies or a cold that seemed to flare up after returning from the cruise. It appears to be clearing up, so hopefully I will be over it soon.

In my hiking experiences, I have discovered that as the night wears on and we’re sitting around the campfire the stories shared become more personal in nature. So it is with the Bible, and especially in Proverbs. God does not sugar coat the subject discussed. Woven within scriptures we see the good, the bad, and the ugly of people’s lives. Even with all of the advances in information, technology, and medicine, people and societies have not changed all that much over the millenniums of human existence.

The next few chapters of Proverbs deal with some of the weaknesses we have as humans, and since God chose to leave them in His love letter to us, we will cover them as well as we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are contained in the verses.

Just as the smoke from the campfire can drift into our eyes, temporarily blinding us and making our lives uncomfortable, there are times when we are blinded by desires and temptations in our lives which end up making our lives very uncomfortable. The question for today is “Do you stay in the same place allowing the smoke to continue to blind you, or will you take action and make the needed changes to avoid smoke getting in your eyes?” By God’s grace, regardless of past situations, we do not need to remain in the smoke.

The overall subject in Proverb chapter 5 is avoiding immoral women although the same principle applies in avoiding immoral men also.

As with part of the previous chapter, we see that chapter 5 is a poem. The poem has two subjects:

A married woman tempts a man who is not her husband.

Evil practices are like this woman because sometimes these things attract us. But evil practices offend God. We must obey God, and refuse to continue those evil practices or habits.

Solomon discusses both subjects at the same time. This is similar to Proverbs 2:16-19. The actions of the woman show us how evil ideas can attract us.

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen carefully to my wise counsel.

2 Then you will show discernment,

and your lips will express what you’ve learned.

Solomon begins his lesson in the usual way. He reminds us why we need wisdom and knowledge. With wisdom and knowledge, we can avoid danger like what is described in the following verses.

3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,

and her mouth is smoother than oil.

A married woman attracts a young man. She seems so beautiful. When he kisses her, her lips seem to taste like honey. When he listens to her,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 165 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 4:18-27 Wisdom Provides Light

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 165 of our Trek, and yesterday we reviewed verses 10-17 of the 4th chapter of Proverbs. Today we are going to remain at camp and finish our exploration of Proverbs 4.  If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, 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 a joy to have our grandson Kip over for the day. At 3 1/2 he is very inquisitive, full of detailed conversations, and loves to listen to Gramp’s Wisdom-Treks on his way to pre-school each morning. What are you teaching your children or grandchildren? Are you guiding them on the path of wisdom?

As with our trek of life, we have many trails that we can take each day. We will remain in camp for today, and as we reflect around the campfire let’s continue our exploration of wisdom that is found in Proverbs chapter 4. Let these truths penetrate deep into our minds so that they will change the way we think, which will change the course of our lives.  In doing so, we will be able to take the wise and correct trails each day.

Proverbs 4:18-27

Verses 18 and 19 are written in a short poem fashion and this is what they say:

18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.

    They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

This is a beautiful short poem. It contrasts a good man and an evil man. Sometimes people think that everyone is the same. Some people say that everyone is good. The Bible does not say this. The Bible says that we all have turned from God. We must turn back to him. Only God can make us good.

The good man has a good life. He does not yet know everything that God wants to teach him. He has not yet received all the gifts that God will give to him. His life is like a man who walks at dawn. At dawn, there is only a little light. But the light will soon become brighter. And soon the good man will know God better.

Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." Paul is writing about the time when he will see God in heaven.

The evil man has the opposite fate. He is like a man who hikes on a dark path. A trek during the dark of night is dangerous. A hiker cannot see in the darkness. Without any lights, the hiker will trip and fall. In the same way, the evil man is in great danger. He will suffer because of his evil behavior.

Many people, who are not Christians, want God in their lives. They know that they are in danger. They are like someone who travels at night. Christians should provide the light for them. We should share the light that God has given to us. God will help those who ask him. When these people first trust God, they will know little about God. In time, they will know more as they live God’s way. We won’t fully know God until we are in heaven. A path becomes brighter as the day begins. As they know more, they will trust God more. 

20 My child, pay attention to what I say.

    Listen carefully to my words.

21 Don’t lose sight of them.

    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

22 for they bring life to those who find them