More Proverbs

As I read about adulterous women tempting men; it was hard to read.  It seemed that women seemed to be the cause and evil that led the men to them.  It read is if the men didn't have the will power to say no; they made a choice as well to take part.

I'm not wealthy by American standards, but from the world's standards; I would be.  I do rely on my money some.  I have some savings that can help us and protect us, but I must never be confused with my true salvation through Jesus.  I can't buy that salvation. 

Proverbs

Yesterday I finished reading the book of Proverbs.  Here are my notes from my reading.

• Proverbs teaches wisdom knowledge begins with respect for the Lord
• Don't be tempted by evil, sinners will fall in their own trap
• Wisdom speaks to others, but some will not listen and will fail
• Trust, respect, kindness, & help to others & the Lord will give you peace & comfort from fear
• Wisdom is very important and a guide to your life that grows and shines
• Hold on to your learning and understanding, treasure it!
• Men commit to your wives and don't stray or be tempted by adulterous women
• Foolishness is dangerous; don't be proud, don't lie; don't kill or make evil plans; don't start arguments with families
• Don't commit adultery; it'll ruin you
• Lack of wisdom in men lead them toward adulterous women who lie & tempt & bring men in - this leads to death
• God created wisdom before Earth, we should respect it
• Wisdom = life; foolishness = death
• Solomon shares wise word
• Wise = life; lazy = poor
• Talkative fool = ruin
• Good people provided for
• Wicked = violence, short life
• Hatred = trouble; love = forgiveness
• Talking a lot leads to sin; wisdom keeps you quiet
• Pride = shame; humility = wisdom
• Honesty, right living = freedom
• Words can destroy
• Gossips can't be trusted
• Avoid co-signing loans
• Look for the good
• Accept correction and advice from friends
• Don't tell lies
• Be careful what you say
• Work hard
• Pride leads to arguments
• Spend time with the wise & you'll become wise
• Correct your children in love
• Stay away from fools, work at being right
• Strangers don't share your joy
• Be kind to the poor and needy
• Have patience & peace of mind
• Words have power they can offer healing & life or crush the spirit
• Wise people seek more knowledge, foolish seek more foolishness
• Quick tempers cause trouble
• Hates evil thoughts, pleased with kind words
• Allow yourself to be corrected - leads to understanding
• We make plans but only God can see them through
• Our hearts intentions in our actions matter!
• Don't be proud; pride destroys
• Wisdom & understanding are better than gold & silver
• May your words be pleasant
• Don't gossip
• Gray hair is an honor, earned with good life
• Control your temper
• Be kind to the poor
• Don't argue
• Don't brag
• A friend loves at all times, brothers help in times of trouble
• Fools & foolish words = ruin (gossip too & it spreads)
• No hard work is like destroying things
• Rich people trust their wealth to protect them
• You can't live with a broken spirit
• One side of a story isn't truth or enough
• Your words matter; your words have power
• Don't act without knowledge
• Be patient
• Be kind to the poor
• Correct & teach your children
• Accept correction!
• Don't get drunk
• Don't fight & quarrel
• Don't expect results if you don't do the work!
• Get advice for your plans
• Avoid people who talk too much, gossips
• The Lord will make things right
• The reason you do something is judged
• Help the poor
• Love of pleasures will make you poor
• Better alone than with a quarreling wife
• Be careful what you say, keeps you from trouble
• Don't be lazy
• Give without holding back
• To be respected is better than being wealthy
• Heed danger
• Teach your children
• Punishment removes foolishness in children
• Other wise sayings
• Listen to the wise; keep the teachings in your mind
• Don't spend time with those with bad tempers for you will be like them
• Don't pay someone else's loan
• Don't eat too much
• Don't drink too much
• Punish your children
• Seek wise people who give good advice, seek advice
• God is watching you, knows you; He notices everything
• Seek wisdom, stay away from evil
• Don't celebrate enemy's defeat
• Don't envy evil; they've no where to go/hope for
• Be a fair judge, don't take sides
• Be honest
• Prepare your fields first, then home (income/provisions first)
• Don't get even
• Don't rest so much your work isn't done
• More wisdom of Solomon's sayings
• Don't share your arguments
• Don't bother neighbors too much
• Don't hire a fool or a passerby
• Don't play dirty jokes
• Gossip grows quarreling
• Don't be lazy
• Don't praise yourself
• Don't complain
• Friends can help too
• People can help improve each other
• Your mind shows what kind of person you are
• Repent = mercy
• Don't mistreat the poor
• Don't give false praise
• Correct your children
• Don't have a quick temper
• Wise words from Agur
• God's word is true
• Keep me honest
• Let me be not rich or poor but enough for each day - easier to honor you then
• Don't stir up anger
• Wise Words of King Lemuel
• Don't drink & forget the law
• The good wife
• Proverbs 31 Woman

God

"God isn't just a better version of our human selves; he's truly in a class of his own."  - Natasha Crain

Statistics About Science & God

From all the learning I've done over the years; I've learned to become very skeptical of statistics.  I've found that they can be skewed to support your argument.  Things can be rephrased or represented different ways from the same data just to support your hypothesis or argument.  Not to mention how often they are just misquoted in general. 

This chapter in the book Talking with Your Kids About God touches on this too.  It refers to many studies that have been done over the years showing this high percentages of scientists that don't believe in God.  Other studies show different results, but still commonly compared to the general population, less scientists believe in God. 

However, I think the public can misinterpret that data.  We need to remember that correlation does not equal causation.  Further studies show that scientists were not raised in religious homes.  

Now, there are no studies I read on this, but in my mind as I think through this, do you think scientists seek science to fill a void they have from not being raised in a religious home?  Science can't fill the void, only God?  But sciences helps them explains what they couldn't understand. 

"What scientist believe about God ultimately has no bearing on whether God exists."  - Natasha Crain

(Thoughts from my reading of Talking with Your Kids About God by Natasha Crain.)

Human Nautre to Believe in God?

Researchers believe we are made with some natural inclinations to believe in God.  We aren't born completely blanket slates.  Similar to the previous thoughts on we all have the same moral understanding; we are all also born with a natural tendency to believe in God. 

This research comes from understanding that babies are more than just little people with dirty diapers, they also understand certain scientific things "for example, that objects can't move through other objects." (Natasha Crain, Talking With Your Kids About God) 

"Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary field that studies how the mind works.  In the early 1990s, cognitive scientists started applying their finding to the question of why religious thoughts and actions are so common across cultures - perhaps humans have predispositions that make it natural for us to believe in God.  That's not to say such predispositions can't be overridden by cultural and educational factors but rather that they may be an important biological basis influencing later belief development.  This specific area of study is now called the cognitive science of religion."  (Natasha Crain, Talking With Your Kids About God)

(Thoughts from Talking With Your Kids About God.) 

Science & God

"But why is the world intelligible rather than chaotic?  If the universe is truly the product of unguided evolutionary forces, as atheists claim, there's no reason to expect that an elegant ordering of nature would have happened on its own.  But if the universe is the product of intelligence, as Christians and other theists claim, we would expect it to be orderly - a reflection of its rational designer."  - Natasha Crain Talking With Your Kids About God

Human reason is more than atoms colliding.  It is more than just some scientific things moving around and bumping into each other.  If this were true, wouldn't we just a response to science around us?  I am more than some reaction to things around me.  I can think logically; I am made in God's image.  We are made in God's image. 

Science opens the door and explains more about God's creation that what we read in the Bible and see in real life.  It explains to us more about how is creation works.  Science and God, work together.  God, created science. 

(Thoughts from Talking With Your Kids About God.)

Friends

There was a time in my life when I was in search of friends.  I need my people, who supported me, loved me and where close and accessible. 

Don't get my wrong I have had friends over the years, but life changes impact friends as do moves, and I had a lot going on, didn't have a lot of time, and needed people.

Every time I met a new gal I'd think, could she me by friend?  She seems nice?  How can I extend an invitation to start a friendship?  And I was always thinking this way, looking for friends, trying to build friendships to carry me and my family on our adventures.  I knew I needed people. 

I distinctly remember on of the first time I realized I had been somewhat successful at this.  My family had been sick; and a 2nd cousin of my and some folks from the church brought my family dinner.  It was left from a SOUP meal they had served at the church that night, but they thought of us and brought of a warm home cooked meal.  The left that food for us an I remember telling Keith, "we have people!"  And I meant so much with that; we had people who loved us, thought of us and cared for us in a way that I'd been looking for in friendships. 

That was a starting point for us, and I think we've done a wonderful job of connecting to people and building a community of friends for each of us individually, but as a family too.  We have people.  They're people from church; they're family, and a few good friends I've known for many years now.  I believe God wants us to live in community with people who loves us, and we've built that.  Friendships and relationships take time and forgiveness and communication and we've done that.  And I couldn't be happier!  Thank you Lord for these people! 

I've always wanted our home to be a place for people to gather, and I think I tried to push that too hard early on after we've bought our own place, but naturally it has happened over time and we welcome groups of friends, family, friends families, and our kid's friends into the home often.  This past summer, our first summer at our new home, was the epitome of that, and I'm not sure we'll have a summer like that again, but we were able to gather people from all our different areas together celebrating and enjoying each other and introducing our people to each other and it was a beautiful thing. 

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In the last few months I've had this realization; I still think like I did when I was searching for friends when I meet new people.  Maybe I'm misguided, maybe I'm ignorant, but I realized I don't need to do this anymore.  It's not that I'm not open to meeting new people and developing relationships, but I don't have to search so hard for more people.  Quality of quantity right?  I already have my people.  Sure that will change with time and life with change, but I will adapt, our family will adapt.  If I keep searching for more friends now; I need more time for each of those friendships, and I don't want that to take away from the current friendships!  I don't want those to suffer because I feel the need to keep searching for more, more, more. 

What is science?

"Scientific study never leads to absolute certainty - strict proof or disproof.  Science can't prove or disprove God's existence because the nature of science isn't to prove or disprove anything with absolute certainty."  - Natasha Crain in Talking with your Kids About God

How much evidence do we need?

When it comes to belief in God; how much proof do we need to believe?

Have you ever asked yourself or asked God to give you a direct answer to this?  Have you every wondered why he doesn't just show up and make himself known so all believe?

I remember being a kid trying to learn and understand and wanting a clear sign of direction, an answer that never came.  However, as I've grown and aged, I've grown in my faith.  I don't need a sign; I have prayer.  I see his handwork in nature; I see his love in other people.  I feel his presence in my world.  I see his miracles around us. 

What would it mean if he appeared to us here one day?  Wouldn't that be the coming of Christ and change everything we know?  Would it be too late for our faith to save us? 

What about free will?  He gave us free will in his creation; He wants to be chosen by us.  Don't you want to be chosen by someone too?

If He appeared here now and we saw his glory, would we have the free will to choose him and believe and follow him?

(Thoughts from Talking With Your Kids About God.)

Make mine a double!

This Sunday's sermon text was 2 Kings 2:1-12.  In this passage, Elisha is asking Elija for a double share of the spirit.  he is asking to take Elija's place as head prophet. 

We are all called to study and learn from our elders.  We are called to mentor the next generation.  We are called to share our faith and our knowledge.  We should all be seeking more of the Holy Spirit.  To do that, we have to put in the work.  It takes time. We must persistently pursue Him and the Spirit.  We must study the Bible, pray and have a Christian community to support and encourage us.  

I am blessed to be able to help carry on my church.

I must allow myself to be mentored.

I must mentor the next generation. 

To Be, To Do, To Be ...

We had a substitute Pastor last week while ours was on vacation.  The scripture came from Mark 1:29-39. 

She talked about the need for rest and prayer.  There is a little of Mary and a little Martha in us.  We need to find the balance between being & doing.  Tiredness is good; it's means we've worked hard and need rest.  Weariness is not so good; it's means we've lost the joy and heart of our work.  Likely this is because we aren't spending out time being.  Our doing can get in the way of our being.  We need to listen to the call of Jesus daily. 

She even said you can start small, you can start with prayers during your showers, etc.  Start small and consistently spending time in quiet prayer with the Lord. 

Doing should be full of joy and compassion.