Wisdom for your life

Photo from National Geographic

My readings in Proverbs is coming to a close. On June first I will begin a year reading through the Bible. You may wonder why a minister, a pastor, a member of the clergy is reading through the Bible (my facebook page). You may ask, "don'cha already know the bible? You did graduate with many degrees of divinity and theology?"

Yeah. But I need a fresh dose of the Bible again. In my spiritual journey I discover that I need variety and a challenge. I will be following the through the Bible in a year format but i am adjusting it to fit my year. So I've adapted an online schedule to suit my need.

In my reading today, I am amazed at a lot of things. Agur, a wise man referenced in Solomon's book of Proverbs was also amazed at four things;

"There are three things which are too wonderful for me, four which I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid
(Proverbs 30:18-19)."

I don't understand a lot of things. But as I make time to reflect. I discover some amazing things. One of those is the way of an eagle in the sky. As a teen, I watched a golden eagle soaring the in the sky. At first I thought it was a crow or raven, but my father corrected me. "It's a golden eagle, son. You can tell by its flight (pattern), its size, and its silhoutte (plumage)."

I marveled at how my father could see those characteristics, but then I stared at the sky for a few minutes scanning the celestial spaces, tracking the golden, dark spectre spanning the skies above me. The more I observed, the more I understood what dad said. The more I stood amazed, the more I grew in understanding.

In a way I was jealous of that taloned aviator. I wished I could float on the thermals, to mount on wings over the high desert of New Mexico. To look down and over the barren land with regal stature. Wow! I was amazed and still am amazed at God's creation.

God made great things in creation. That's what my pastor, Pastor Bob will share this weekend in our services on Sunday. You may listen to his message on our website. The main truth is to honor and to enjoy your Creator while you're still young (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Though I am not "young" any more, I stilll honor and enjoy the Creator of my memories of golden eagles today.

I wonder if any of the things Agur mentions amazes you. Make a comment and let me know what amazes you.

Report: Food aid to Africa unlikely to meet target - USATODAY.com

Report: Food aid to Africa unlikely to meet target - USATODAY.com

My church partners with ICDI's orphan care efforts in the Central African Republic (check out the blog). Please skim the above article. One thing that challenges me is the lack of long-term agricultural development for the peoples of Africa. That's why I believe in ICDI which seeks to address the underlying problems to focus on development rather than emergency crisis responses. I seek to impact one community at a time, one family at a time, one person at a time. I wonder if other smaller organizations are doing it better than our larger governmental aid counterparts.

My church exists in an agricultural rich area in Ohio. So seeking to address poor farming practices, the lack of irrigation, high-yielding seeds and fertilizer are all things common to those here in Northeast Ohio. I can see my church having a long-term partnership with helping one community at a time. Right now I help facilitate reaching out to one community in the Central African Republic. Our hope is to make a difference in the lives of one community and spread hope to every person in that community.

Wisdom for your life

Photo by: Alex CB

As part of my latest habit in reading the Bible to help shape my spirituality, I read Proverbs 29 today. I find it so helpful in my interactions with people. The Bible is practical and especially helpful in interpersonal relationships.

One verse that caught my attention as I read the chapter is:

"The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted (verse 25)."

I find it challenging to battle what people think of me. In my case, what people thinks matters. In fact, this verse offers a great insight to how I feel sometimes--what others think is a snare. I feel ensnared by what others think.

I was having lunch with one of the other pastors at Subway and a gaggle of girls were in a booth near us and burst out laughing loudly. It crossed my mind that they might be laughing at me. But as I thought about it, they most likely weren't laughing at me, but it crossed me mind. How self-centered am I?

It is true that I can ensnare myself with what other people may think. But the remedy for me is found in the second part of the verse. I can trust in the Lord so that I can be exalted, out of the snare's reach and live beyond what others may think. In fact, I can live above it. So when another crowd explodes with laughter near me, then I will reaffirm the truth that I can trust in God despite my battle with what others think. He can be trusted with my feelings and He will lift me above and beyond that snare for my life.

I wonder if any of you ever feel the same thing or if this is something that doesn't phase you at all. Please stop and make a comment. More wisdom for your life later.