Life is only a “journey” when there’s a destination; without one the aimless can do nothing but wander. – A. Baker
Tag Archives: wisdom
Reality Check
Those who piously suggest we should “listen to the children” have obviously never driven a school bus.
Filed under wisdom
Reflections In the Dark
Driving
It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but I do enjoy driving a school bus in the rain. As a matter of fact, I enjoy driving it in the rain AND in the dark, at least on occasion.
For example, there is something sort of comforting in being able to sit there in the dry and looking out at bad weather. There’s a kind of coziness to it.
You know how relaxing it is to listen to the rain on a tin roof? Well, a bus can be that way, too. And when it’s dark, cold, and rainy outside in the mornings, the kids are usually quiet, also. The drone of the engine, the wipers swishing, and the hiss-like roar of water on the road – when you’re comfortable and dry – makes one appreciate caffeine.
Dangers
But even though I may like some aspects of driving in the early morning, there are certainly dangers of which to be aware. Besides the other drivers and the slick roads, there are a lot of false signals – reflections – that can be very distracting.
Take a look at the picture I took while sitting in a parking lot between morning routes (this is where I stop to get a cup of coffee with 2 other drivers). Notice that I am looking to my left at a mirror, but what you see in the mirror is the building to my right, which is being reflected onto the glass in front of the mirror.
Imagine what it is like when you are coming to an intersection and there are multiple lanes of automobiles, traffic lights, wet roads, etc.!
The Lesson
The reason I wanted to share this with you is because there is a lesson to be learned – and it’s not one included in my book 😉
Sometimes, when times are dark, when there are rainy days, distractions can cause us to be overwhelmed and lose our focus. Sometimes dark reflections of the past can cause us to see things that aren’t really there; we even get startled by oncoming illusions.
Focus on what is true and pray for discernment. There’s work to be done, no matter the weather.
Filed under Christian Living, wisdom
Rejoice or Mourn, but Don’t Settle
Proverbs 29:2
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
‘Ocracies
It would seem like never before in the history of man has it been possible for atheists and all those antagonistic to Christianity, the Bible, faith, or whatever, to have their voices be heard. Of course, I may be wrong and even over-exaggerating a little, but thanks to the media and easy access to the internet, angry voices condemning leaders with morals are screaming from every direction.
This proverb should not be interpreted as saying, “Christians should be in authority everywhere!” No, the idea is more along the lines of promoting wise leadership, honest leadership, or simply men and women with integrity and moral fortitude. Yet, even when and if true Christians were to assume authority, very few would have any thoughts of promoting a “theocracy.” But listen to the atheists and you’d think that the “righteous” would start hanging unbelievers tomorrow, if they could.
The fact is that at it’s founding, when the most Christians (including deists) where in authority in America, that is when they founded a constitutional republic, NOT a theocracy.
Righteous Rule
When the righteous rule, the people rejoice. Why is that? Could it be that the people are treated fairly? The righteous wouldn’t take more than they need in taxes. The righteous wouldn’t lie about issues in order to get elected. The righteous would be responsible with resources. The righteous wouldn’t seek office to obtain power, but to serve others. The righteous wouldn’t compromise his beliefs, but he would work together with his fellow man in search of the common good.
Sadly, many in our society mourn when the righteous are considered for leadership. Many recoil at the thought of a man or woman with integrity, faith, and morals. They see these potential leaders as threats – not to freedom, but to unrestrained behavior.
Wicked Rule
Why do the people mourn when the wicked rule? Because the wicked think only of themselves; they care nothing about the people under their authority.
Do we have wicked leaders, or are our leaders righteous, looking out for all of us? Do those in authority serve, or do they accumulate power in order to manipulate the masses? The answer will be different and vary in intensity wherever you go, but this much is true: there are far fewer righteous leaders than wicked ones.
The Undecided
But then there are those who can’t decide whether to rejoice or mourn. They have been treated so poorly for so long that they have come to accept wicked leadership as the norm.
If you think otherwise, just consider the following defense of President Obama by L.Z. Granderson on CNN:
“Now with president Obama, it is true, he should have been more forthright with how the Affordable Care Act was going to impact the country. But with that being said, all Americans know politicians lie. The question is: which lies can you live with? And time and time again Americans have said, “We can deal with the lies that President Obama tells us, because we believe in his heart – he has the best interests for the American people. Every president’s gonna lie to you. Every politician is gonna lie to you. The question is: which lies can you live with?” – Source
Sounds more like when the wicked rule, the people give up caring. God help us.
Filed under America, current events, politics, wisdom
Perfect Timing for a Late Post
A Little Late
As many of you may know, I have another blog called ProverbialThough.com. If you are unaware of it, I hope before today is over you will check it out.
Anyway, I was one of several who would regularly write devotional commentary on proverbs in the book of Proverbs. Looking at a list each one of us would select passages which we would be responsible for addressing, then write and post it at the appropriate time. Unfortunately, because I was also in seminary at the time, I was often overwhelmed and sometimes missed a verse (rarely, but it happened). Proverbs 22:14 was one of those verses, however.
I was supposed to have written a post for Proverbs 22:14 in July of 2013! Better late than never, right?
Perfect Timing
Now, even though the post for Proverbs 22:14 was just written, it couldn’t have been written at a better time. You see, the whole idea behind the writing of Proverbial Thought was to look at the wisdom of each proverb and apply personal application based on how we as the writers had seen the wisdom played out in real life. And because each one of the writers came from different walks of life and different parts of the world, there was a more diverse pool of experience to draw from.
The reason this post was timely is because had I written it back in 2013 I would have had no idea what a real pit meant for killing looked like. I don’t know what I would have used from my experience to try to relate the truth of this particular passage, but I certainly would not have been able to compare it to an actual place in Africa.
So, just like so many other things in life, it was no coincidence that I did not write a post for Proverbs 22:14 until now – God knew what was best.
Check It Out
So, why not click on the link below and go check out this brand new post – 3 years late – on Proverbial Thought? And while you are there make sure you subscribe and leave a comment or two.
Oh, and share it 🙂
Click here to read “Sleeping In the Pit”
Filed under Bible Study, blogging, places, wisdom
Some Choose the Thorny Path
Wise Solomon
It never fails to amaze me how people get themselves into trouble. But if the truth be known, many of those who end up getting hurt, whether it be physically or emotionally, chose the wrong path. Wise King Solomon put it this way…
There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. – Proverbs 22:5 HCSB
Below are two stories about two different paths. Both contain dogs, but only one has a happy ending.
Whose Fault?
People who drink and drive should expect problems down the road. People who use illegal drugs should expect problems, also. Why is it, then, when these people get caught, harassed, or arrested by law enforcement, they blame the whole thing on the police?
Recently a man’s dog was shot and killed. After seeing his owner arrested for mouthing off to machine gun-toting policemen who had surrounded the house of a criminal, the 80 pound Rottweiler decided to attack. What was the arresting officer supposed to do but defend himself? Yet, the community where this happened is calling for the policeman to be punished. Why? Because a fool who couldn’t keep his foolish mouth shut forgot to restrain his killer dog?
Taking a Different Path
The above story reminds me of something that happened to me years ago. One night our German Shepherd was acting like a stranger was close by. There had been some suspicious activity down the street already, so I took my shotgun (we lived out in the county) and walked with my dog through the shadows around our house over toward the street.
Just before we came out of the shadows, I saw six policemen with M-16 assault rifles walking in my direction. Little did I know they were looking for a criminal who had just shot at another policeman.
My heart nearly stopped. “Oh God…please don’t let them see me…for the love of all that’s holy, dog, pleeeeezzzzz don’t bark…”
The dog stayed silent… We both survived.
I quietly took a different path.
Filed under animals, Life Lessons, wisdom
2000 Cents Worth
A $20 Value!
Thank you for visiting my 1000th post on The Recovering Legalist! This is such a special occasion for me!
It’s been so much fun sharing my two cents on the world-wide web. When I did the math (I wasn’t bad with elementary numbers), one thousand posts equal 2,000 cents worth of wisdom. If my calculations are correct, the total monetary value of the wisdom and insight contained in this blog is worth a total of $20.
Twenty Dollars!
But you’ve gotten a lot over the last six (6) years, wouldn’t you say? 2 cents here, 2 cents there…it all adds up to a virtual treasure of personal opinion.
A Few Stats
You might not be interested in this, but it might interest my grandkids one day. I just thought it would be interesting to look back over the last seven (7) years to see what was most popular.
First of all, I started blogging in 2009, but that year I only published two posts. It was literally a year later in 2010 that I started blogging on a fairly regular basis. Since then I have received a little over 107,000 recorded views and acquired over 2,600 followers. That may sound like a lot to a newbie, but it’s nothing compared to other blogs – so I don’t have a big head.
2016 is on pace to beat 2015 🙂
Now, I don’t know what it is about Dr. John R. Rice, but my post about him continues to be the most viewed post every year, including this one. Including that one, the following are the Top 10 Most Viewed Posts I’ve published.
All-Time Top 10 Most Viewed Posts
- “Was John R. Rice a Heretic?”
- “What to Wear to Church?”
- “The Brief Departure of a Friend”
- “Dinosaur Bones Found On Moon!”
- “Just the Sound of BB’s”
- “Does Divorce Disqualify”
- “Appetite for Comfort” (this one was featured on Freshly Pressed)
- “Recovering Legalist Meets Building 429”
- “Why Be a Legalist?”
- “Work, Work, Work”
Another interesting statistic is the most common search items. Here are the all-time Top 5 Search Terms that have led people to my blog.
All-Time Top 5 Search Terms
- What to wear to church
- Recovering legalist
- Bones on the moon*
- John r rice
- Prostitots
*It should be noted that people do wonder what to wear to church, and what the heck a “Prostitot“ is. However, the above search terms tell another interesting truth:
I have single-handedly maintained an urban legend! There are dinosaur bones on the moon!
My Favorite Statistic
But of all the posts I’ve ever written, the most important one is what is contained under the above tab, Eternal Life. The statistics for that page say more for this blog than anything else. At least that’s what I think.
Since the Eternal Life page went active back in February of 2012, it has been viewed nearly 800 times (according to WordPress). And since we know that actual views can be more than recorded, who knows how many people have actually gone to that page and read how to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
Regardless the number or the reason, if nothing else, just because I’ve been blogging and sharing my two cents worth, hundreds of people have taken the time to read a biblical Gospel presentation! That’s an awesome thought!
Your Faves?
Folks, there is no question this blog has resulted in many life-long friendships. Some of you I have met in person, and that makes it even more special. Bloggers are real people, you know. I thank God for all of you!
But now that I’ve come to the 1,000 mark, what posts have been YOUR favorite? Is there one that stands out in your memory? More importantly, was there one in a thousand that made a difference in your life?
That’s what I’d really love to hear!
P.S. A special thanks should go out to all those who wrote guest posts – you had a part in that 1,000, too.
P.P.S. Monday Monkey videos were an added value, so if you subtract the guest posts from my $20 worth of opinion, then add Mr. Monkey’s, the total value of this blog’s wisdom shoots up past $39.95.
P.P.P.S. (if there is such a thing) I’m looking forward to the next 1,000!
Filed under blogging
Giving Solomon Advice
Proverbs 21:19
“It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”
1000 Women
Has anyone noticed that this is the second time Solomon has said something about angry women? It was only ten verses ago that he said it was better to “dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house (verse 9).” Do you think that Solomon could have been having marriage problems?
One of the great ironies in history is that the wisest man to ever live had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3)! One would think that with so much wisdom a man might have figured out a thing or two about the nature of women, but evidently he was either deficient in this one area, or a glutton for punishment. I am not as wise as Solomon, but even I could tell you that having more than one wife might be a bad idea, especially when you’re intending on sharing your life with a thousand! Good grief!
Solomon had a weakness for the opposite sex and all the money in the world to support his habit. 1 Kings 11:3 even says that his wives “turned away his heart” from God. In order to keep them happy, he built altars to other gods. As wise as he was, women were his downfall.
1000 Tempers
I tend to wonder what kind of “man cave” Solomon had. With all those wives and concubines, can you imagine how many tempers were constantly flaring? Can you imagine how many grudges were being held? When 2 or 3 women go to the ladies room together, rumor has it that they talk about us men. Can you imagine what emotional issues a harem full of women could talk about? And don’t you think they constantly blamed Solomon for everything?
It should come as no surprise that both times Solomon mentions women in this chapter he references emotion. After nearly 20 years of marriage and three daughters to my credit, I can speak from experience that women know how to get angry and stay angry. Women are different than men (duh!). It takes a wife that is filled with the Spirit to overcome her tendency to seethe over something stupid her husband did 10-15 years ago.
Advice for Solomon
It may be a little late, but if I could go back in time I would give Solomon a bit of humble advice. I would say to him, “King Solomon, sir, I have a few suggestions that could help you maintain peace in your palace, should you choose, in your wise and awesome wisdomness, to listen.”
- Find that ruby of a woman and make her a solitaire. One rare one is far better than a chest full of imported cubic zirconia.
- Treat your wife with humility, love, and respect. An unloved and disrespected woman is an angry woman.
- Money is great, but time is priceless. Spend time with your wife doing things she wants to do. A lonely woman is a bitter woman.
- Worship the True God with your wife, not the idols of the world. Don’t marry outside the faith expecting to change her. Find a woman that loves the Lord and love Him with her. A woman at odds with you is a contentious woman.
Then I would say, “Choose to do otherwise, dear king, and you might as well go live in the wilderness.”
The above post may also be found at ProverbialThought.com.
Filed under Bible Study, Christian Maturity, Marriage
A Proverbial Reminder
Some of you may be new, so it would be good for me to remind everyone that this is not the only blog I publish. The other one I regularly publish is Proverbial Thought (Proverbialthought.com).
I would encourage you to check it out and consider it something to add to your quite time – at least from time to time. Go to the site and read the “About” page for a clear explanation of the site.
Here’s the link to the blog…Proverbial Thought: Your Daily Word of Wisdom from Proverbs.
Obviously Obvious
A Great Deal
Every once in a while a deal comes along that you just can’t pass up, like four suits for the price of one at Joseph A. Bank. I mean, that’s simply a once-in-a-lifetime steal!
And have you ever seen those commercials for…I don’t know…everything? How can you pass on buying something for $19.95 when you get a second whatever and ten additional gadgets for no additional cost? (Just pay separate shipping and handling, of course).
Well, one deal I saw the other day at Wal-Mart just took my breath away! It was awesome! It was more than awesome…it was OBVIOUS!
TWO – count them – TWO honey buns for just $1! Or, if you like, you could buy one for just 50 cents. What a deal!
Yeah. Right.
Obvious Stuff
Look, businesses don’t give things away for no reason; separate shipping and handling actually covers the cost of free items; and, getting two honey buns for the price of two honey buns isn’t exactly a great deal. Some people never put two and two together.
What are some other things that should be obvious? Let me start a list:
- Watching church on TV is NOT as good as being there.
- Your vote DOES matter.
- Living together first is NOT the best way to start a marriage.
- One’s actions DO have consequences.
- Government is NOT the solution to every problem.
- Believing God doesn’t exist doesn’t make Him go away.
Any other suggestions?
Filed under General Observations
The Recovering Legalist 