Live well & have some fun

This Proverb has lots of great advice, and one of my very favorite verses that's helped me out quite a bit.  Hope you can find some peace in it too. 

Proverbs 3:1-12

I love the way this proverb opens, "Good friend."  That's how I see this blog, one blind man (err woman) showing another blind man where to find bread.  Friends looking at the Bible together.  I'm no expert.  As I've read the Bible over the years, I am always astounded at the simple wisdom in it.  The teachings of Jesus just plain make sense.  They will help us live well and long.

1 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you;

take to heart my commands.

2 They'll help you live a long, long time,

a long life lived full and well.

Love and loyalty, I like those words.  I shouldn't be afraid to love, to be loyal.

3 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.

Tie them around your neck;

carve their initials on your heart.

4 Earn a reputation for living well

in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

God wants us to live well cool huh?  Live well, not with a drugged mind, or so many worries we don't leave home.  He doesn't want us to be what other people tell us to be- but what He created us to be.  He wants us to be free and not bound up in our hearts.  Let the world see what joy is.  Here's a quote by Mark Twain that reminds me of God's heart:

Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though Heaven is on earth.

Boy I can see myself here... I think too much.  Sometimes it gets in the way of my dreams.  My Grandma used to say, "Don't think about it.  Do it!"  She could've worked for Nike.  This is one of my favorite verses.

5 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

6 Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track.

Here it is in the NIV-

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
NIV

To me this describes being humble.  Don't be a "know it all."  Only God is.  It's ok to admit we don't know something.  It's ok to use a dictionary, or handbook.  It's great to ask God.

7 Don't assume that you know it all.

Run to God! Run from evil!

8 Your body will glow with health,

your very bones will vibrate with life!

This is a challenging concept.  But it's true.  When I was single I gave 10% of all my paychecks to God through tithing.  I was able to pay off my school loans and car early. : )  When I got married I handed it over to my husband.  I've enjoyed watching him grow.
9 Honor God with everything you own;

give him the first and the best.

10 Your barns will burst,

your wine vats will brim over.

I love this part- He corrects the ones He loves.  So... some of our lessons are love lessons made specifically for us, shaping us into His people.
11 But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;

don't sulk under his loving correction.

12 It's the child he loves that God corrects;

a father's delight is behind all this.

THE MESSAGE