#205 - Build Your House!

Good morning! I pray you have started off your day blessed?! My prayer for you today is that you would go out today with FAVOR! That everything you put your hands to would prosper and that today would be a day of fulfillment. That at the end of the day, you would be able to say, "I had a really good day." That is my prayer for you today! Now... let's get into the Word! :)

Proverbs 14:1 - EVERY WISE woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Before diving into things, let's first take a look at the Hebrew definitions for a few words in Proverbs 14:1.

• Builds:  refers to building a family. 
• House: dwelling habitation, human body, house as containing a family. 

As we know that the Proverbs 31 woman is indeed a wise woman, let's take a look at how this "wise woman builds her house" and see what we can learn from her!

Physical House: 

Proverbs 31:13, 19, 22 - She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it]. She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].

Our Proverbs 31 friend is working on the area of developing her physical house. She may not do the actual construction, but we know that she does work with her hands to make this house a home. We know that all of the small things that make a home a "home", she is working on them. I'm sure you have been in places that you can tell a distinct difference. Those homes that feel warm, have cushions on the couches and tapestries hanging on the walls, it feels warm & cozy. It feels like a home. Versus a place that may not have the extra touches of a woman. No paintings on the wall, no warmth to the place, no elegant cushions lining the couch. My first thought goes to a "bachelor" pad. Often before a man gets married, the "extras" in his house are few. The walls are white, the furniture plain, minimal if any extra touches to make the house feel like a home. No flowers or plants, no candles, no "homey" extra features. This is what a Proverbs 31 woman brings to a home. She brings the "extras" that make a person want to get comfortable and stay. She has provided an environment of growth & peace.

• The foolish woman puts little time in creating an environment of peace. Her household is NOT a place that the family wants to be. It is messy, cold & breeds chaos. The foolish woman's husband most likely does not want to come home from work, because he knows it will just be an environment of stress and disharmony. 

Spiritual House (spiritual growth): 

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household..

We have discussed this verse several times. Our Proverbs 31 friend puts a priority on growing spiritually. Her spiritual "house" is important and she takes time to develop her relationship and walk with the Lord. She spends time in the Word. She girds herself up with strength, spiritual strength. She is a picture of stability. Her consistency in the Word grounds her, and that is what also gives people confidence in her. She is stable. She is not swayed or wavering. When people are around her, that aura that she puts off is one of peace. Have you been around people, or in someones home and you immediately feel the presence of stress? The mom always seems stressed or in a hurry, always frazzled or yelling, the whole environment just lacks peace? Sure, everyone has their "days" that may be challenging, but when it is on a daily or a consistent basis, I would anticipate that this woman has not invested into her daily spiritual growth.... "spiritual house." The "wise woman" as talked about in Proverbs 14:1, puts a priority in establishing her own spiritual growth, and it in turn spills into the whole environment and warmth of her household.

• The foolish woman does not spend daily time developing her spirit. She allows herself to remain B.U.S.Y. - Being Under Satan's Yoke. Though she may recognize that maybe at one time she spent daily time in the Word, she does not make a change to come back to that discipline. The foolish woman may be doing things that appear good, running kids to and from soccer practice, making dinner, going to work, but the most important aspect of her house, her spiritual growth, goes unattended too. 

Physical House (as physical body):

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.

Our Proverbs 31 friend treats her body, "house", as a temple. She strengthens herself in her physical body. She is strong. She does not need to make a "New Years Resolution" to go to the gym because physical fitness is a part of her life. It is a priority. It's not just a short-term goal to loose 20 pounds, physical fitness is her lifestyle, it is part of her regular schedule. Not only does this allow her to have energy and accomplish more, but because she is fit, it also makes her more attractive to her husband. Because she is fit, her innermost parts of her body are healthy & she is able to live a LONG, healthy life because she invests in her fitness! She dies at an old age, and is even physically strong then.

• The foolish woman neglects her physical body. Her physical "house" may be the home of junk food and processed foods. She spends little time focusing on putting good wholesome food in her body, fruits & vegetables, good proteins, whole grains, etc. Due to her unhealthy eating lifestyle, her vitals are most likely also poor resulting in high blood pressure, being overweight, and higher risk factors for disease. The foolish woman also tears down her body by NOT remaining physically fit. Due to extra weight she carries around, it puts pressure on other aspects of her physical body (organs, ankles, knees, etc). The foolish woman does not remain physically fit causing her to feel sluggish & tired, overall less productive in what she is called to do. 

Household (family): 

Proverbs 31:27 - She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.

The Proverbs 31 woman builds her family up. With her words and encouragement she establishes a home that breeds growth and success. Her children grow up truly believing that, "Yes! I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" She sets such a standard of godliness, that her children desire to duplicate her. In her prayer life, her children desire to follow. Because the prayers of the "righteous are powerful and effective" and this Proverbs 31 woman sees results & fruit, her children don't desire to go the ways of the world. They see that they ways of the Word come with blessings! Come with favor! Just like the old "Life" cereal commercial with the tag-line, "Mikey likes it!" You see the little boy copying everything his father does, that is the life of the Proverbs 31 woman's children. They see she is blessed, therefore, they copy what she does leading to a life of godliness and a new generation of believers.

• The foolish woman unfortunately tears down her family with her words and actions. She may call her children "stupid" or tell them "you can't do anything right." She does the same to her husband. Instead of building up and encouraging, she does just the opposite. She tears down those around her, tends to wallow in discontentment, and enjoys spreading negative about other people. 

So many ways to build our house! My goal is to model the life of the Wise Woman and the Proverbs 31 woman. Sure.... I'm not perfect, and surely do make mistakes.... but my goal is to stay on the path of LIFE. Life that leads to godliness. What about you? Does your life model that of the Wise Woman or the Foolish Woman? What adjustments could be made? 

#127 - Talk Less!

Good AFTERNOON! :) Hope all is going well for you so far today! As for me, things have been great! I feel extremely blessed to be in this season of my life. That every day I get to choose what I do, and not have to answer to a "time-clock" of clocking in or out of work. Don't get me wrong, I was blessed with the job I had in Corporate America, but I am SO JACKED that I no longer have to be there!!! What a blessing. It has been over a year now that I left.... and in ALL that time, I think I've only had MAYBE 3 bad days! What a blessing! Now... I get to spend a lot of time in the Word, journaling, seeking the Lord on specific areas of my life, writing this devotion, writing books, raising our son up in the Lord, & running a business with my husband. 


I just want to say.... if while you read that paragraph, if you got a knot in your stomach because you don't like your job, or you want more freedom, more breathing room, more time to do the things you love.... if you felt frustrated.... I encourage you, SEEK THE LORD! If you are unhappy in your current place, maybe God has somewhere else for you? I'm not saying it will happen overnight. But, if you feel miserable, DO SOMETHING! Step ONE: Get diligent about seeking the Lord. Have a Quiet Time. Have your Bible & a journal, sit down and take some focused time to be QUIET and LISTEN! I promise, God will give you steps. He will help you. If your miserable at your job, make this the year that things change. Either your attitude changes about your work, or your work changes. I can't describe the fulfillment I have had in that last 14 months doing what I love & doing what I'm called to do. Unfortunately, I would bet that a lot of Christians are just punching a time clock and not living in their gifts. STEP TWO: If you have no clue what you would want to do or how you could possibly change careers at this stage in your life... ask yourself this question: What do I love to do? What could I just do for hours and it not seem like work? What makes me happy when I'm doing it? Some ideas.... maybe it's cooking, sewing, being outside working in the yard, listening to people, helping people get their finances in order, teaching, working with kids. Whatever it is... that joy, that fulfillment, that gift... maybe that is where God will direct you. 


OK... all of that was bonus. Let's get into the "planned" part of today's devotion:

Proverbs 18:2 - A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself.

Proverbs 18:6-7 - A [self-confident] fool's lips bring contention, and his mouth invites a beating. A [self-confident] fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]. 

Wow! The above scriptures are pretty blatant, aren't they? When we look at all the things a fool does, I don't know about you, but it makes me think about how maybe sometimes I do things like this "fool." That sometimes maybe I talk too much. 


So... let's check out what this fool does...

1. When he's in a conversation, he makes sure to fit in HIS opinion! He has GOT to make sure that the people he is talking to know HIS opinion! (18:2) - A personal check: Do you always make sure to fit in your opinion? Even if it may be on the borderline of gossip? "Well, I think that she shouldn't have done that because...."
2. He makes sure to talk about HIMSELF! If the subject is not on him, he often changes it starting the sentence with: "I...", "I did this yesterday....", "I think....", "I... I... I... I....". (18:2) - A personal check: Listen to yourself when you are talking to others. Do you often change the subject and begin a sentence with "I"? Is it all about you? 
3. The fool brings strife. They add fuel to the fire of a pre-existing frustration. They drag on the drama. They breathe life into the drama. Even if it sometimes means sounding like "The Martyr." They plant negative thoughts into other people about "so & so." They plant seeds of doubt about other people. (18:6-7) -  A personal check: Do you find yourself having a pitty-party when you are around others. Taking on the hat of a martyr all the while, you are talking about WHY you are the martyr. Because "so & so" is selfish and had to have their way. Do you find yourself talking about other people, saying things you WOULD NOT say if they were around? 

The Outcome OPTIONS: 

• LIFE or DEATH (18:21) - 
• The way of the fool is the sure way to the road of death. Maybe not immediately. And in some cases, maybe not even always eternal death. I believe some people may truly be saved, but participate in the things of a fool. For those people, maybe they do go to heaven when they die.... BUT, on earth, they basically live "hell on earth." They do not live in Victory. Their life encompasses defeat. Their life is not one of victory. They struggle in many areas of life. They are not happy. They constantly are looking for areas to feed "drama" because it allows them to feel "involved" or "important." 
• The way of the righteous will lead to life. They do not feed on negative. They do not feed on drama. They often talk less. They often do not give their opinion because they listen to the "red flag" that goes up in their spirit when they get ready to open their mouth. They choose to heed to the "red flag" and just not talk or give their opinion. They realize that it would be feeding gossip or strife, and instead they choose life. They end up living their dreams on earth. Sure they do go to heaven when they die, but they also live a life of heaven on earth too! They are happy, fulfilled & prospering! 

You choose your road. I know for me.... like the Proverbs 31 woman does in verse 26, I'm going to do my best to open my mouth in WISDOM. If I'm going to speak, I'm going to choose wisely the words. I'm going to choose the way of life & most of the time probably just TALK LESS! :)

#40 - Who do you Follow?

Buenos dias! How is everyone's morning so far? Things here in Columbia are quite swell. Had a good time getting some instructions for my week from the Holy Spirit.  Praise the Lord that we can rely on Him versus rely on our own understanding, or our own direction. His way is so much better, less things done in vain when we listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit! Listening. Listening is a very valuable attribute to acquire. Learning how to LISTEN to the voice of the Holy Spirit is something that is available to everyone who is saved. When we accept Christ into our life as our Saviour we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Our "spirit" is "re-born". That is why they call it being "born again." Our spiritual compass has been reset to things of God. We have the "still small voice"... aka: the Holy Spirit, living inside of us wanting to direct us & guide us. At first... it may take awhile for you to really feel like you are "hearing" correctly. I remember developing that ability to listen. I remember working on it, working on listening. Let me tell you how it happened for me....


I was a Spanish & Bible teacher at a private Christian School. During my prep period in the morning, I would go to the library and spend time in the Word and journal. As I began to try to listen, I remember I would often get so distracted by ANY noise I heard. I would feel like it totally threw me off track. I had to try so hard to listen. I remember sometimes I would even close my eyes & plug my ears just so all I could hear was the "emptiness" inside my brain. I wanted SOOO bad to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I wanted so bad to experience the relationship & direction of Him. One of my struggles when I tried to listen was thoughts like this: "Oooh. I need to call Tyler to see if he got our conference tickets." - "I need to swing by and pick up some chicken so I can make chicken casserole tonight for dinner." - "Oh yah, I need to remember to return the ski pants to Robin." Literally, I felt like my time of listening was the time every reminder would pop into my head! It was very distracting & honestly kind of annoying. Eventually, I remember going through this practice each day to try to empty my mind of thoughts, and it actually worked! I would close my eyes, picture a truck... it was a truck that had a cement wall on the front of it (lol! for real!). I would picture this truck with it's cement-wall front driving very slowly and pushing all the thoughts out of my brain so my brain was empty. After all the thoughts fell off the side... cliff... whatever... my brain was a clean, empty slate ready to listen. I would say, "Good morning Holy Spirit." And I would hear back, "Good morning Amy." And there is where it began. I wrote down everything that I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to me, instructions, things to do, stories to remember, verses to look up. Sometimes I felt like I didn't know if "I" was actually hearing Him, or if it was just me. Well... one morning, the Holy Spirit was heavily talking about a particular subject... I was writing it all down... he just kept on this subject. Then when I opened my Bible, I felt led to turn to this certain chapter, and there it was! ALL the scripture backing up everything I had just finished journaling. All the instructions, right there. Just to confirm to me that I was hearing correctly, the Holy Spirit directed me to "confirmation" in His Word. How exciting. Today... I don't have to close my eyes, squint really tight and plug my ears to hear. But, we all have to start somewhere. And, that is where I started. 


Anyways... quite a long intro to today's verses... let's get into the Word. 

Proverbs 31:30 - ....but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!

Proverbs 26:9 - Like a thorn that goes [without being felt] into the hand of a drunken man, so is a proverb in the mouth of a [self-confident] fool.

Proverbs 26 is loaded with a lot of good stuff.... but, as I tried to get past some of the obvious things that jumped out at me... I started to realize how much Proverbs 26 talked about the "fool". In verses 1-12, it talks about the "fool" 11 times! 11 verses talked about a fool. As I re-read the verses several times, I wanted to find out what made someone a fool. That led me to search it out a little. 


As I searched, I found what I would consider the ULTIMATE foundation of what makes someone a fool. Psalm 14:1, 53:1 both read this:  The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.


Proverbs 1:7 - The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.


Our Proverbs 31 friend, we know is not a fool, she reverently & worshipfully fears the Lord. So, big check beside her name! She is on board with being wise. Now let me say this, there is hope for the fool. That's called the GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28:19-20). As Christians, that is part of our calling to reach out to these "fools" who say "There is no God." It is part of every Christians assignment to help fulfill the Great Commission, to GO and make disciples of all the nations. Some Christians are called to be missionaries to another country to help the Great Commission be fulfilled, others are called to be a missionary right where they are, in their jobs, schools, homes, churches, malls, grocery stores, right in the town where they live, to be a beacon of light to others, to share the love of Jesus with those who do not know Him. 


As a Christian, I believe one of our greatest responsibilities is to KNOW who to take advice from. Proverb in the Hebrew is defined as sentences of ethical wisdom. And we know by reading our Proverbs for today, that a "proverb" in the mouth of a non-believer is just foolish words. Who are you taking advice from?!? Whoa! A pretty big pivotal point of importance. Who are you following. We know if they are one who says, "There is no God", then we would be a fool to follow them. We would be a fool to take their advise. We would be a fool. Look to who you follow now in business, in politics, in books you read, in music. Are they people who say, "There is no God." And as Christians, we know just believing in God is not enough, even the demons do that and tremble, but we need to believe in the one and only way to be saved is confessing with our mouth that JESUS is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. It is then when we have CONFESSED and BELIEVED that we are saved. Who are you following? Have they done this. Have YOU done this? If you haven't, you can do it now very simply by praying a simple prayer, out-loud, something like this: "Father, I come to you right now and want to ask forgiveness of my sins. I confess my sins to you. I also want to openly say out loud that I DO believe that Jesus died on a cross for me. That I would be saved. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead and that now He sits at your right hand. Thank you Father for saving me. I am now BORN AGAIN! I am now SAVED!" - It's that simple! Now begins the fun of re-newing your mind to things of God. Getting in the Word, studying the life of Jesus (the book of John is a good place to start). 


Sometimes, we may not have complete control over who we follow. Whether it is the president of the company we work for, a senator, governor, President of the United States. We may have some voice, by voting, but if we are following non-believers (aka: FOOL according to Ps. 14:1, 53:1) in any area of our life, it is our responsibility to help CHANGE it! To PRAY PRAY PRAY! For us to say that we followed not in vain, but we prayed. Pray for salvation. 


If you can change who you follow, do it. Don't take advice from fools. 
If you can't change who you follow, change it by PRAYING. 

#32 - The Fool, the Hungry and the Prudent

Good afternoon! It is raining and thundering. I am out on the porch enjoying the nice, peaceful sound of the rain... of the occasional thunder.... dripping from the drain pipes... and enjoying a nice breeze from the fan above. It's been a bit of a backwards day, but nonetheless a great one! The boy is sleeping!! He woke up at 8:00 this morning so we could go have breakfast with my mom, dad & niece Kassidy, and then see them off. :-("""" It was sad to see them go, but such a blessing to have them here! They drove ALL the way from INDIANA to babysit the boy for the weekend while Tyler and I went to a leadership conference. Wow! Is that servanthood, or what!?!?! What a blessing!


Ok... well, while I have this window of time, let's get rollin.....

Proverbs 12:23 - A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

Proverbs 31:16- She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

Bonus: Proverbs 19:14 - Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

In my Bible, I have had this verse, Proverbs 12:23 underlined for awhile. Also, in the margin I have written "DAD". As we have discussed before... the word prudent may not be one that many people use very much, or even know the meaning of, so I looked it up. Prudent: Wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense. Careful in regard to one's own interests; provident. Careful about one's conduct. Synonyms: sensible, economical, thrifty, frugal.

First of all, we have the prudent. The prudent are more rare and harder to come by. Many lessons of prudence I have learned over the years, not even knowing that it was prudence, I have learned from my dad. Wow... what an intelligent man about the Word. I have always thought he was SO smart! He knows so much about so many things... but especially when it comes to the Bible, he knows scriptural references when you ask him about a topic, he has studied the Greek & Hebrew, he knows the history behind the verse- what happened and why the verse is in a certain context. He really is a pretty brilliant man. I have often thought, TELL US DAD! Or, I may have overheard bits of a conversation, and thought.... just ask my dad! Hey Mister! Stop talking, ask my dad! I KNOW he KNOWS the answer. But, there he would be, standing by quietly, not wanting to "overstep" his bounds, or "sound like" a know-it-all..... even though, all the while, he did know the answer. I also think the same about my husband... how smart he is about Biblical matters. Knowing the background, the history, why things formed up the way they did with a certain story.... and with my dad or husband, I often just sit there in a WOW mode. 

Then, you have the fool. The person who stands there talking about themselves the WHOLE conversation. ME! ME! ME! They have a case of the "ME-MONSTER DISEASE". I see this often. The fool. The person that you just think, "PLEASE STOP TALKING! We're standing in amidst of greatness and you are blabbing your mouth! Be quiet for a second so we can ask a question!" The prudent person will OFTEN not speak up if they are not asked a question. The prudent person, with all their wisdom, will often sit quietly and allow others to talk. SO, it takes the HUNGRY, those who can recognize it, who realize who is in the room and decide they want to glean from this prudent man or woman. It takes this person, the one HUNGRY for knowledge & growth to speak up, change the conversation; take the opportunity when "the fool" takes a breath, break in to ask this WISE, PRUDENT person a question. Get them talking. Glean from their knowledge, from their years of study. 


I heard a story of a very popular minister being amidst other ministers, great men of God, and great political leaders. This minister sat in silence as the meeting and discussion was going on. He did not pipe in "with all his knowledge" and want to be "heard." He did not seek to be the "first to speak", to control the conversation, to make sure the last word was his. He did not sell his thoughts or opinions, but sat, quietly and listened. Later, when the meeting was coming to a close, some of the "greats" asked him what his thoughts were. He was quiet for so long, others were seeking him out, craving, asking him to share his thoughts and opinions. Because of his great silence, because of his prudence, his words held great weight. His words held power. 


Who are you? Are you:

The Fool? The Hungry? The Prudent? 

Are you the Fool? Take a few words of advise.... when in a conversation, listen. Are you standing there while the other person's mouth is moving and that is all you see? All the while you watch their lips move and you are thinking, "As soon as you quit talking, this is what I'm going to say..." Do you not hear a word they say because all you are interested in is yourself? Hearing yourself talk? Hearing yourself think? You are only interested in telling them what you know? When you talk, you learn little. When you listen to great people talk, you have the opportunity to learn great things that can change your life and move you to the next level. Learn to not talk, but to listen. Move to being the Hungry.

Are you are the Hungry? Kudo's to you! You are seeking out the knowledge, you are drawing out the prudent you are wise in seeking wisdom. Before long, you will be sought out. People will want to know what you think. But continue in your season of preparation. Seek out. Ask questions. Read books. Listen more than you talk. 


Are you the Prudent? You obviously are walking in wisdom. You have walked as the Hungry. But now, people do want to know what you know. Continue to broaden your circle of influence. The world needs the prudent. God wants to raise you up so that your words do fall on important ears. Your words hold power because you are wise. You are slow to speak and you are a studier, a student. Continue to study. Continue to broaden your knowledge. Preparing yourself for the platform that you may one day be lifted too. With leadership comes great responsibility. You are preparing yourself for responsibility. Continue to seek out and ask questions. Continue to be Hungry. Continue to listen. The world needs Prudent Men & Women of God to be raised up. To be lifted. We need people like you!