Finding Fulfillment

Romans 9:21 (NIV) - Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Ps. 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

Have you ever felt floppy? Like a fish out of water, just flopping. You know that your purpose, your design is not to "flop." Inside you, you feel unfulfilled, searching, trying to find what really makes you happy.

Part of unfulfillment comes when we are not following the calling and assignment on our life. We each were put on earth with things innately programmed within us to accomplish. We were pre-programed to achieve. Our calling is surprisingly easy to discover. What brings you joy? What are you good at? What feels like no work at all when you are doing it, it actually is fun to you? A mechanic loves to work on cars. Hours can go by seeming only like minutes as he tinkers away fixing and making this car hum. Just as a mechanic works on vehicles, a writer writes, a baker bakes, a speaker speaks, a coach coaches. The list goes on, someone is real estate, seeks out the real estate deals effortlessly. When walking in your calling, fulfillment is one of the first things that judges if you are following God's plan for your life.

Recently, I heard a sneak peek of an interview on The Success Edge podcast, where my brother James Ellis was being interviewed (I believe his interview will be out in May/June 2014). The pre-interview and actual interview brought to light some interesting insight that I hadn't thought of regarding Psalm 37:4. Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 

I have always thought of this one-sided as if I delight in the Lord, HE will give me what it is I desire in my heart. Well Jamie (as we call him - he goes by James now), Jamie took a different spin on the verse which I thought was very interesting. When we delight in the Lord, GOD will place inside our hearts desires, God will give us desires. When we maybe never had a desire to pursue __________, a singing career, acting career, owning our own business, writing a book, becoming a nanny, starting a ministry, whatever it may be, but when WE delight ourselves in God, HE will place the desire into our heart.

Duck Out of Water
When we aren't pursuing what we were placed on earth to do, we are like a duck out of water. Misplaced. Unfulfilled. Floppy. If someone with an amazing voice was told they could never sing again, it would be like dumping cold water on their fire. If a writer couldn't write, it would take the joy out of where they can give the best. If someone called to be a teacher, nanny, Pediatrician could no longer work with children, the light in their eyes would go dull.

Friend, you and I were created with a purpose! We were created to pursue the purpose that God placed us on this earth for, we were created to accomplish and fulfill the calling on our lives!

I've heard by several people (Mike Murdock, Terri Savelle Foy, John Maxwell) speak about how to FIND your calling if you don't know currently what it is, and here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. What are you good at? What could you do to pass hours a time and it not seem like work?
2. What makes you happy? What brings you tears of joy?
3. What makes you cry? What makes your heart melt and draws you to compassion? 
4. What makes you mad? What makes you furious? 
5. What bumper sticker, when seen, makes you mad or happy? 

These are some questions to ask yourself when seeking out your calling. You really could work your entire life without working a day in your life WHEN you are doing what you are called to do! When you are doing what you are called to do, joy and fulfillment will be the end result. When you are operating in your gifts, even money will follow. No one can do better what YOU were called to do!  Friend, YOU were destined to do great things! Now GO, LOVE LIFE by using your gifts and doing those great things that you were called to do!

#264 - Time with the Lord Anyways!

Hello & Welcome back to both of us!! :) Many of you most likely know that we just welcomed the birth of our 3rd child on December 30th! :) Timothy Isaac Josiah McCart. He is just now 4 weeks old. So….. at the McCart house we are learning to settle in to a "new" normal. Obviously still adjusting. I must say though, our little champ did a great job last night of sleeping almost 7 hours straight! Yay!! I'll take it!! :)

Meet Timothy! Born: December 30th, 2013 - 8:46am. 

Proud Big Brother Tyler Jr (4) and Trinity (2) meet Timothy hours after he is born.

Timothy weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 3/4th inches long. 

Nonetheless… I do look forward to getting back into a blog routine (along with many other things). No pressure, I'm going to ease back into things, but getting on a regular schedule is my goal. Since I've started blogging, when Tyler Jr was just a newborn himself, we have had THREE kids!! :) Tyler Jr, Trinity & Timothy. Which leads right into the topic for today…. spending time in the WORD despite some of lifes changes and adjustments! So…. let's get started! :)

Proverbs 31:15-16 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. (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.

As my 3rd time around with a major life-event, I must say I am reminded of the importance of having a regular time with The Lord. The last month has had its "whirlwind" type schedule of sleeping, dialing in a newborn, helping him sleep through the night, recovering from a C-section, etc, etc and to be honest, I most definitely have not been perfect! There have been many mornings where I have missed my time in the Word, which has reminded me even more why it is so important!

Let's take a look at this Proverbs 31 woman and her example. I want to look specifically at THREE things that she does in preparation for her day.

1. She rises while it is yet night. - Any of you who have children, especially toddlers, know how crucial this aspect is! Once children get out of bed, the idea of quiet is almost a far fetched possibility. Not impossible, but pretty unlikely. Our Proverbs 31 friend, a mother, must have witnessed this first hand. In order to get some QUIET in, she needed to rise while it was still dark and while her family was still sleeping in order to get some solid spiritual food in her spirit! 
2. Get spiritual food! - The value of feeding her spirit took place even before feeding her flesh. It didn't say that our friend prepared breakfast for her family first… but that she first got spiritual food. She first spent time, in the quiet, still dark outside, feeding her spirit! 
3. She considers! - Once up, she has sought the Lord, now she seeks the Lord about what to do for the day! The Holy Spirit knows what is going to happen with our day before it happens! He knows how the day is going to unfold and He knows just what tasks should be on our plate! When we seek HIM first, it allows us to go about our day without doing things that could be done in vain. Have you ever tried to get laundry done, only with interruption after interruption, taking 2-3 hours just to get ONE load folded and put away?! Not saying this is the case all the time, but when we seek the direction of the Holy Spirit, He may have directed us to NOT do laundry on such a particular day. He inevitably knows when certain tasks will just take WAY TO LONG for a given day. When we SEEK the Holy Spirit, when we CONSIDER what tasks to take on for the day, we can gain INSIGHT and DIRECTION on the God-specific tasks that should be on our schedule!

Today… I encourage you, can you find a way to fit some time with the Lord in, in the morning? 

Find some time with the Lord today ANYWAYS! Even thought life may throw a curve ball, throw a curve ball back! Decide to get some time in with the Almighty! Set your alarm now for tomorrow morning. 5 minutes early? 15 minutes? 30? Steal away for 5 minutes in the bathroom if you've already missed the morning hours…. Just START! Even if you start with just 5 minutes, He can direct your day in a way that you and I can never do. At least in a way that will wind up the most fruitful and productive! Because after all, isn't that what we're looking to do? Produce the best fruit? And on some days…. that may just be playing in the snow with your kids! :) #memories 

Have a blessed day!

Be All That You Can Be!

Eccl. 3:14 - ... He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds (a divinely planted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy.)

Have you ever felt a desire to do great things? Be great? You may not have a desire to enroll in the army, but their slogan, "Be All that You Can Be" rings true as a desire for accomplishment in your life.

Friend, God has placed inside you these desires. Desires to do great things! To be great! To accomplish. He has put in you the desire, and He will also give you the means to accomplish those things that you have been put here on earth to do. As it reminds us in Psalm 37:4, God gives us the desires of our hearts. Friend, he will give you YOUR desires! He places those desires in our hearts.

Continue to seek Him. Search Him out for answers. A phrase I have heard many times, "There is nothing that cannot be answered by sustained thought and prayer." Do you not know the next step in accomplishing your dream or desire? Think on it! Pray on it! Listen on it! Take some time and pray, then LISTEN to that Still Small Voice for a response. There are answers! Seek them out and LIVE YOUR DREAM!

Finding the WORD for YOUR Situation!

Jeremiah 30:2 - Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.

Jeremiah 30:8b - ... I will burst your bonds....

Is there something that you desire to come to pass in your life? Maybe it is the desire of an accomplishment; owning a business, becoming financially independent, writing & publishing a book. Maybe it's an actual physical item, like a house or car. Or quite possibly it could be experiencing freedom in your life from something that is holding you back, some sort of bondage, something you feel is holding you captive. It could be experiencing freedom from a long term addiction to food, alcohol, drugs, sexual sin.

Friend, I encourage you to FIND THE WORD for your situation! God has laid out 66 BOOKS of answers, and within the text of His Word is YOUR answer! There is the rock, the foundation, the place which to plant your flag! Plant your faith. Do you have a desire? FIND THE WORD for your situation and STAND on that promise until it comes to pass! Let's just look at a few examples:

• Desire for a House:
Deuteronomy 6:10-11(KJV) - ..And the Lord thy God ... shall give thee houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not! - Do you desire a house? PLANT your faith on this verse! Plant your faith on THIS Word! Confess daily: "Thank you Lord for GIVING me HOUSES that are filled with good things! Thank you Father that you GIVE me the house I desire according to YOUR WORD in Deuteronomy 6:10-11! Thank you Lord! I receive your Word coming to pass in my life!"

• Desire to be free from bondage:
Jeremiah 30:8 - I will BURST your bonds! - You do not have to remain captive to bondage! CONFESS daily, "Thank you Lord, according to Jeremiah 30:8, you have BURST the bondage I have had to the sin of ______________. Thank you for bursting that bondage! Thank you for SETTING ME FREE that I no longer have to remain a captive to this sin. Thank you for FREEDOM!!!"

• Desire for Success as an Entrepreneur:
Proverbs 8:12 -  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. - Witty Inventions? This could include concepts, ideas, actual inventions.... ideas that will help you be successful as a Child of God. Confess Daily: "Thank You Lord that you give me ideas, concepts, witty inventions that allow me to be financially independent. Ideas that You guide me to put into place that will allow me to financially bless and further my family and the Kingdom of God! Thank You that You give me more than enough in store for my family and to bless others!"

• Desire for Healing to your Body:
 Psalm 107:20 - He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. - God can HEAL YOUR BODY. Apply the Word to it! Confess Daily: "Thank You Lord that You have sent out YOUR WORD to Heal my body! Thank You that I walk in divine health! Thank You for healing me of any disease, germ or virus that touches my body, that it dies instantly in Jesus Name. Thank You that everything that has a name has to bow at the name of Jesus. In Jesus name I speak to the sickness of _____________ , and tell it you have NO PLACE IN MY BODY! I call my body healed and whole in JESUS NAME!" - I confess this on a regular basis and THE WORD of God healed my deformed pinky finger!!! I had broken or severely jammed my pinky finger when I was younger, for 10-20 years, I had just accepted it! One day I noticed, after I had been REGULARLY confessing this confession over my body, ONE day I looked at my finger and it was COMPLETELY NORMAL! The Word of God straightened and thinned out my finger until it looked JUST LIKE my other normal, pinky finger! 

The WORD WORKS! Apply the WORD to your life

Whatever it is for you, whatever the need, the dream, the desire, there IS A WORD for your situation! Search out the Word for your situation. There is a WORD for anything and everything, it is your job to find these hidden treasures that are HIDDEN FOR YOU TO FIND, and apply them to your life! Be diligent to confess the Word over YOUR SITUATION and watch the WORD come to pass in your life!

Be blessed today friend!

Need an ANSWER?

Mark 4:20, 22 - And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much. [Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.

Do you have questions? Need answers? The answer you are seeking is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU! The revelation that you desire for your situation is not designed to be kept hidden, it is designed for you to FIND it. God is not One to just dangle something in front of you (in this case, a question) with no means for you to find the answer to it. Answers are there, and you are MEANT to find them. Let's take a look at a few situations in the Bible.

Noah. Let's look at Noah. In Genesis 6:9, it said that Noah walked in habitual fellowship with God. God had a man that He knew would listen to His instructions, and when the time came, Noah was mandated to build a boat, a big boat. God gave him very specific instructions, a detailed plan with measurements, the type of material, everything Noah needed in order to build this boat to God's specifications. It needed to withstand the weight of ALL the animals that would be on the boat. It needed to withstand the storms and weather. Noah listened, and God answered. God gave Noah a plan.

Moses. After 40 years of personal exile due to killing a man, Moses was called back to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was called by God to go before Pharaoh to make the request, as we know, "Let My people go!" It was a request from God Himself. God wanted to Israelites to be set free from captivity. You remember, the 10 plagues... God told Moses exactly what to do in order for the Israelites to be set free. Sure, it took 10 major plagues before Pharaoh would listen, but in the end, the people were set free. Moses listened, and God answered. God gave Moses a plan.

Solomon. Solomon was directed to build the Lord's house (1 Kings 6). From the cedar to the dimensions, from the inner sanctuary to overlaying the floors with gold; God gave Solomon very specific instructions on how to build the temple and with the exact materials. It was a specific project. Solomon listened, and God answered. God gave Solomon a plan.

Friend, YOU are no different. Remember the verse that says God is the same yesterday, today & tomorrow. You serve the SAME God that Noah, Moses & Solomon served. Although, YOU and I have something even better! As Christians, when we got saved, the Holy Spirit Himself came to live inside of us.

Are you feeling like your schedule is crazy? How can you possibly get everything done? YOUR answer is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU! Ask. Seek. Just like God laid out dimensions for the completion of the temple, He will lay out specifically what kind of schedule for your day. Just ask.

Is it marital? How to keep your laundry caught up? How to grow your business? How to spend more time with your family? How to increase your income. There is no problem that sustained thought (prayer) can't answer!

So today.... whatever the question or problem.... commit some time to seeking the Lord! Just like Noah, Moses & Solomon, if you listen, you may be very surprised at the depth of detail you get back! It's there for you to find, YOUR answer is not hidden FROM you, it is hidden FOR YOU!

 

#198 - A Tactic of the Enemy: The Wife!

*blowing breath out*

Whew. *wiping brow* It's been a full morning already. The first 2 hours of being awake was heavy! And that was even before getting into my quiet time! My husband is so smart. We talked a lot this morning, I reviewed some notes that I recently took, and overall... it was just a pretty emotionally full morning. I believe that today's devotion is going to impact you. If anything, connect some dots on some very important things to do.  We are going to take a "field trip" from our Proverbs 22 chapter of today, and jump  back earlier into the Old Testament. Let's get started....

2 Chronicles 26:5 (talking about King Uzziah) - He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the things of God; and as long as he sought (inquired of, yearned for) the Lord, God made him prosper.

2 Chronicles 32:31b (talking about King Hezekiah) - ... God left him to himself to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

Proverbs 31:11a - The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely... 

This is going to be full. I'm going to do my best, with the direction of the Holy Spirit to bring it all full circle.


First of all, if we look at the beginning of Proverbs 31:11, we see that it is talking about the heart of the Proverbs 31 husband. His heart trusts in his wife. His heart is confident in her. His heart relies on her. His heart believes in her. She is not how some would view as the "weaker vessel" or as the "lesser of the two," she is VALUABLE and he is relying upon her.

Let's take a trip back to the beginning. In the Garden, there were Adam & Eve. How did the enemy infiltrate mankind? He got to the woman. Satan chose his tactic to get to Eve, the wife, to bring down mankind. His plan worked, in the short-term (obviously Jesus came back and gave us a way to Victory! Praise the Lord!) I heard an amazing woman of God say last night that she noticed when SHE was not on her full game, it was very quickly after that she would notice her husband would come off his game. If the enemy is successful in getting the wife down, getting the wife distracted, he has the potential to get the WHOLE mission of the couple off course!

As we peek into 2 Chronicles 26:5, it tells us that as long as King Uzziah sought the Lord, inquired of, yearned for the Lord, that because of it, GOD made him to prosper. Marry that with the lesson from Adam and Eve. It becomes SO MUCH MORE important for WOMEN to stay in a position of SEEKING THE LORD! It ultimately makes it a key in why the Lord makes us to prosper. YOU, woman of God, like in the beginning of time are a target. Like it or not, you have a bulls-eye on your back. Just ONE of the tactics of the enemy, if he can get to the woman, he has potential of disrupting the whole mission. Whether that be through strife, discord, discouragement, busyness, focusing on the unimportant... whatever it is, the tactics have been set out by the enemy.

The Woman's Responsibility: STAND GUARD! GIRD YOURSELF with the Word and with strength. Serve, give, love people. Pursue your calling. Don't delay. Distractions can cause you to get off course, be aware of what is taking your time. Be aware of your heart. Pursue the Lord! Pursue deeper revelations into the Word. EXPECT to get clarity. EXPECT to be directed. Like King Hezekiah, God wants to know your heart. What are you putting into your heart? What is going in? Is your heart getting purer or is your heart static? Staying the same? Blank?

The Husband's Responsibility: PRAY! Knowing that YOUR WIFE is one MAJOR tactic of the enemy to destroy your mission and ministry as a couple, PRAY FOR HER! Pray a hedge of protection around her. Pray for her mental stability. Pray for her growth in her walk with the Lord. Pray for her sharpness, that she would be able to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit with clarity. Plea the blood of Jesus over your wife. Protect her from the enemy with your prayers!

The Proverbs 31 husband TRUSTS in his wife with his heart! She has has spent time girding herself up, strengthening herself, and because of this, he trusts her. She is guarding herself from becoming overwhelmed. She has safe-guards in place. Where she is vulnerable & obedient, is to being LED by the Holy Spirit, and that is exactly where we want to be.

We can learn from the past. We can learn from the beginning. The enemy's goal was to take out Eve. His goal was to distract Eve, get Eve into disobedience. Woman of God, recognize this as a warning. This is ALL THE MORE reason for you and I to be diligent in our pursuit with the Lord. Our marriage and our calling as a couple is dependent upon our stability & obedience. If we know that we are a target of the enemy, it makes it crucial that we are always armed. That our foundation is in the Word. That our stand is on the ROCK! Stability is key, pursue it! Don't be victim to the enemy, be the VICTOR!

#165 - A Winner GETS BACK UP!

Good morning! We were surprised yesterday evening... I got a phone call and "Maamaa & Paapaa" wanted to see if "the boy" could come over and spend the night. :) HELLO! OF COURSE! :) "Maamaa & Paapaa" watch Tyler Junior once a week and are like grandparents to him. They love him and he loves them! What a blessing! SO... I sit here in a quiet, empty home. Just me, my typing and chirps from the birds outside.

Let's get going...

Proverbs 8:10,14,17,18,21 - Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold... ¹⁴I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power. ¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. ¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness ... ²¹That I may cause those who love me to inherit [true] riches and that I may fill their treasuries.

Let's quick jump into some Hebrew as a foundation of what we are going to read...

• Riches (Proverbs 8:18) - wealth & riches
• Honor (Proverbs 8:18) - abundance, riches, honor, reverence, dignity, glory, splendour, reputation
• Inherit (Proverbs 8:21) - to get as a possession, to TAKE possession, to acquire, to be allotted
• Fill (Proverbs 8:21) - fullness, abundance, to be full, to be accomplished, to be satisfied, complete, to be filled
• Treasuries (Proverbs 8:21) - treasure, storehouse, store, supplies of food & drink, magazine of weapons, treasure-house

Wow! That really gives us a good foundation of what is in store! Sometimes in life we go through comfortable stages... all is well, all is easy. No ruffling of feathers. Each day, fairly a walk through the park. Still things we may be believing for, but for all intensive purposes, we are relaxed and not really in the battle... not really in a fight.

I have heard the statement before, "If a winner gets pushed in a corner, they will come out fighting." As I was reading this morning, that was a statement that kept coming to mind. A winner doesn't stay down, they come out fighting! Each time the winner gets up, the courage of the opponent is weakened. "He keeps getting back up! Why doesn't he just stay down?!" But as that winner keeps getting back up, the enemy realizes that his tactics are not working. His punches are not holding, they aren't strong enough. He's not fast enough, or he just isn't powerful enough. The winner keeps getting back up! Praise the Lord! Is anyone else out there with me a WINNER??!?!?! It's like I can see hands raised from winners all over who are reading this! A winner gets back up! A winner keeps getting back up! Another verse in Proverbs talks about, I may fall 7 times, but will rise again! As believers, since we have the Holy Spirit on the INSIDE of us, we can't help but be a winner! Even when we are tired, even when we feel knocked down or defeated, the Holy Spirit already knows the end of the story, HE IS the Greater One on the inside of us! He has created ALL THINGS, and knows that WE HAVE VICTORY! In our flesh, when we feel weak, that Inner Voice RISES UP, "YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! GET UP!" GET UP! GET UP! And we drag ourselves back to our feet and get up yet again, yet another time! 

Proverbs 8:17 is one way that we come out fighting! When things look tough, we dig in, we fight, we go deeper! Verse 17 says, I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. When our strength is weak, when our flesh is tired, when we don't have the answers and what we SEE with our natural eye does not look good we DIG INTO THE WORD! We DILIGENTLY seek the ONE with ALL the answers! We do what a FIGHTER would do, we do what may be UNCOMFORTABLE! That may mean, waking up EARLY to fight! Waking up EARLY to prepare! Waking up EARLY to SEEK out the answers! Rising up EARLY to press in! Our diligence in our FIGHT is the PREREQUISITE of our Victory! 

Check this out! It says, when we DO that very thing, SEEK our Father early & diligently, WE WILL FIND HIM! WE WILL! And as we continue to read in Proverbs, it goes on to say those things He will bring with Him. RICHES. HONOR. ENDURING WEALTH. DIGNITY. REPUTATION. ABUNDANCE. WE WILL BE SATISFIED. 

WE ARE FILLED WITH GOOD THINGS! We are BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING! Take Heart! Have PEACE! WALK OUT YOUR VICTORY! 

GET AGGRESSIVE WITH YOUR COVENANT, CHILD OF GOD! 

SATAN! YOU ARE DEFEATED! THE BLESSING OF THE LORD, THEY OVERTAKE ME! I AM A WINNER! YOU ARE DEFEATED! I AM A TITHER, THEREFORE ACCORDING TO MALACHI 3, I HAVE THE TITHERS RIGHTS! THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN ARE OPEN OVER ME, THE DEVOURER HAS BEEN REBUKED FOR MY SAKE!!! SATAN, SINCE I AM A TITHER, THE WORD SAYS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN REBUKED! YOU ARE DONE! I CLAIM MY VICTORY! I GET BACK UP! I'M NOT STAYING DOWN! I'M A FIGHTER AND I CLAIM MY VICTORY! JESUS HAS ALREADY DEFEATED YOU AND SO HAVE I! NATIONS ARE CALLING ME BLESSED! 

Take what is yours, VICTORY!

___________________

Malachi 3:10-12 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. ¹²And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 

#145 - The Best Investment

Good morning! :) I am back and it's a beautiful day in Columbia! UH-MAZING! Not sure the temperature outside, but yesterday it was 84 degrees! Wow! :) 

Proverbs 28:5 - Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully.

Proverbs 28:9 - He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God]. 

I recently was talking to Tyler and he's always so smart. Not only is he a studier of the Word, but he learns and takes in from everyone. He is always learning. He said that a statement that impacted him that he had heard was about studying the Word. The person had said sometimes as you're studying and meditating on the Word, it is important to see what the Word says, but also important to see what it doesn't say. For me.... the things that Proverbs 28:9 does not say is really what I'm interested in. 

He who turns away his ear from hearing the law even his prayer is an abomination (to God). If we looked at it another way, we could see: He who turns his ear TO hearing the law, his prayer is a blessing & delight to God. 


This morning I am just excited about turning my ear TO God... turning my ear to His Word. It is comforting that investing time in the Word HAS the greatest return that I could possibly hope for or expect! That I am being a delight to God when I turn my ear towards Him & His law & Word. 


Now that I am a parent, I'm just starting to realize what a blessing it is when my child listens to me, when he doesn't touch the things he is not suppose to touch. The power of being obedient to the Law! Whether that be Mama's law in the house.... or God's law with life! Tyler Junior is blessed more by his mama when he is obedient. My love for him doesn't change, but sometimes my attitude does.  When he is fun & obedient, I want to take him places, go to the park, play, do fun things. When he is whiney and not listening well, I do not want to 'play' with him. I'd just assume it would be nap time for him! I KNOW God's desire is to bless me too! I am HIS CHILD! My desire is to bless him with my obedience and my listening ear. 


Does it seem like the theme for this year has been "listening"?? I feel like it just continually comes up! To crave & seek the Lord. To listen & obey His Word. I know listening & obeying is the best investment that will yield the greatest dividends available! 


May your day be blessed! 

#131 - Google or God? - Part 2

Good morning! It's been one of those mornings.... you know, those morning where you sit down and then you have to get up like 20 times to do something or get something. Argh! All is good though... because finally upon sitting down for GOOD.... the Holy Spirit was and is continuing to reveal some good stuff! It's UH-MAZING that He is able to turn a "not great" morning into an AWESOME one! Just by one word from Him. Just even by instruction or direction! I'm excited because he told me to take a nap. I pretty much don't ever take naps (with the exception of Sunday after church).... so... a nap, wow! That will be a treat!


So... today, we are going to get part 2 from the first devotion, Google or God? I wanted to give you an update on the devotion... I wanted to tell you how specifically things turned out by following God versus following what I could have found on Google. Let's first look at the Word: 

Psalm 25:3a-5 - Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed .... Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and faithfulness and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You [You only and altogether] do I wait [expectantly] all the day long.

Psalm 25 talks about those who SEEK the Lord being fulfilled... not being disappointed by the answers that HE will bring. That is exactly what happened earlier in the month for me. If you remember.... the devotion Google or God?, I was tempted when I had a question to just pull up my laptop and Google it! That's almost like a "verb" now. Need an answer? Just Google it! Well... in the past, it has been all to easy for me to do that. I would say that Google has a lot of value, but if I have a specific situation that I really want CONCRETE answers on, GOD definitely has a better answer than google. 

So.... here's the situation.... here's the follow up. What was I frustrated about? Well... over the holidays, not only did Tyler and I go on an anniversary ski trip, but also spent the holidays with both our families. Like most people, it's almost a constant time of grazing, eating stuff that you don't normally eat, and allowing a bit more freedom than you normally may. Well... I was no different. I got home from our travels and realized that my jeans were uncomfortably tight. I wasn't too excited about that. Following the Fitness 4321 (10 minutes of exercise), and using some Nutrilite products, after Tyler Junior was born, I got down to an all time weight low of 125. I was JACKED! I felt great! Was eating good. Exercising consistently, so I was excited! I mostly stayed around 127 though. Well.... after the holidays when I got home I weighed 134. I wasn't too thrilled, primarily because my jeans felt tight. PRAISE GOD that we can ask the HOLY SPIRIT ANYTHING AND get answers! So.... as a follow up to "Google or God?", so instead of "googling" for answers, I asked the Holy Spirit.... he laid out 6 steps for me to do... here's what He said: 

1. Bump your calorie intake down to 1000 calories until your body levels out and gets used to you not breastfeeding. (How would I have known that?!)
2. Increase your water intake dramatically. Get the big (34 oz) cup & fill it up twice per day!
3. Eat often. Have yogurt, fruit & snackable vegetables redily available. Fruit smoothies are a great choice too. 
4. Since you are not breast-feeding, begin taking your Nutrilite Slimmetry, Nutrilite CLA. That will help, & take Nutrilite Invisafiber. 
5. Continue doing what I instructed for Fitness. 4321 - 7 x's/week.
6. Follow this & don't weigh yourself for a week!

OK.... Ey Ey Captain! I went about the next 7 days following the plan that HE laid out. Not just any plan, but THE SPECIFIC PLAN for me. He knows my body, He knows my genetic make-up, He knows what I need! The following Tuesday, I jumped on the scale after a pretty easy week, none of the steps were real difficult... I went from 134-130 in 1 week! 4 pounds! If you ask me, that's pretty good! And, I've kept it off. The last week, I've continued to follow what HE laid out, and I've lost a little more. I'm going to continue until my jeans feel perfect again. :) 

Google could not have told me this. God could. Your jeans may not be fitting tight but maybe there is something else that you need answers to. Maybe it is a nagging pain. Maybe it is your finances. Maybe a relationship. Maybe you want to do something different for work. Whatever it is.... if you ask, God can tell you. Google will be great at providing a lot of opinions... some facts.... but if you don't want to have to sift through all that, I recommend letting the Holy Spirit lay out a STEP-BY-STEP plan for your situation too! He'll do it if you will take the time to ask. 

If you ask AND listen... I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Google or God? I choose God. 

#98 - Obtain Favor

Good morning! Enjoying the nice sound of our fireplace.... and the heat that it is giving off! We had our AC/Heat unit checked last week to find that the circuit board was blown. :-( SO.... we are waiting for them to come out and replace it. Thankfully we were gone this weekend, and thankfully our upstairs heat works. When I woke up this morning, the downstairs was at a nice 58 degrees! Whooooo! Gives us a great opportunity to be THANKFUL for heat! :) SO... the boy and I will be bundled up today. 


Well... let's get started on the Word for today. 

Proverbs 8:24-35 - Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom... 

Esther 5:2 - And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter. 

Favor. What a key thing to aspire to attain. Here we look at a few things.... we see that when we FIND WISDOM it allows us to draw forth & obtain favor from the Lord. How to we "find" Wisdom? As Proverbs 8 shows, we watch for it daily, we wait for it, we seek wisdom out. We also see that our Proverbs 31 friend has "obtained" Wisdom, she has found it, therefore she must have taken time to seek out wisdom, to find it. As I was reading and meditating on obtaining favor, I was brought back to thinking about Queen Esther. What a great risk she made of her LIFE. In Esther 5, one moment she is standing in the courts of the king, completely knowing that since she was NOT summoned by him, just by merely standing there could cost her her life. The queen in that time was only in the presence of the King if HE summoned her to be, she was not with him on her own free will. This day, Queen Esther risked everything, and stood in the inner court of the king's palace waiting for him to see her. 

Why did she do this? There was a decree in the land for Queen Esther's people to be killed, the WHOLE Jewish people to be killed. This would be a genocide. A whole nationality of people to be murdered. An extermination on all the Jews. And for "such a time as this", thankfully Esther was the Queen and was able to put herself before the King to be heard. A risk, yes. But as we see, she obtained favor in the sight of the king, and was able to come before him. 


If you notice in Esther 5:1, it starts off with "on the third day of the fast." Esther spent time fasting, getting before the Lord to obtain Wisdom. Wisdom leads to favor, and Esther obtained favor!


Listen to Wisdom + Watch for Wisdom + Wait for Wisdom = Finding Wisdom
Finding Wisdom = Obtaining Favor from the Lord


Proverbs 8 talks about obtaining favor from the Lord. He is the KING of KINGS. Sure, we can fast to obtain wisdom and ultimately favor, but PRAISE GOD we are not at risk of being killed when we go before the presence of OUR KING. The King of Kings, God Almighty! We can go before the King ANY TIME we have questions. We can seek out Wisdom and LISTEN to Wisdom ANY TIME and obtain it! 


For me personally, I don't always get the details of how things are going to turn out. That is part of walking out a life of faith. I have received instructions at times and when I ask specifically how things are going to go, or what the next several steps are, sometimes the Lord just tells me, "You are on the right path. Right now you don't need to know everything and the 'how to' for everything. Right now, all you need to know is you are doing exactly what you need to be doing. KEEP doing it. KEEP being diligent in this area. When the time is right, I will let you know the next steps to take, but you do not need to know them now because it is not time to take them." 


He sometimes gives me JUST ENOUGH information that I know I'm doing good, I'm on the right path, that He is pleased. I'm not really a "control" freak, so I don't feel a need to know everything and the details of how it's all going to work out, but it is a blessing to know that HE is working things out in my FAVOR. That by SEEKING WISDOM, I am obtaining FAVOR from my KING! :-) And do you know what that simple thing can do? Do you realize what FAVOR FROM THE KING can do? In the situation with Queen Esther, it can SAVE A NATION! It can save MILLIONS of people! Just from ONE PERSON seeking WISDOM and OBTAINING FAVOR from the King!  


What if the King has it in your calling to be today's ONE PERSON that will save a NATION or a people. What if GOD has the calling on your life to OBTAIN WISDOM that leads to FAVOR to accomplish the VERY BIG THING for your life? I obviously don't know what 'your calling' is, but I know that when you seek our King, when you receive Wisdom from our King, you will receive FAVOR and with FAVOR, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. With FAVOR nations can be changed! With FAVOR lives can be saved! With FAVOR, 'odds' don't matter because you are SUMMONED to come before the King. And the King will ask you, "What is your request? It shall be given to you."


Seek Wisdom. Obtain Favor.

#93 - How To Get Answers from the Lord

Good morning! It is so still out this morning. It's like the air is just still. Almost a strange quiet. No wind. No rain. Just very still and quiet. A bit like my feelings of things I need to do I suppose. If you've joined us the last 2 days....hum.... well, let's just say that it's been Holy Spirit convicting time. Have you had times in your life where the Holy Spirit is just getting on you about change? I guess maybe it's a good thing. I have a close enough relationship with the Holy Spirit, with my Lord that He is able to talk to me about areas in my life that need change. I'll tell ya, it's really not always easy to hear. Sometimes it seems like such a big job! I'm still majorly in the process of "De-Cluttering".... that is definitely not an overnight process. But... I know what to do, so that is probably the biggest part of it. (GTD - Getting Things Done by David Allen - Get the book on CD if you don't have time to read it.) Tyler has implemented GTD really well and for probably over a year has wanted me to just DIVE in. I've pretty much blown that idea off in the past. I wasn't really ready for it. But... evidently the Holy Spirit says I need to be ready now! I agree! De-cluttering will be good. Things need to have their place and that will most definitely free up my mind! What did Tyler do that was SOOOO good in it all?? He frequently does this..... he casts me on the Lord. He realizes that HE can't fix me or change me, but the Lord can. So... he continues to cast me on the Lord.  That's a good place for me to be. The "Old Amy" would want to rear up and totally buck the system if someone tried to make me change. Especially if I wasn't ready. I'm not saying that's right, it's just true. As a child, my parents always prayed that the "stubborn Amy Jo" would one day steer the stubbornness to serve the Lord with a fervor. Well... let's just say, I'm glad Tyler has learned to cast me on the Lord. That's the best place for me to be. The Holy Spirit has a way of speaking the truth to me in a way no one else can, and at a time when I am ready and willing to listen. Well... with quite a long intro... let's get started. 

Proverbs 28:19 - He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.

Psalm 118:6a, 7a - The Lord is on my side.... The Lord is on my side.....

Psalm 118:8 - It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 

This morning I was talking to Tyler.... he is really a wealth of knowledge. I'm glad I married him. He is always learning. He reads all the time! He listens to awesome men of God and business leaders, and really is quite an inspiration to me. He makes me think all the time! It is so true what it talks about in Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. - That is my husband. A definite iron sharpener! 


So, in our conversation he reminded me something I had heard a long time ago. The best way to get an answer to a problem. George Washington Carver, inventor of over 300 uses for the peanut, including yummy peanut butter! And how did he come of with these inventions? He said, "God gave them to me." It has been noted, when Carver wanted to solve a problem or was seeking an answer to a question, he didn't seek out men, he didn't seek out education and books, but he sought God. He took his Bible and a notebook went to a quiet room, closed the door and sought the Lord. It was not "try, fail & adjust", but it was, "Lord, you give me the answer. I'm going to seek you until I have it."


Wow! What an awesome example to learn from! Is there really anything else to say? The Lord will answer, and as it says in Psalm 118, The LORD is ON YOUR SIDE! He's on your side! He wants you to be a success! He wants you to win! He wants the RIGHTEOUS to flourish! 


What are you following? Who are you following? What are your pursuits? Are they worthless? Are they of value? If they are, and things are not going how you would like them to go, do like Carver did, seek the Lord. Get a notebook, get your Bible, leave your laptop and cell phone in a different room (and turn your phone off or on silent) and SEEK the Lord. With Him, it is not "try, fail & adjust," He just gives you the actual exact thing to do IF you tune in to Him and listen. 


Short and sweet. But a definite Word!  

#17 - Is there a Light in your Eyes?

Well... it has been a fun morning. lol. So far, I have killed 4 fruit flies & 2 flies. One fly died via "coffee overdose". :) As my grandpa would say, "Oh, he won't drink much." You've got to admit... it's pretty exciting when you go to take a drink of your coffee and as you are bringing the mug to your mouth, you see a fly floating in it. Yes, gross! I was joking with Tyler and I said if I had a pest control company this would be my slogan: "Amy's Pest Control: Sending your bugs to meet Jesus!" :) lol! Whenever I kill bugs in my house, I just tell them, "I'm sending you to be with Jesus." It always makes me laugh just to say it, so maybe it will help them in their last moments. I will say that I have been warning them. I tell them if they want to live, they need to get by the door and fly out when it opens. Ha!

Anyways... that has been my morning thus far. :) SO excited for my DOR (Day of Rest) tomorrow!! YIPPEE!! YEAH!! :) I've been feeling a bit sluggish, I can tell I need a day to be rejuvenated. Tyler challenged me....he asked me if "writing a blogpost" was "resting" on my DOR. I defensively told him the reasons why it "could" still be resting... so, with that said, I may or may not post something tomorrow. I suppose if it feels like "work", then I will just chill, but if something is just JUMPING off my fingertips, then I may post something. 

Todays verses....

Proverbs 15:30 - The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others, and good news nourishes the bones.

Proverbs 31:28 - Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her...

Proverbs 15 was loaded with some jam-up scripture this morning! It was almost hard to get around "the mouth", "the tongue", "the lips", "words".... I definitely think that all the repetition isn't there for no reason. Just a reminder how very IMPORTANT it is that we are guarding our lips & words. 

Proverbs 15:30 stood out to me this morning. It just made me think about the light in the eyes of people. Have you noticed it? Can you think of people that when they walk into a room, it's like they have a twinkle in their eyes, it draws you to them, you just want to be around them. Can you think of people like that? You walk into a room, you see them, and you just gravitate to them. You think, "Oooh. I want to go talk to them. They always make me feel good to be around them." I was thinking about one of my friends who I go to church with, and that is how I feel when I am around her. You know the kind of person that you just click with. They always seem to be upbeat, they are like-minded and almost all the time they have a twinkle in their eye. They are filled with the joy of the Lord. I thought of my friend, and her husband is the same for my husband. They laugh about it, but they call each other "brother from another mother", or he calls my husband an "undercover brother." They are kindred spirits with us. We believe the same, we're both goal oriented, we both know how good our God is, we both love the Lord & love learning what he has to teach us. They are indeed our brother & sister in the Lord. Can you think of someone like that... when they walk in, they just have that sparkle? 

On the flip side...do you also know those people who are NOT walking in with light in their eyes. Yes, they may be Christians... but when they walk in the room, you quickly find a reason to exit. "Uh...yah, I gotta go to the bathroom." And you dip out because you just don't want to be around them. They bring you down. They are the people who if they said they have had a good day, or are having a good day, you want to respond with, "Notify your face." They are not bad people. But, just being around them your spirits are not lifted. Can you think of someone like that? 

That brings us to our Proverbs 31 woman....her children rise up and call her blessed. Who knows that you can't make a CHILD say good things about you if they are not true??! Children have this innocence about them... this truthfulness. Our Proverbs 31 woman is getting the praises of her children! I can just see it.... their mama walks in the room and she has that twinkle in her eye. Yes, she has accomplished a lot that day, but she still has the twinkle, the sparkle, the glitter. Just by the way they look at her, you can tell they adore her. She laughs with them, she loves on them, she kisses them, tickles them and even prepares for them their favorite cookies & lets them lick the bowl clean. :) Our Proverbs 31 friend is not living a lie, she just lives with light in her eyes. She doesn't jump down their throat. When they spill something, if she needs to be firm, she is... but most of the time she realizes that plain & simple, it was an accident and adults spill things too on accident. Who purposefully spills anything? Her attitude is, "No big deal, let me just grab a rag real quick and clean it up." Because of her child messing up, she doesn't make them feel terrible, they are not looking down about ready to cry because mom made them feel terrible. They are not running off to their room in tears because of the harsh words mom said. She may ask them to please be more careful, but her eyes are still full of love. Because of the love, because of the twinkle, her children ARE more careful next time. 

What about her husband? What about the Proverbs 31 husband? What is his response to her? He openly boasts of and praises her. He notices all she does. He takes note of who she is, what she accomplishes, how she treats the children, employees, the needy. He takes note of ALL that she does, he takes not of WHO she is.... he sees the twinkle in her eyes. She not only has it with her children, but she has it with her husband too. When she walks in the room, HE sees the light in her eyes. She is an encouragement to him. She lights up the room. She makes him feel good, feel better about himself. She thanks him for providing. She thanks him for what he did that day. She tells him how handsome he is, how cute he is. She loves on him, she adores him. Her eyes light up when she sees him. She loves him. Like a newly wed, he still has her heart. And the light even fills her eyes more when her husband brags on her. He tells of all she accomplished. He boasts of her. He praises her. It is not being prideful to brag on your spouse. To tell others of how blessed you are. Because of him boasting and praising her, deep down, her desire is to even do more, to even be better, to continue on this pathway of improvement, accomplishment, success. 

What does all this do for me? It makes me think about.... which woman am I? Am I the one people avoid because of my negativity? Or am I the woman that people are drawn too? Am I an encourager? A joy to be around? Have I been notifying my face when I am out. Granted, I don't have to be "overly happy" around people that it is annoying to them... I don't have to jump in the room bouncing & going overboard on, "HEY, Look at ME! I am HAPPY!" But, I can even have the quiet joy, the glow, the sparkle. The sparkle that shows even without words. The sparkle that shows a light in my eye.

When I think of my friend who is such a joy to be around... I know that part of it is because of her relationship with the Lord. She is full. She has found fulfillment in Him. She has spent time seeking Him out, finding Him, knowing Him. 

My desire for you is that you would find the light in your eye. That as your relationship with the Lord gets stronger and grows deeper, that you would YEARN even more for the Lord. That you would YEARN for that stronger relationship with Him. That you would YEARN to know your Father more, to talk with him, to fellowship, to love Him even more. That the light in your eyes would be an automatic result from your YEARN.

Close your eyes.... listen to the words..... enjoy this video: YEARN

#12 - The Unfair Advantage

Good Morning.... jacked about my morning coffee....as usual. Sitting on the porch again enjoying a nice morning. Sometimes it is hard to believe how quickly this time goes in the morning....it's like the time just flies! One thing that I have really been excited about is my desire to get up. If you know me well at all.... in the past I have never been much of a morning person. I typically have been the person that can sleep any time, anywhere & for LONG lengths! I actually woke up this morning before my alarm clock. But you know what? I think that as we draw into a closer and more intimate relationship with the Lord, we will crave that time to get up. The more you get of HIM, the more you will desire it! That your time in the Word will become a time like Christmas mornings! :) How exciting.....and me being a gifts person... I LOVE GIFTS.... it's exciting to have each morning being like Christmas morning! Where you wake up and you are just excited to hear what the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to you this morning?? Where is He taking you? Where is He leading? And what is He going to tell you this morning? You know, He does speak to us still IF we are willing to listen. Listening is developed.... so, If you have never really feel like you have been led directly by the Holy Spirit.... do not grow weary.... that leading is developed with a relationship. The more you get in the Word, the more you spend time, the more you focus on meditating and really ask questions.... the answers will be revealed. And when you get to that point, the point where you hear His Voice, where you can call on Him and He will answer, now that is a sweet place to be! So, let's get you there!!


This morning was JAM PACKED! So much that I definitely won't be able to go into depth about it all.... but very interesting.... and like normal.... new!

Proverbs 8:17 - I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me. 

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].

The Face of Wisdom.... we are going to search out who Wisdom really is, how to attain her & what value she brings. We see that Wisdom originated from the beginning, before the "7 Days of Creation", wisdom was. As you read through Proverbs, wisdom is referred to as "she."  


1) Where has she been? - She has been: formed and brought forth by the Lord from the beginning (Proverbs 8:22). We see in Proverbs 8:23-30 that wisdom saw and was the helping "master & director" of Creation, the 7 days of creation, she has seen it all! She has seen everything take place. She has knowledge of how everything has happened since before "time" even existed. So, if you want to really learn & know from ACTUAL experience. Wisdom has seen it ALL. She has seen the pitfalls of man, she has seen wealth & riches acquired, she has watched successful marriages form, she has seen the answer to every question. She knows it all. She has been with God before "time" even existed. Wisdom would be the best companion to have with you since wisdom has seen all, been everywhere & knows all things. 
2) Where does she stand? - For you... where is she? It says in verse 2 of chapter 8 that she stands on the heights, where the 2 paths meet, wisdom is there? What 2 paths?? YOUR TWO PATHS! YOUR TWO PATHS OF DECISION! The road that leads the way you SHOULD NOT GO and the road that leads to where you SHOULD GO! Wisdom is there! Verse 1 says that she RAISES HER VOICE, she CRIES OUT! So basically, if you are listening when you get to that path, if you SEEK the Lord's direction....I envision at the top of a hill, two roads, on one side we see HER.... we see a real person of God.... and she is like a coach or umpire standing on the path that leads to where YOU, where I am suppose to go. She is standing there yelling, "COME THIS WAY! THIS IS YOUR PATH! COME THIS WAY!! OVER HERE! DON'T EVEN LOOK down that other road! That road, that path leads to bad things....even though right here at the fork, both paths initially look the same, THEY ARE NOT! Come THIS WAY, travel THIS ROAD!" So, wisdom is at your point of decision. Listen for her and it says she is crying out, she is raising her voice. The way of wisdom is not a mystery IF you are listening. TAKE OUT THE EAR PLUGS! 
3) What does she bring of value? - When you say "BRING IT".... you put up your hands to a friend in jest or fun, you motion for them to come.... "BRING IT!" Well, wisdom BRINGS IT BABY!!! SHE BRINGS IT! What value does she bring? She brings it all. Verse 14, she brings counsel, knowledge, understanding, might & power. You need strength? Mental? Physical - you need big muscles for your profession? - Wisdom has it! Spiritual Strength? - She is bringing that too! Verse 18 & 21 talk about wisdom bringing riches, honor, wealth, righteousness, it talks about her "filling the treasuries of those who love her". In these verses when it is talking about wealth & riches, we are not talking about the cliche or spiritual, "Oh...she gives me riches of happiness, of goodness, of love..." Though "wisdom" may actually bring all this, in these verses the actual Hebrew translation is talking about the BLING! It is talking about the money! Like the old movie with Tom Cruise when he is dancing around saying, "Show me the Money! Show me the Money!" - Well, in this case, wisdom is bring it! She is showing the money to those who love her! In verse 12 (KJV) it talks about wisdom bringing forth "witty inventions". Do you think if you, sought out wisdom and got this brilliant idea for an invention, it could bring you financial prosperity? Of course it could & would & will IF you seek it out. Wisdom is bringing the whole package here!   
4) What does she love? - Call her a romantic, call her conceded (for desiring & wanting your time) or call her "love language"  that of "Quality Time"... but wisdom loves those who love her! Wisdom loves those who seek her out early. Whose priority right when they wake up is to seek her out. Those who seek her out diligently, with fervor. I apologize to those of you who aren't morning people. I found no way around the meaning of early. When I read it in the Hebrew, I found no way around it meaning early in the morning. The first part of your day. The first priority above other things. Early. First. Most important. (Proverbs 8:17)
5) How do you find her? - You find wisdom by seeking. No way around it. You have got to look for her. You have got to search her out. You have got to seek. I heard a great quote the other day, "The finding is left for those who do the searching." 

• The Ultimate reward? - Along with everything else that wisdom will provide to you, in verse 35, whoever finds wisdom will also receive FAVOR from the Lord!

Ladies, (really men too! Men, you realize if you are single, this should be the woman you are looking for! This Proverbs 31 woman! Have you studied her? Do you even know what she looks like? Does she possess these qualities found in Proverbs 31:10-31?)....what does this mean to you? Our Proverbs 31 woman has ATTAINED wisdom. She is friends of and with wisdom. She has done all the things above. She is using the experience of the one who has seen everything since before creation. Now that seems like an unfair advantage! :) To have the one who has seen it all? Talk about an advantage over those walking in the world, or those who do not seek! The unfair advantage is for you! Seek out wisdom! Our Proverbs 31 woman has done this!


Today, give yourself an unfair advantage. Begin to seek out wisdom! Get in the Word. 

"The finding is left for those who do the searching."