Getting to the heart of the Matter.

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What is in your heart?  I mean, what's really in there, deep down inside of your heart?
I'd like to call your attention to two verses that talk about this important matter.
First is Proverbs 27:19
     "As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man."
and the second is Luke 6:45
     "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."


 The qualities and attributes that the Proverb writer and Jesus are teaching about are necessarily products of a good or evil heart.  Often the mouth is the primary vehicle for the evidence of either.  Many times we are judged by others, not by what we believe or what we think, but by what we say and do.  Our hearts are reflected in what we do, how we spend our time, how we talk and relate to others, what we say, what we condone and what we condemn.
My question to you is-What how is your heart being reflected?

Let me know,

Patrick

The Wisdom of God

Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever."

It is interesting how much we can learn from our children.  How they so innocently and simply point out things that we overlook or take for granted.  Last night as we were going through our bedtime routine and came to our prayer time, my wife and I were once again reminded by our son of the simple fundamentals of living for God that we tend to over-complicate.  His prayer was simple, "Dear Lord, thank you for this day.  Please help us to obey and to learn your wisdom."  We were floored!  Keep in mind that he's only 3 1/2 years old.  I don't know how he came up with this prayer.  We've often times taught our children to pray for help with obedience, but "to learn your wisdom," is not a phrase we regularly use...  I think we may start though.
Some things to consider...
~Do you over-complicate your walk with God?
~Do you pray for God to help you to obey His will?
~Do you pray for Godly wisdom?
~Do you thank God for your day? (There's always something to be thankful for.)

Thoughts???


God bless,

Patrick

Proverbs 11:28

     As we were reading through the proverbs tonight at the dinner table (we read one chapter per night and work the whole way through the book every month. I highly recommend it. Our children can already quote many of the proverbs!), this one struck a chord with my wife. She asked that I go back and re-read it. I did and had the idea for the picture at the left after we put the kids down for the night.
     I’m thankful that she pointed this one out as I think it has a direct application to my life now. Have you ever begun to get really tied up, in your mind that is, thinking about your finances? Lately, I may have been dwelling on these issues too often. Nothing like God’s Word to bring me back down to earth! As I’m writing this post, I’m reminded of how often I’ve been thinking about “getting rich.” I’m VERY excited to get our business “Scriptures for the Home” up and running and it’s been on my mind constantly for the past month or so, but have I been too into it? Perhaps...
     I’m reminded that “riches” are only temporary and can be deceptive and therefore are NOT worthy of my trust. At the time of our greatest need, “riches” can still fail us. I know that I must be a good steward of what God has blessed me with and work to provide the essentials for my family, and that is how I should view “riches;” as a means to an end, not the end itself.
     The goal is to become wealthy in righteousness, and then I will “flourish like the green leaf.” Did you ever see a leaf “flourish” that was not attached to a branch and that branch attached to a tree and that tree rooted in the earth? I bet you haven’t. What happened to the leaves when they leave (no pun intended) the tree? They wither up, dry out and die! Hmm… Similar to my walk with Christ. If I am in constant contact with him, I grow and flourish. If I start to drift, I “dry out.” My trust must be in Christ. He will never fail and He is worthy of my trust.
     We’re still going to pursue starting our business, but I know that it will never be to me or us what Christ is, has been and will be.
     Hope these thoughts were a blessing to you. Let me know your thoughts.