If you've ever listened
to one of those
meditation apps...

Or a sleep time
recording
which help lull you
with nature sounds...

They will often advise
to picture yourself
in a serene environment.

Sitting still...
by a babbling brook.
under light rain on a tin roof.
near a cascading waterfall.
under a canopy of leaves in the rain.

But never have I heard
the advice
to focus
on a dripping faucet.

That repetitive,
singular...
drip,
drop,
drip,
drop,
drip.

There is something
in it's tone,
in it's singularity,
in it's rhythm
that does not soothe.

But rather, rubs raw
the already sore
and irritated stress-point.

So it is,
when someone lends
unwanted
opinion
to the already
frustrated
open wound
we suffer.

We simply
do not want
one more
drip
drop,
drip,
drop,
drip
fallen
on top.

It's often enough
to overflow
the well of tears
we have held back.

And yet we wonder…
"Do they even know
how I feel?"

That is the fool
who gives
a comment.

One that was not
considered
before spoken.

Knowledge flows like
spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets,
dripping nonsense.
Proverbs 15:2 (MSG)

But refreshing
are the words
that soothe.

Like sitting still...
by a babbling brook.
under light rain on a tin roof.
near a cascading waterfall.
under a canopy of leaves in the rain.

These can only be spoken
from wisdom.

From a person who has stood
where we stand.

From one who has walked
this path before.

From someone who knows…
has experienced
our situation.

These are words
that spring to life.

These are words
refreshing
and honest,
encouraging
and true.

I long to give
such words…
as much as I long
to receive them.

Word of God,
train me today...
to know when to hold my tongue,
sensitive to other's pain,
to be that just right
spring of water,
with refreshing life
from You, just in time
of other's need.

Lord,
Let me consider when
I will simply be
a dripping faucet
to someone else.

Causing more irritation
than good.

Let me rather
think, before I speak...

Do I have a word
of knowledge for them?
Can I be a place
of refreshment, today?

And when I cannot,
let me at least
lift these friends to You.

As You are the living water
that refreshes all.

You have the words
that spring to life
all knowledge,
all power,
all that we need.
​
Lord,
help me be wise.

j-e-l-o-u-s-y
It is a viscous
cycle...

wanting more
of what others
have.

possessions.
position.
power.
place.
people.
potential.

Jealousy
steals from us;
causes us to feel
more
empty.

We are thieves
stealing joy
from ourselves.

Always
wanting more.

It's a seemingly
endless cycle.

Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,
but the godly are well rooted
and bear their own fruit.
Proverbs 12:12 (NLT)

Enter a new
cycle.

Contentment.

A state of mind.
A choice.
A heart attitude.

Determined
that what I have
is enough.

Trusting
that if I need it,
God will provide.

possessions.
position.
power.
place.
people.
potential.

He is the God
of all.
He created all things
for His glory.

And whether they bow
to Him or not…

they are still
under His authority.

And He can bring to me
whatever He chooses.

But I believe
He is wanting,
He is waiting,
He is willing
me to be
more humble.

The godly
are not perfect people.

The godly
are not self-righteous.

The godly
are simply people
who put God first.

Who understand
that only through
His sacrifice,
His blood,
His resurrection...

are they godly.

That is where
contentment
begins.

A humble heart.

Not needing more
than Him.
Knowing that He
will provide
all I need.

Then my roots
can grow down deep
into Him.

And I can grow,
little by little,
stronger and stronger
each day...
and be rooted.

A tree
planted and
​bearing fruit.

A new and
refreshing cycle.

This one does not
make me feel lousy.

This one does not
make me feel less.

This one nourishes,
replenishes,
regenerates,
repopulates,
and re-cycles.

Word of God,
train me today...
to change the cycle that is my thought life and choose contentment,
to be rooted in faith, regardless of my feelings, trusting You to make me strong.

Lord, let me be
rooted in You.
Let my roots
grow down deep
drawing up nourishment
from You.

See that I go on
growing
in You.

Help me become
strong
and vigorous
in the truths
You have taught.

Let my life
overflow
with joy and thanksgiving
for all You have done.
(from Colossians 2:7)

The seeds of good deeds
​become a tree of life;
a wise person wins friends.
Proverbs 11:30 (NLT)

Every day, I am given
opportunities,
chance meetings,
open doors...
to do the right thing.

It may be an action,
a spoken word.
It could simply be
a kind glance,
an encouraging smile,
or a gentle touch.

All just seeds.

But then again,
God might be asking of me
a grander move...
sacrifice of
money,
time,
talent,
effort.

These are Your
seeds of good deeds.

I've been known
to grip them
too tightly in my grasp.
Hesitant to let them go.

I've been known
to miss the moment
of planting them
in the fertile soil
of best intention.

The place these seeds
were meant to land.
They would have been...
watered,
nurtured,
grown strong,
in another's life.

But if I face each day
with focus,
open hands,
willing eyes,
to see a world around me
as opportunity to plant...
rather than,
a place that is trying
to snatch my seeds
from this tightly gripped
hand...

Then I should be happy
about letting go.
Dropping them
along my path
as I walk through
each day.
Leaving a legacy.
Better yet…
planting a tree of life
in eternity.
​
Then the angel showed me
a river with the water of life,
clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb.
It flowed down the center
of the main street.
On each side of the river
grew a tree of life,
bearing twelve crops of fruit,
with a fresh crop each month.
The leaves were used for medicine
to heal the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2 (NLT)

What a beautiful vision.
This is a prophecy
of heaven.
Imagining...
a tree that can grow
different fruit each month?

I long to be
a member of
this heavenly
"fruit-of-the-month-club."

I seek to
plant these seeds...
to grow a tree of life
in eternity.

The seeds of good deeds
that fall from open hands
today.

Along the way,
friendships will bloom
as I wander this path.

All You require
is my open hand.
Your seeds to pass
through...
a smile,
a gentle touch,
a kind gaze,
a generous word.

Each of us
becomes wiser
as we sow
these seeds…
giving more than
we take.

Word of God,
train me today...
to be a planter of these seeds of good deeds,
to hold them loosely in my hands and give them freely, as You will always give more.

Lord,
I am amazed
at Your truth.
What beauty You have created
here on this earth.

I can only imagine
the amazing walk
we will take
under the shade
of those trees of life eternal.

Let me be a part
of this planting.
Let me be a part of the fruit
that is born.
Let me help on this day
with the gifts You have given.

I hold my hands open
and ask
that You make me
more aware
of the places
You have tended
and made ready the soil.

Thank You, Lord,
for visions of eternity!

Thank You, Lord,
for including me.

Thank You, Lord,
that someone planted a seed
of good deeds
in me.

I will be faithful.
I will be fruitful.
I will plant.

How generous of You, a Father
to write to us this love letter.
A book of living words encompassing
beginning to end,
creation of life, witness of love,
covenant, correction, salvation and revelation.
Real life tellings of people who lived...
getting it right, getting it wrong,
being used by You all the same,
for Your glory.

And nestled here in the middle
this book written by a king
who in his youth asked for wisdom...
then personified it in writing her as a woman.

Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words...
Proverbs 1:20-21 NKJV

So why not also do the same
for her nemesis... immorality.
Addressing as a father to his son
the dark temptations of life
in a world sold out to lusts of the flesh.

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.
Lest you ponder her path of life...
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
Proverbs 5:3-6

And while many might argue
this to be strictly
a woman of the night, a gypsy of the soul...
if I were to limit my focus on the literal,
I would skim over this warning,
only to miss important life lessons
You may have for me.

A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
Proverbs 1:6

Your word is full of mysteries we must seek...
proverbs, enigmas, words of wise, riddles.
All of them I should take to heart.

Even if one seems a mystery at first,
I will come to You in prayer,
​asking, Spirit, reveal to me this truth...
for I should ponder all of Your word
as understanding... and goodness for my soul.

Let me not be led astray
not in my marriage,
not from my dedication to You...
by any immorality that tempts me.

For this will not be an easily spotted sign.
Rather, slippery words that sneak by
from that mouth smoother than oil.
And I may be quickly and sharply divided
as the two-edged sword does its damage.

Lord, let me be on guard for this,
keep me vigilant, keep me prepared.
Now that I know she is out there...
Immorality so eagerly traps
not just through a person,
but online as well.
Social media,
movies,
music, and
high profile personalities
draw us to her.

We let down our guard
and soon we are off balance
unstable and teetering,
exactly where she wants to take us.

Distracted,
distorted,
disjointed,
dissatisfied,
discouraged.

But You, Lord...
are the lifter of our heads.",
the Savior of our souls.

And that is exactly why
we stick with this day
after day,
after day,
after day.

Reading Your word.

Because we want to be guarded
and on alert.
And when we do fall into sin...
You pick us up again,
and we can still be used for Your glory.

That is why we stay interested...
in this story!

Word of God,
​train me, today...
to never stop reading Your wonderful word,
to listen to the lessons of wisdom and understanding every day.

Thank You, Lord
that there is wisdom
on every page of Your
living and active word.

It is so very good!
It is my daily bread.
It is my living water.
It is my source of life.
It is my anchor.
It is my light.
It is my heart.

If I were stranded...
completely alone on a deserted island,
it would become my passion
to seek out and search for
fresh water and sources of food.

Because stripped from all the trappings
of this materialistic world around me
I would understand my true needs
and be able to focus on what was most important.

So I thank You, Lord, that here
in this book of Proverbs, Solomon
has stranded my mind on this island of wisdom.

My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5 NKJV

Thank You, Lord for this isolated focus.
For I see now that this earthly world is so full
of it's offerings of knowledge which
distract, distort and pervert the truth.
Pressured to live as one more "open-minded"
does not afford me wise choices.
But rather, a big empty place
for everything to simply fall in, and get tangled.

I cannot afford to make room for all these options.
I choose instead to narrow the path of my mind.
To think on and believe only truth.
I will receive Your words
and treasure them, as they are precious.

And You say, in order to gain wisdom,
I must take action,
rather than be a passive observer.
Receive.
Treasure.
Incline.
Apply
Cry out.
Lift up.
Seek.
Search.

For these actions lead to the life for which I long...
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire
cannot compare with her.
Proverbs 3:13-15

If the world were offering this happiness,
satisfaction would abound around me.
There would be no need to keep coming up with
with alternative views, lifestyles and religions.
​
Word of God,
train me, today...
to be active in my search for more and more of Your wisdom,
to live fully in my satisfied life, treasuring the understanding You give.

Lord, I long for more...
this happy life, finding wisdom.
When I gain understanding
I am thrilled.

The revelation of a new insight
lifts my heart and causes me to soar.
Thank You for revealing
Yourself to me
each day.