this is my awakening

joyyyfullee: braiker: Philly news crew completely loses it...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:27:37 -0400

braiker:

Philly news crew completely loses it after trainwreck of a Ryan Lochte interview. (via)

oh lawd. ryan lochte, folks.
HAHAH they just completely die at the end. HAHA so proud this happened on philly news. ;)

Literally mad me laugh out loud

Dear Baby: The kids and I were on a playground on Saturday when I heard another...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:21:04 -0400

Dear Baby: The kids and I were on a playground on Saturday when I heard another...:

dearbaby:

The kids and I were on a playground on Saturday when I heard another couple discussing Arlo’s sunglasses. I couldn’t find his regular ones and so I had put him in a pair of too-big green ones that we keep in the car as back-ups.

We do not go outside without a hat and sunglasses for our…

I think saying something with patience would have been okay to. I don’t know why people feel like they have the right to make comments to other people like that and I think it’s okay to correct people. For her to blast get mouth like that in the future would further her injustice to the world. But Bless u for your patience and wisdom as a mom :)

rough night

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:23:47 -0500

it was a rough rough night. i went to my mom’s store yesterday. ellie did great. i left her for a couple of hours to meet a tax client friend and when i came back, my mom said she didn’t even miss me. elated at this news, i decided that i wanted to leave for another half an hour or so and go get a mani/pedi.

it was wonderful. i keep looking down at my nails/feet and am so happy. however, when i came back, i found my child asleep next to my dad.

oh crap i thought, this is going to screw her up. and it did.

tons of traffic on 95-s. it took about an hour to get home. i told ellie to go to sleep, but she was really really calm. it was the weird awake strange calm. it took about an hour to get home. i was kind of nervous, because we had to head out again in about an hour to go to small group.

she was oober cranky at home. and in the car, it was a nightmare. she was so cranky that she started to cry a lot. the crying lead to coughing, and the coughing lead to projectile vomiting. yup. i was shocked. she kept crying and eventually we were able to calm her down in the car. she fell asleep.

yup. the dream of going to small group was over. we headed home.

it felt like she woke up 4-5 times. i caught myself getting annoyed and angry. i prayed and asked God to calm my heart and He did. i’m sure she felt a lot worse than me. she still has a fever. not really sure what is going on.

we had good intentions of going to small group. we have good intentions of going to state college this weekend. i hope this is a teething fever and it goes away today. i was really looking forward to going to sc.

oh well. life with a kid is unpredictable.

Ecclesiastes 6

New International Version (NIV)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: ²God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

³A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.⁵Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— ⁶even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

⁷Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
    yet their appetite is never satisfied.
⁸What advantage have the wise over fools?
What do the poor gain
    by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
⁹Better what the eye sees
    than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
    a chasing after the wind.

¹⁰Whatever exists has already been named,
    and what humanity is has been known;
no one can contend
    with someone who is stronger.
¹¹The more the words,
    the less the meaning,
    and how does that profit anyone?

¹²For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

Ecclesiastes 5

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:45:27 -0500

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 ^[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

²Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

⁴When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.⁵It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ⁶Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

Riches Are Meaningless

⁸If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. ⁹The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

¹⁰Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.

¹¹As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?

¹²The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.

¹³I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
¹⁴    or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
¹⁵Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
    that they can carry in their hands.

¹⁶This too is a grievous evil:

As everyone comes, so they depart,
    and what do they gain,
    since they toil for the wind?
¹⁷All their days they eat in darkness,
    with great frustration, affliction and anger.

¹⁸This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. ¹⁹Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. ²⁰They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.

Ecclesiastes 4

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:04:00 -0500

Ecclesiastes 4

New International Version (NIV)

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

4 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.
²And I declared that the dead,
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.
³But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.

⁴And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

⁵Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
⁶Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil
    and chasing after the wind.

⁷Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

⁸There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
    a miserable business!

⁹Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
¹¹Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
¹²Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

¹³Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. ¹⁴The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. ¹⁵I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. ¹⁶There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

God, please help me be the defender of people who cannot defend themselves. Please use me for your purposes, not my own.

Ecclesiastes 3 New International Version (NIV) A Time for Everything 3 There is a time for...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:34:13 -0500

Ecclesiastes 3

New International Version (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹²I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

¹⁵Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.^[b]

¹⁶And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”

¹⁸I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath^[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust allreturn. ²¹Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²²So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit

where you are is where i'm free, holiness is Christ in me.

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:27:59 -0500

i don’t know why i’m feeling a little bit down.

ellie woke up up around 4 something and i couldn’t fall back asleep…my mind kept racing with different thoughts, so i just gave up.

i’m exhausted. but sleeping 6 or 7 hours is better than sleeping 1, so i’ll take it.

thanks God for letting me sleep.

i guess one thing i want to try to focus on today is my need for Jesus.. my utter dependence and need for Jesus Christ. without him, i am nothing. absolutely nothing.

there is nothing i can do to earn his favor. but out of gratefulness, i will choose to run towards holiness, instead of staying where i am.

control

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:03:22 -0500

i’ve been realizing more and more how much of a control freak i am. when things don’t go the way i think they should, i freak out. i get angry. i blame God.

it’s scary. coming to grips with the fact that i cannot control things. that i do not have control of my life—i think that’s why i struggled with predestination and election.

but i am not in control. God is in control and He can do whatever he wants. my limited mind can never comprehend or fathom his wisdom and justice.

romans 9:21- 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?

Ecclesiastes 2

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:56:19 -0500

Ecclesiastes 2

New International Version (NIV)

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ²“Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. ⁵I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem^[a]as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me.In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

¹⁰I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
¹¹Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
    nothing was gained under the sun.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

¹²Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
    and also madness and folly.
What more can the king’s successor do
    than what has already been done?
¹³I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
    just as light is better than darkness.
¹⁴The wise have eyes in their heads,
    while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
    that the same fate overtakes them both.

¹⁵Then I said to myself,

“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
    What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
    “This too is meaningless.”
¹⁶For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
    the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!

Toil Is Meaningless

¹⁷So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. ¹⁸I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. ¹⁹And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. ²⁰So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. ²¹For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. ²²What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? ²³All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest.This too is meaningless.

²⁴A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, ²⁵for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? ²⁶To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

without Christ, EVERYTHING ends up meaningless. if i continue to live life for myself, no matter how worthy of a cause it may be, it will end up for nothing. If i live for the purposes of God, then my life will truly have purpose and meaning that lasts—it will not be meaningless, it will be meaningful.

parenting: This amazing mom gave her adopted son something he’d...

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 06:35:22 -0500

parenting:

This amazing mom gave her adopted son something he’d been missing from his life: baby pictures.

this is so sweet. the pictures are funny.

Ecclesiastes 1

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 06:29:54 -0500

Everything Is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher,^[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:

²“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

³What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
⁴Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.
⁵The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.
⁶The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.
⁷All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.
⁸All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.
⁹What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.
¹¹No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
    by those who follow them.

Wisdom Is Meaningless

¹²I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! ¹⁴I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

¹⁵What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

¹⁸For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.

Footnotes:

Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 2 and 12

without Christ, everything is meaningless. all knowledge, wisdom, kindness…if the best of what you have does not lead to knowing Christ, it is all meaningless.

if i ask for wisdom (which i’ve been doing through reading Proverbs, but have not Christ) what is the point? if i ask to be the best, most gentle and loving woman, but not seek to be the best at loving Christ, what is the point?

i can strive to live a good life, but if i don’t live my life to love God with all my heart, it is meaningless.

it is very easy to try to live a life of christian morals. but if the morals take over and overshadow your love for Christ, then it leads to me “existing,” just trying to get by. the longer i live life like this, the more i’ll end up getting discouraged, because in the end, it will all be meaningless.

Sunshiny day

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 06:57:41 -0500

wow. life feels so much different with good sleep. i think it’s been about a month since i’ve slept 6 hours straight.

ellie’s been sleeping like a champ this week. last week was horrible. i swear she woke up every 2 hours, starting at 8:30. I sleep in ellie’s room with her, so every time she would wake up, she would roll over and try to climb on my chest. NOT COOL. i got so frustrated last week. i know she can’t control it, but sometimes i get so angry and i def. despair a lot. After talking with Jin, we decided that we need to at least try letting her cry it out, for my sanity (and ultimately everyone’s, because of i’m crazy, it affects everyone)

i swear it must be the teething. i dunno what else it could be. This whole week, she slept so well, and it was pretty easy putting her to sleep. She would go to sleep around 8:30 and basically sleep to 5:30 or 6 am.

i don’t want to obsess about sleep ( i do that a lot), but when she sleeps well, the whole world seems so much better…and when i can sleep well when she sleeps well, WOW. it seems like the sun is shining in my soul with flowers blooming near happy puppies.

it’s hard to believe that 2 years ago, i was consistently sleeping about 9-10 hours (uninterrupted). These days, 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep are golden.

i need to stop this obsession with sleep and be grateful for what i have. it’s so easy for me to focus on the bad. i need to approach each day differently; my attitude about life, and specifically God, should not change based on that day’s events or my emotions.

BUT IT’S SO HARD. it’s so easy to blame God when things are tough— a true test of your character and love for God comes during the hard times.

at this i can say i’m failing…but i’m learning. God, please let me love you and still come to you with gratefulness, even when it’s hard. specifically in the middle of the night when i feel like i can’t go on anymore. it’s easy to love you on a sunshiny day; please help me love you during the storm of night.

Proverbs 29

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:46:11 -0500

Proverbs 29
New International Version (NIV)
29 Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.
3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
4 By justice a king gives a country stability,
but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.
5 Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.
6 Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern.
8 Mockers stir up a city,
but the wise turn away anger.
9 If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.
11 Fools give full vent to their rage,
but the wise bring calm in the end.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.
15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
though they understand, they will not respond.
20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
21 A servant pampered from youth
will turn out to be insolent.
22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
23 Pride brings a person low,
but the lowly in spirit gain honor.
24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.
25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.
27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.
Footnotes:

Proverbs 29:4 Or who give

proverbs 28

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 07:27:07 -0500

Proverbs 28

New International Version (NIV)

28 The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler^[a] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.

⁵Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.

⁷A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.

¹⁰Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.

¹³Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

¹⁷Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.

¹⁸The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.^[b]

¹⁹Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

²³Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs their father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.

²⁵The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

²⁷Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person
Proverbs 28:18 Syriac (see Septuagint); Hebrew into one

New International Version (NIV)

Proverbs 27

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:27:40 -0500

Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.
Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.
One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
Like a bird that flees its nest
is anyone who flees from home.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.
If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and whoever protects their master will be honored.
As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.
Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
and neither are human eyes.
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but people are tested by their praise.
Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.

Saturday

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:17:40 -0500

First weekend here. Jin’s work schedule changed so he leaves around 7:30 and is home around 5:30. I got a chance to get use to this while we were in SC, but it still is tough being with Ellie for so long— I guess more exhausting than anything.

But it is really nice having people I know in the area.

Thanks to Danc for coming over and bringing us food!!

So yup. Glad the weekend is here!!

Proverbs 26

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:51:06 -0500

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18 Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19 is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Footnotes:

Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

Philly

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:47:45 -0500

So we are here. Last night was our first trip out as a family. Our goal was to eat at a Chinese buffet and go to Walmart.

We couldn’t find the buffet so decided to have Churches chicken. Yummy

However, this place was take out only so ended eating some chicken in the car. Haha

Walmart trip was a bust due to Ellie being so cranky. I think she’s done really well so far adjusting, but she def. has her moments of super clingy ness to me ( even when Jin is around). It will be interesting to see how she transitions to going to daycare 2 times a week in the morning. I hope she eats the food they give her.

Yeah. Still feels like we are on an extended vacation. I am sure once we find a church, things will feel more real.

just wanted to say

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 07:12:58 -0500

thanks God. thanks. most of the time i’m an unappreciative brat who just looks at the bad things in life.

but today, i’m thankful. thankful for so many things…especially you. thanks for that.

proverbs 25

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 07:26:47 -0500

More Proverbs of Solomon

25 These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
³As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Remove the dross from the silver,
and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
⁵remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,
and his throne will be established through righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
⁷it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes
⁸ do not bring^[a] hastily to court,
for what will you do in the end
if your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹If you take your neighbor to court,
do not betray another’s confidence,
¹⁰or the one who hears it may shame you
and the charge against you will stand.

¹¹Like apples^[b] of gold in settings of silver
is a ruling rightly given.
¹²Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

¹³Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.
¹⁴Like clouds and wind without rain
    is one who boasts of gifts never given.

¹⁵Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.
¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
    is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.
¹⁹Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
    is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
²⁰Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
    or like vinegar poured on a wound,
    is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
²²In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.

²³Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

²⁴Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

²⁵Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.
²⁶Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
are the righteous who give way to the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep.

²⁸Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 25:8 Or nobles / on whom you had set your eyes. / ⁸Do not go
Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots