Tag: wisdom

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motivation wisdom

Getting Wisdom and Understanding

There is a big difference between believing you’ve gotten wisdom, and continually seeking wisdom. The minute you think you’ve arrived, that you’ve learned all you need to learn, then you become less and less wise.

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

Proverbs 4:7 NLT

There is always something new to learn. I have discovered I may have to relearn the same lesson from weeks, or even years ago. There may be a subtle insight to that lesson. Because I can never fully know every angle of a lesson, new understanding can transform what I thought was rock-solid truth.

Preconceived notions can backfire if you aren’t always willing to learn. Make sure you are getting wisdom and not believe you got wisdom a long time ago. You never know what new insight will transform the way you see and do things.

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motivation

Don’t Just listen, But Do What it Says!

Listening and learning are very important. However, if we do nothing with our newfound knowledge, do we deceive ourselves?

What if my trash company lets me know they will be picking up my garbage early due to a holiday? Now I have some knowledge. Does it do me any good if I just do what I’ve always done and not get my trash to the curb early? No, I’ll just have an overflowing, smelly trash can I’ll need to put up for an additional week.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

James 1:22 NIV

Learning is great. But knowledge without application becomes trivia. I can learn how to start a business, write a blog post or be kind to my neighbor, and do nothing with that knowledge, I’m just deceiving myself.

Let’s learn something new today… and do something with it. You never know. It may change your situation or even the world.

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Christianity motivation

Continual Acts of Kindness

Cartoon of a man and a puppet

This morning, I get to teach kids about kindness. We’ve been talking this month about the Fruit of the Spirit, which is found in Galatians 5:22-23.

It’s a topic that was drilled into me at a very young age. I am the oldest of four kids and unfortunately, firstborn kids are not known for being the supreme leader of kindness. At least this kid wasn’t the king of kindness when his little brother or sister just just ate the last cookie.

I was fortunate that not only my patient parents emphasized kindness, but my kindergarten teacher did too. She had us recite Ephesians 4:32 every morning before we began our class in the old King James Version .

“Be he kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 KJV

It didn’t always stop the playground drama. Nor did it eliminate the urge to hoard all the good, unbroken crayons. But it did make me pause and think. It was one of those kindergarten lessons that come back to me even today.

My prayer this morning is that the kids I teach will remember today’s lesson when they are tempted to be rude or react angrily to to a perceived injustice. Let’s keep learning how to be kind, tender hearted and forgiving in a world desperate for all three qualities.

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children's ministry cartoons Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

Gifted and Talented in Children’s Ministry

cartoon of a mother trying to put her son in a gifted and talented programCartoon of a mom saying, “My Billy is very talented for his age. Does your children’s ministry have a gifted and talented class?”

Here’s to all the high performing, type A parents that want their kids to excel. I haven’t heard of a gifted and talented program at a church. If you have, let me know. Would midweek programming be considered gifted and talented? I think every kid is gifted and talented according to Ephesians 2:10!

I drew this for Kidzmatter Magazine.

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webcomic

Roald Dahl on nonsense 

“A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.” -Roald Dahl