Proverbs 12

Well, hear I am, day 2, of re-re-re-re-restarting my blog? I guess its not really re times 5, I mean, I guess I'm just a very sporadic blogger. Today's assignment, proverbs 12: Here are some thoughts:

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

How often do I dislike to be corrected and take it personally?

4 A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

Wendy is my crown. She is full of love and a servant. She brings very little disgrace to herself and our marriage.

9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

Interesting verse. Even this morning while I was meeting for coffee and talked about about what we were reading, I was reinspired to read more, specifically famous literary works and autobiographies...even Tom Brokaw's, 'the greatest generation'....somehow my mind wandered and I thought about the 'Harvard' scholar (we watched good will hunting the other day) and how educated they are and just out right smart and how they can chat about the world economic system during the revolutionary war and how it affected the south or something crazy like that, and I thought for a moment, how cool would it be to be able to sit in one of those lounges with my pipe and discuss 'higher learning' topics in between puffs and sips of my favorite gin and tonic....then I snapped out of it, and thought, well for one, I'll never be allowed into a place like that, i have never smoked, so that rules out the prerequisite of the pipe and i've never had a gin and tonic, although i did once have the nickname, chinn and tonic...but moreover, why do I find desire for that atmosphere. I feel as though its mostly phony and impractical, which eventually leads me back to this verse. Why pretend to be someone I'm not? As the genie said, 'Beeeeeeeee yourself!'

15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

Wow, have I seen this in others....how often do they see it in me?

16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

This one is speaking directly to me. I thought 15 was speaking to the lives of those around me, this one I can't escape. I need to get over myself. When I get annoyed, I show. I inherited 'the face' from my dad. Yup. It's genetic, what can I say? The rolling of the eyes, the look of 'you're crazy'... I need to get over the comment (myself) and be the prudent man that overlooks an insult.

18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

I desire to heal others, especially with my tongue. I used to have a respected tongue, one that was encouraging and uplifting. I think it brought some healing to others. I need to find that tongue and bring it back. I wonder which is mightier, the tongue/words or the pen?

19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

You say you want to leave a legacy? Well...truthful lips endure forever. Who has ever been to Roosevelt Island on the Potomac (I don't kn0w, is that DC or is that still Arlington? maybe Arlington, it's closer to that shore). Reading those words of Teddy

"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. "

"A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues. "

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorius triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. "

and none of those are my favorites...How long ago did you leave us, 89 years ago? oh where have you gone Teddy? no where. you live on in your words, today.