Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life

To achieve our goal in life we must take the initiative we must also do the same when playing chess. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life .

In life as well as in chess, we must decide what to retain and what to discard and ensure proper timing of our decisions. To achieve our greatest goal in life as well as in chess, certain sacrifices must be made.

Mankind seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the devil. Both life and chess involve strategic thinking, tactical thrust, and positional play. Like the three stages of life; childhood, youth, and adulthood- Chess has three stages; opening, middle game, and end game. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life.

In the game of chess, to begin with, there are rules, and the end is to capture the castle of the other which humans have attempted from the beginning of time.

It is widely accepted by most historians that the game of chess originated in India … chess (until then the game was mainly played by royalty and the aristocracy). Chess originated in India and India is the cradle of human intellectual achievement. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life. – Check out my website

Like most competitive situations, chess offers a litany of positive learning experiences. Cognitive abilities, logic, strategy, etc. However, there are some elements of chess so rich in value that they should not be overlooked. The similarities to life are astounding. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life

Accountability – Nowhere in sports nor nearly any competitive environment does there exist a situation where 100% control of the outcome is completely within your hands. In chess, the entire competition is internal. There aren’t any elements that can influence this outcome outside the realm of your own mind.

Creativity – Many chess battles are defined by electrifying moves that abruptly change the dynamics of the game. Often the most unexpected moves are the most potent. Few competitive environments promote imagination as a resource for handling seemingly inevitable defeat.

Falling Short – Learning from your past mistakes is one of your greatest assets. Assessing what doesn’t work is one of the core elements of improvement. Yet in a few other places do you get to experience the process of learning from failure as you do in chess.

Individuality – When playing the game of chess, you are forced to rely entirely on your own thought process. Competitions abound but few that take place entirely within your mind. When your mind is thinking empowering thoughts, and this leads to victory, you develop confidence in your ability to solve problems using your own mind rather than external sources.

Patience – There goes that word again – Patience. For those of us that have a Type A personality where we want things completed days ago this is not good news. However, this is precisely what is required to help you win chess games. In chess, particularly at the beginner levels when the propensity for blunders is high, avoiding your own mistakes can win you a lot of games. The difference in chess is that errors are reduced by developing patience rather than technique.

Wisdom – As you continue to persevere and never give up you will acquire wisdom in the game.

When you see a good move, look for a better one. – Emanuel Lasker

The game of chess is the most fascinating and intellectual pastime which the wisdom of antiquity has bequeathed to us. – Howard Staunton

We are formed by little scraps of wisdom. – Umberto Eco

Every day we all are to live a life of accountability like Jesus did when he was here on earth. God blessed us all with different gifts and we are to work with those gifts to produce our creativity. We are not to dwell on failure or falling short because God is continuously keeping us on the Potter’s Wheel molding and refining us daily. We are to be proud of our individuality because God created each one of us differently, so we would all bring something of greatness to this world. Patience is something that all of us will have to acquire. God will continue to work with us and test us until we have it. Think about how patient Noah had to be when he was building the ark and once the rains came and ceased after forty days until the waters abated and he and his family could come out of the ark. If nothing else can you imagine the patience he, his wife, and children had to have for the smell of the ark with all the waste from all of the animals. Remember there was no Febreze in those days! If that example does not resonate with you think about Joseph and the patience he had to have from the time he had a dream at 17 years of age that he would be the ruler of Egypt, and it didn’t manifest until 13 years later. Finally, wisdom, we are all to crave, pray, and desire wisdom. In the bible, there is an entire book dedicated to just wisdom with 31 chapters. If it wasn’t important it wouldn’t be there. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life.

At any rate for those of you who want to try the game of chess, it is a game played between two opponents on opposite sides of a board containing 64 squares of alternating colors. Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns. The primary objective in chess is to checkmate your opponent’s King. When a King cannot avoid capture then it is checkmated, and the game is immediately over. The game is drawn when the player to move has no legal move and his king is not in check. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life.

So have fun, go for it and enjoy learning the game of chess and remember chess as in life are similar. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Chess and Life. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Never Give Up

Stick-to-itiveness, Perseverance, Tenacity. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For the Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Jim Carrey – Oprah Winfrey – Henry Ford – Colonel Sanders – Thomas Edison – Walt Disney – Stephen King – J. K. Rowling – Steven Spielberg – Sir Isaac Newton – Vera Wang – Sidney Poitier – Albert Einstein – Fred Astaire – Theodor Seuss Geisel – Lucille Ball – Winston Churchill – Lady Gaga – Harrison Ford – Jay Z. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern day – Never Give Up. Check out my website

What do all these people have in common? They Never Gave Up! There are countless others who fall into this category, but I chose these to give a mixture of persons where anybody who reads this can relate. Whether you enjoy music, entrepreneurs, movies, books, food, automobiles, etc. You can be a person into music who relates to Lady Gaga or Jay Z or you can enjoy movies and relate to Sidney Poitier or Lucille Ball, Steven Spielberg, Jim Carrey, or Harrison Ford. You might be an avid book person who can relate to Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss. You could be in love with fashion and so you relate to Vera Wang. You may crave to be on TV and want to interview people and so then you relate to Oprah Winfrey even though her talents surpass that. You may have a creative inventive mind and with that in mind, you gravitate to people like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein. You may aspire to be in politics and tell it like it is, so you would relate to Winston Churchill. Finally, you may just love to eat and so you relate to Colonel Sanders. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs for The Modern Day – Never Give Up

If God has not given up on us, you don’t have the right to give up on yourself. You must keep pressing forward because you never know how close you are to your breakthrough because miracles happen every day. You are closer to your victory when you face the greatest opposition. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Never Give Up. Check out my website

Jim Carrey = was raised in a low-income family. He dropped out of school at age 15 to get a job to help support the family. He auditioned for Saturday Night Live for the 1980-81 season, he failed to land the part. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Carrey talks about how he used the Law of Attraction by writing himself a check for $10,000,000 million dollars for “Acting Services Rendered,” later placing the check in his wallet for 7 years until he received a $10,000,000 million-dollar payment for his work in Dumb and Dumber.

Oprah Winfrey = As we have all heard Oprah say her living conditions were rough, and she was sexually abused starting at the age of 9 by family members and a family friend. She did intern work at a radio station while in college. She was fired by the producer from a local television station because she was deemed “unfit for television.” However, she persevered and ultimately received her own show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was syndicated across the country. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Henry Ford = He had several failures, but he did not let them deter him. In 1899, at the age of 36 years old, Ford formed his first company, the Detroit Automobile Company, that company went bankrupt. His second attempt was in 1901 when he formed the Henry Ford Company, which he ended up leaving with the rights to his name. That company was later renamed to the Cadillac Automobile Company. However, it was Ford’s third try, with the Ford Motor Company, that success bloomed. Check out my website

Colonel Sanders = he worked many jobs including fireman, tire salesman, insurance salesman, and of course, a cook. In 1952 he hit the road and began trying to sell his franchise-model chicken restaurant. He traveled across the U.S. looking for someone to sell his fried chicken, and after finally getting a business deal in Utah, Kentucky Fried Chicken was born. KFC is now one of the most recognizable franchises in the world. The company grew and expanded faster than he could have ever imagined. In 1964, at the age of 74 years old, Sanders sold the company for $2 million dollars to a group of investors. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Thomas Edison = We’ve all heard the name before. This famous American is attributed to failing over 10,000 times to invent a commercially viable electric light bulb, but he didn’t give up. When asked by a newspaper reporter if he felt like a failure and if he should give up, after having gone through over 9,000 failed attempts, Edison simply stated “Why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know over 9,000 ways an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” Edison went on to hold more than 1,000 patents and invented some world-changing devices, like the phonograph, practical electrical lamp, and the movie camera.

Walt Disney = The man who has affected generations to come with his cartoon creations was once considered a failure. Disney was fired by the editor in 1919 from his job at the Kansas City Star paper because he “lacked imagination and had no clever ideas.” However, the man who brought us Mickey Mouse and a slew of other characters didn’t stop failing there. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no clever ideas.” Several more of his businesses failed before the premiere of his movie “Snow White.” He went onto become the guy who redefined American childhood. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs for The Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Stephen King = Stephen King grew so frustrated over his attempt to write the novel “Carrie” that he threw away the entire early draft. King’s wife Tabitha found the manuscript in the trash and took it out. “Carrie” became a hit and launched his career. Stephen King an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy has become a tremendous success. Check out my website

J.K. Rowling = Rowling is one of the most inspirational success stories of our time. Many people simply know her as the woman who created Harry Potter. But, what most people don’t know is what she went through prior to reaching stardom. Rowling saw herself as a failure at this time. She was jobless, divorced, penniless, and with a dependent child. She suffered through bouts of depression, eventually signing up for government-assisted welfare. J.K. Rowling was a single mom living off welfare when she began writing the first “Harry Potter” novel. Rowling is now internationally renowned for her Harry Potter series and, in US currency, became the first billionaire author.

Steven Spielberg = Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts multiple times. He went on to create the first summer blockbuster with “Jaws” in 1975 and has garnered much success since then.

Sir Isaac Newton = Sir Isaac Newton left school to run the family farm and when it became evident he could not handle that Newton went back to school to finish his basic education and was eventually enrolled in Cambridge University. Newton went on to become one of the greatest scientists of all time, revolutionizing physics and mathematics.

Vera Wang = Vera Wang failed to make the 1968 US Olympic figure-skating team. Then she became an editor at Vogue but was passed over for the editor-in-chief position. She began designing wedding gowns at age 40 and today is one of the premier designers in the fashion industry, with a business worth over $ 630 million.

Sidney Poitier = When Sidney Poitier first auditioned for the American Negro Theatre, he flubbed his lines and spoke in a heavy Caribbean accent, which made the director angrily tell him to stop wasting his time and go get a job as a dishwasher. Poitier worked on his craft and eventually became a hugely successful Hollywood star. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor (“Lillies of the Field,” 1963) and helped break down the color barrier in the American film industry. Poitier was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974. From 1997 to 2007, he served as the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan. On August 12, 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States‘ highest civilian honor, by ex President Barack Obama. In 2016, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for outstanding lifetime achievement in film.

Albert Einstein = Even with Einstein’s communication and behavioral problems they were not indicative of a lack of intelligence. He went on to win the Nobel prize in physics for the discovery of the photoelectric effect, and his special theory of relativity theory corrected the deficiencies of Newtonian physics. He is known for who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science.

Fred Astaire = In one of Fred Astaire’s first screen tests, an executive wrote: “Can’t sing. Can’t act. Slightly balding. Can dance a little.” He is widely regarded as one of the most influential dancers in the history of film and television musicals. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Theodor Seuss Geisel = Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had his first book rejected by 27 different publishers. Dr. Seuss became a legendary children’s author known around the world for classics like “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham.” His books have sold over 600 million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.

Lucille Ball = Lucille Ball appeared in so many second-tier films at the start of her career that she became known as “The Queen of B Movies.” She finally achieved success with the show “I Love Lucy”. In 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced several popular television series, including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.

Winston Churchill = Due to many disagreements with his political party between the years of 1929-1939 he was alienated. At the outbreak of World War II on Sep. 3, 1939, Churchill was appointed to the British Admiralty, thus ending his “exile.” The next year, he was elected prime minister at the age of 62. Churchill’s quote showed his perseverance. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day- Never Give Up.

Lady Gaga = Lady Gaga got dropped by her record label, Island Def Jam, after 3 months. Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer, and fashion designer. She now has a net worth of over $275 million dollars.

Harrison Ford = After Harrison Ford’s first small movie role, an executive took him into his office and told him he’d never succeed in the movie business. Ford’s career went on to span six decades and has included timeless starring roles in blockbuster films like the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” series. Ford’s worldwide box office grosses surpass $6 billion, making Ford the second highest-grossing U.S. domestic box-office star. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs for the Modern Day – Never Give Up.

Jay Z = In 1995 when Jay-Z tried tirelessly to strike a record deal, not a single label would sign him. It led him to establish his own record company called Roc-a-fella Records with partners Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs. Eventually, he successfully negotiated a contract with Priority, later releasing his debut album entitled, Reasonable Doubt, which would eventually go on to hit platinum. Now, the musician — who’s also an investor and entrepreneur — is worth $900 million.

As you can see with all of these people all of them believed in never giving up. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence and determination. If you want something bad enough nothing is ever out of reach. Live your life like failure is not an option and remember the longer your good is incoming the greater it will be when it comes. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day- Never Give Up. Check out my website

Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality

Victim – one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent; one that is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment.

Mentality – mode or way of thought; outlook

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it. – Mark Twain. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality. Check out my website

As I am writing this blog I am fighting thoughts of victim mentality myself.

Every great writer knows that personal stories are vital to them being successful. Don’t be afraid to be open and vulnerable! Write about your challenging times and how you overcame them or are overcoming them. This is a concept I am very familiar with as I have had to do this, and it has brought me remarkable success as I have been one of 50 finalists for the “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” book for the past 3 years. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality. Check out my website

I have written a previous blog titled “Abase and Abounding” when we go through highs and lows in our lives. There are also times when we sometimes feel like victims and that is the thought process in our minds. Thoughts run through our minds like Life is not fair, I never get the good breaks, Why do I always end up with the short end of the stick, It’s just another day everything is still the same, Is God on vacation, did he forget about me? Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality.

We are all guided by our minds. We become what we think about. When we feel like we have entered the stage of victim mentality we have to break that thought process immediately and the quickest way is to start a gratitude process. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality.

Every day we should make a list of at least 10 things we should be grateful for before we start our day. You can write it on an index card, do a word document, or use the memo pad on your phone and create the list. When we send positive grateful thoughts through our mind we don’t have time to have a negative thought process which would include having a victim mentality. The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. – Albert Einstein.

We need to realize that we have to be grateful for the smaller things and when we do we are given bigger things. We need to be grateful for the food we eat, the water we drink, the choices we have for cellular services, cable services, supermarkets to shop at, etc., the things nature offers such as planet earth, air, and the sun. – “I started out giving thanks for small things, and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased. That’s because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” – Oprah Winfrey. I am working on my gratitude list now as I’m writing this blog.

So, whenever you are having your ups and downs and highs and lows and feel like you are slipping into a victim mentality mode remember you have to allow a power greater than you to take care of the how. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Victim Mentality. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith.

Feelings – an emotional state or reaction.

Faith -something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief and trust in and loyalty to God.

We are created as emotional beings. Feelings aren’t wrong, but a believer’s life is meant to be based on faith, not on feelings. Feelings have a prominent place in our lives, but we can’t use them to guide our lives. Feelings come and go and are unreliable guides to the truth and what is right. Whenever we walk by feelings rather than faith we fail. Many people just glide through life running on emotion. Christ had feelings and emotions and he didn’t hide them. Jesus wept when he came to the grave of Lazarus. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day- Feelings Vs Faith.

They say that anger weakens the liver, grief weakens the lungs, worry weakens the stomach, stress weakens the heart and brain, and fear fails the kidneys. So where do these things come from that weaken our systems? Disturbances from our spouse, family members, place of employment, the news media, etc. These are all examples of feelings. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith. Check out my website

Knowing about God and his will and obediently following him are the basics of a believer’s discipleship. Faith has nothing to do with feelings. Faith rests on the absolute word of God.

There is a story in the bible regarding two men of faith Caleb and Joshua. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith.

Before God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt, He promised to bring the Israelites back to the land He had given to Abraham so many years ago. (Ex. 3:8). God was leading the Israelites to the promised land. When they were close, God instructed Moses to send 12 spies into the land to scout it out. The spies traveled around the land for 40 days, and it was just as God had promised. There was one problem: the people in the land were big and strong. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. So, they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they ascended by the south and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, we came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, the land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. – Numbers 13:17-33. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me. Doubtless, ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. – Numbers 14:26-30. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith.

As you can see God rewards those who live by faith. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith.

So, then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. – Mark 11:22-24.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Since we are made in the image of God we are to live our daily lives living in faith not relying on our feelings. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For the Modern Day – Feelings Vs Faith. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer

The word test seems to abound. There are several types of tests. You have an assessment test you take in school, driving test, health check test, eye examination test, dental exam tests. Etc. These are tests that we are all familiar with and must take at one time or another in our lives. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

However, are you aware that God tests us as well? God tests us to prove our faith. God will allow a certain amount of trials and tribulations to come our way in this life, however, he will also use some of these trials as a way of testing all of us out from time to time to see if we have learned what He has been teaching us. He rarely, if ever, announces them ahead of time. They just come.

From time to time God will place us in uncomfortable situations that put us under pressure to show what our true character is. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. – Psalm 11:5. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

A while back I was introduced to the Book of James that has a very profound set of verses that tell us to expect tests and that we should delight in them. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diver’s temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. – James 1:2-4. Now for those of you that have a type-A personality like myself, this was not something I wanted to read or hear. I am sure no one wants to be joyful when things are not going their way. I am very sure patience is the last thing in anybody’s mind when things are not going smoothly. We want it fixed and done like yesterday! When we are in an uncomfortable situation and our flesh is not enjoying it, we want it fixed immediately. However, that is not the way God works. According to him, tests are beneficial. Tests are God’s way of moving us out of our comfort zones. “Comfort is the enemy of progress.” – The Greatest Showman quote. – Check out my website

There are several types of test but here are some of the top ones.

The People Test – Do you place your faith in people? People are human and frail just like yourself. They may be there for you for a season but eventually, God will remove them, so you can place your faith where it truly belongs which is in God. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:5. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just a Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

The Pressure Test – When all hell is breaking loose and things are tumultuous will you depend on yourself or depend on God? And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. – Psalm 50:15. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

The Faith Test – Do you have faith in God or do you operate from your feelings more? Noah operated in faith when God spoke to him and advised him to build an ark because the end of all flesh was coming because God was going to flood the earth and destroy all mankind and animals and beasts. Thus, did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. You can read the entire story in Genesis 6-8. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

The Patience Test – This is one of the hardest tests of all especially if you are a type-A personality. This is where you have done everything you have been asked to do, but now God is going to ask you to just sit and wait for the big breakthrough to occur. This is the position Moses was in after Pharaoh finally released the people of Israel. They had traveled and walked so long, and the promise land was on the other side of the Red Sea. Once they reached the Red Sea God made Moses and the people of Israel wait before he parted it. The people started to complain to Moses why didn’t you just leave us in Egypt with Pharaoh instead of bringing us out here to die in the wilderness and in the sea. God did eventually part the Red Sea and the people crossed over to the other side and Pharaoh’s army was killed in the sea when God brought the waters back together. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

The Obedience Test – There is one test in the Bible that brings tears to your eyes and fills you with joy at the same time. This is the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. God asked Abraham to put his son Isaac on an altar and then asked him to take a knife and kill his own son. As we all know, Abraham went as far as to tie his son down to the altar and had the knife in his hand ready to strike down on him to take his life, when suddenly God sends an angel down in the nick of time to stop him. Would you be obedient to God to this length? – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

Most tests that God puts you through are not this daunting. Tests are more in the realm of do you trust God, or do you worry? Do you have patience in a traffic jam or in line at the supermarket? Do you throw your hands in the air and give up as soon as you are disappointed? Where would we all be if Thomas Edison just gave up and didn’t pass the test?

Thomas Edison Quotes:

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

What we all need to do while we are waiting for our breakthrough is pray. However, the type of prayers you should be saying is to ask God to change you. God is interested in refining you and changing you and he does this through these tests. If your weakness is patience, then God will see to it that you are always in the wrong line in the supermarket. Or you always get caught up in traffic just to test your patience. The thing about tests is that God will allow you to take them repeatedly until you pass them. – Book of Proverbs – It’s Just A Test – Prayer Is The Answer.

Keep praying even though it seems like God went on vacation. God knows exactly where you are in life. Pay attention to the areas you are being tested in. It will make you more aware once God decides to test you. When you become familiar with the same patterns you will realize it is just a test. Pass it and move on. The faster you do the faster God will be able to open the skies and rain down exceeding and abundant blessing on your life and bring you into your divine destiny. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs- The Essence of Prayer

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs – The Essence of Prayer

Essence – the most significant element, quality, or aspect of a thing or person the essence of the issue.

Prayer – an address (such as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought; something prayed for.

Your prayer life needs to be simple. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye, therefore, like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. – Matthew 6:6-13. This is a very simple prayer that Jesus gave us to pray. Your prayer life should include the following:

Devotion – We need to let God know that we are dedicated and loyal to him.

He did that for us when he sent Jesus to the cross for all of us. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. – Colossians 3:17. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs- The Essence of Prayer. Check out my website

Confession – We need to confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. – Romans 3:10-12. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs – The Essence of Prayer.

Gratitude – We all need to give thanks to God daily for every gift we receive. Water to drink, food to eat, use of our senses, sunshine, etc. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. – Psalms 136:1. Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. – Psalms 106:1. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs – The Essence of Prayer.

Praise – When we praise God the heavens rejoice. Praise is a vital part of a life surrendered to God, and it gives credit where credit is due. Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. – Psalm 150:1-6. By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. – Hebrews 13:15. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs – The Essence of Prayer.

Here is a sample prayer you can say daily:

Father God, I pledge my loyalty to you. I ask you to forgive me for my past sins. I am truly grateful for all the blessings and gifts you have bestowed upon me. I praise you for all the things you have done for me, as well as all the things I am currently praying for. I thank you for the things that you haven’t done because you knew with your infinite wisdom they were not right for me. Amen.

For those of you that are new to prayer, you may want to use the prayer I gave you but eventually, you may want to use your own words. Whichever route you take just remember to keep it simple and incorporate the true meaning of The Essence of Prayer. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs – The Essence of Prayer. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” – A portion of The Declaration of Independence April 1776. – Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top. Check out my website

I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” – A portion of Martin Luther King Jr’s – I Have A Dream Speech – August 1963. Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top.

How is it that we have strayed so far away from the above proclamation and speech? How is it that great men and women like Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Nelson Mandel, Martin Luther King Jr, Mikhail Gorbachev, Rosa Parks, Jimmy Carter, and countless others have rallied to show that we are all one. So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. – Genesis 1:27. Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top. Check out my website

One man had this same vision and stepped up to the plate. Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, politician, and businessman remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017). – http://www.wickipedia.com

PT Barnum was fully aware that all men were created equal and created in the image of God so that is why he employed oddities of all types. It didn’t matter to him that one person was taller than another, broader than another, hairier than another, he employed them all and brought smiles and laughter to people’s faces. I am sure you have heard the phrase “laughter is good for the soul.”

Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand. — Mark Twain.

Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. — Lord Byron.

Humor is a prelude to faith and laughter is the beginning of prayer. — Reinhold Niebuhr.

If Laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely DISSOLVE your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them – Dr. Madan Kataria.

Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations.” — Norman Cousins.

When you laugh, aside from the endorphin rush, there’s also a spiritual opening. You’re not so tight inside yourself. That opening I’ve found to be a real gift, in people being able to absorb spirituality. —Rabbi Sydney Mintz.

He that is of a merry heart has a continual feast. — Proverbs 15:15.

The circus allows people of all types to come together as a family. God gifted us all with different talents and the circus is where you can witness that. There are so many different acts to bring you happiness. Aerial Hoop, Animal Training, Balancing, Clowns, Flying Trapeze, Juggling, Knife throwing, Stilt Walking, etc. etc. etc. Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top

This is the way that God wants us to be. Working hand in hand with each other. Celebrating each other’s talent. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also, is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. – Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top.

If you have not seen the movie “The Greatest Showman” please do. It is an awesome movie and a fantastic depiction of circus performers working together as a family appreciating each other’s talent. – Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top.

So, let us all strive in our daily lives to be just like the circus performers Under The Big Top. – Book of Proverbs – Under The Big Top.

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Yes

Yes – used as a function word to express assent or agreement.

Do you know what the most powerful word in the English language is? It is the word YES. A lot of people believe that NO is the most powerful word but that would be wrong. The word NO shows closed-mindedness and fear but, the word YES shows true strength and courage. The word YES signals interest and respect. When you say the word YES you look at what is presented to you and simply look at the problem in front of you in a fresh way. The word YES is a positive affirmation. It reflects in your body language and makes you feel valued. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern day – Yes.

The word YES stretches you, challenges, energizes, creates safety and trust, and fuels creativity. The word NO polarizes prompts defensiveness, and shuts down innovation, collaboration, and connection. When you say the word NO fear, anger or resignation set in, all of which kill creativity, increase distrust, and discourage engagement. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Yes. Check out my website

There are many people in the bible that knew the power of the word YES. God used everyday people who said yes to him in the Bible. Noah said yes when God asked him to build an ark. Abraham said yes when God asked him to sacrifice his only son. However, God spared his life. Moses said yes when God told him to ask Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Mary said yes when the angel asked her to carry Jesus, the only Son of God. The disciples said yes when Jesus asked them to leave everything behind and follow Him. Paul, who once persecuted Christians as Saul, said yes when God asked him to deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. These people were not extraordinary people with great fortitude and toughness. They were normal people who tolerated, wrestled, and wept but still said yes to God and His will. The biggest one of all is Jesus who said YES to being crucified on the cross. What was his reward? He now sits on the throne on the right side of the Father. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Yes.

Some of the most powerful and well know people knew the power of the word YES:

Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn’t have the power to say yes. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Everything in the world began with a yes. One molecule said yes to another molecule and life was born. – Clarice Lispector

I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes. – Bob Goff

It doesn’t matter what a million people tell you what you can’t do, or if ten million tell you no. If you get one yes from God that’s all you need. – Tyler Perry

Never say no to adventures. Always say yes, otherwise you’ll lead a very dull life. – Ian Fleming

Timidity makes a person modest. It makes him or her say, “I’m not worthy of being written up in the record of deeds in heaven or on earth.” Timidity keeps people from their good. They are afraid to say, “Yes I deserve it.” – Maya Angelou

Everywhere I go I find that people…. both leaders and individuals…. are asking one basic question, “Is there any hope for the future?” My answer is the same, “Yes, through Jesus Christ.” – Billy Graham

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, yes even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Jesus Christ – Matthew 28:20

We have so many various aspects of our daily lives, spouse, parent, business owner, employee, church member etc. We will need to learn and train ourselves to say YES, I love you. YES, I am here for you. YES, you have my attention. Yes, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Yes.

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – 1929-1968. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Yes. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday

Good Friday marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday

Good Friday is a significant day in the year for Christians. It honors the most important weekend in the history of the world. Good Friday is celebrated two days before Easter.

Good Friday we remember the day Jesus accepted his fate of the cross and sacrificed himself for all of us. Jesus died for our sins, was buried and then raised from the dead on the third day.

Jesus was crucified by the Romans on a hill outside Jerusalem. The Good in Good Friday comes from old English when Good meant Holy. The crucifix, or cross, which represents the way Jesus died, is an important symbol seen on Good Friday. Some crosses bear a figure of Christ. Other symbols of Good Friday include black cloth used to cover the cross, paintings, and statues in churches and some homes to signify mourning. Check out my website

Good Friday is an observance that involves people fasting and praying. Some people don’t eat bread or meat only fish. Some people bake hot cross buns, a traditional Good Friday sweet. Church services are normally held between the hours of 12 noon and 3 pm in remembrance of the hours when Jesus hung on the cross. The crucifixion was the culmination of several events in Holy Week, including the triumphal return of Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus; and the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday.

There are several excellent Good Friday bible verses that should be read to commemorate the day:

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. – Romans 5:6-10. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. – 1 Peter 2:24. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

So, as we lead into this holy week remember the true meaning of Good Friday and all Jesus sacrificed for us. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For the Modern Day – Baseball – Religion

“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when all the days are all twilight when you need it the most, it stops.” – A. Bartlett Giamatti The Green Fields of the Mind. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Rogers Hornsby. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

THE BOYS OF SUMMER ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

Baseball is a tremendous sport. For starters, baseball has the most amazing and loyal fans. Look at the Chicago Cubs fans that waited 108 years for their team to win the World Series. Then there is Opening Day. It is the most phenomenal thing. There is a sold-out crowd who is cheering, smiling, and filled with such expectation for the new season. Then there are also the team mascots. Team mascots work hard to keep the fans engaged when there are breaks in the game such as pitching changes. Professional mascots make about $25,000.00 per year but the best in the field can command a six-figure salary. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion. Check out my website

You never know what to expect with baseball. The game can change dramatically from inning to inning. You could have a pitcher’s duel, or an offensive onslaught where you can’t keep up with all the runners rounding the bases, or a nail-biting possibility of a no-hitter. If the pitcher gets it that puts him in the Baseball Hall of Fame. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball -Religion.

The glove pop, the whiff of the bat, the home run. There are so many aspects to the game of baseball but there are other things that run-in three’s in baseball such as 3 strikes and 3 outs. The Trinity is also composed of three: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. There are 108 beads in a Catholic Rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

This year Opening Day is July 24, 2020, because of Covid-19. Normally Baseball starts in late March or April close to Easter. Baseball has a lot to instruct us about Easter. In both Baseball and Easter, there is always a taunting crowd. We are all aware of this from Good Friday. We are also keenly aware of this in our own lives. At Easter, as with Baseball, we don’t go the course alone. We are always encircled by our team. And the Lord, he is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. – Deuteronomy 31:8. A Baseball team has 9 players on the field. Jesus, who is omnipotent is always with us, so he is on the field as well.

Baseball has its highs and lows just like our daily walk with God. In baseball, a guy can have a multiple-hit game like hitting for the cycle which is a momentous day! In our daily walk with God, we could receive a clean bill of health from our doctor after running major tests when the original diagnosis was bad. In baseball, you can strike out 3 or more consecutive times for the day and at the end of the game have a batting average below 200 which they say is batting below the Mendoza line. Mario Mendoza is a Mexican former MLB player who had a lifetime batting average of 215. He is a member of the Mexican League Hall of Fame. In your daily walk with God the promotion you were expecting to receive you didn’t get. In both situations, tomorrow is another day and you get to start again fresh and new with endless possibilities because God is with you.

“The similarities between Baseball and Religion abound. The ballpark as cathedral; saints and sinners; the curses and blessings. But then what I’m arguing is beyond that surface level, there’s a fundamental similarity between baseball and religion which goes to the capacity of baseball to cause human beings, in a context they don’t think of as religious, to break the plane of ordinary existence into the plane of extraordinary existence.” – John Sexton Former New York University President from his book Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.