By Humility and the Fear of the LORD are Riches, and Honour, and Life

Proverbs 22 - King James Version

If you are ever at a loss on how to comport yourself in public and in business dealings, Proverbs 22 is rich with knowledge. You have only to ask God for the wisdom, always in the name of Jesus Christ.


1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Prayer for Sanctification and Guidance

Almighty God, who alone gavest us the breath

of life, and alone canst keep alive in us the

holy desires thou dost impart; We beseech

thee, for thy compassion's sake, to sanctify

all our thoughts and endevours; that we may

neither begin an action without a pure

intention nor continue it without thy

blessing.  And grant that, having the eyes of

the mind opened to behold things invisible

and unseen, we may in heart be inspired by

thy wisdom, and in work be upheld by thy

strength, and in the end be accepted of thee

as thy faithful servants; through Jesus

Christ our Saviour.  Amen.





(from The Common Book of Prayer)

Ahh, Amigurumi!

I recently stumbled upon these cute crochet creatures called amigurumi.

They are usually crocheted, but sometimes knitted.  Characterized by anthropomorphic animals and objects, these small creations fit into the palm of your hand. Amigurumi is a Japanese art and the word translates into English as "knitted stuffed toy".

My favorite is the Ninja Bunny Minion.





Amigurumi grew in popularity in the early and mid-1990's.  Most have much more charm than even the best Beanie Babies.

Even if you don't know how to crochet, I think by the end of the day  most people that are half decent at making small things with their hands will be able to make a simple creature out of yarn and a few  beads if they put their mind to it and have a little bit of patience.

Thumbs up to this purely aesthetic diversion!

Read more at:  http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&bID=537530080#ix

The Value of a Teacher

Original article written by Sherrie Hatfield

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

— Albert Einstein

"I have had many teachers in my lifetime. While we may think of teachers and students in relation to school, I like to think of my parents as being my first teachers. We are all born with innate instincts that no one can teach us; we know to cry when we are hungry or in pain, to laugh when we feel joy, to turn over, crawl, walk, and run. What my parents did teach me was how to use my instincts to create my life, and they provided me a safe environment with which to do so.

When I began school, I found another type of teacher and became a different type of student. In the beginning, my schoolteachers made learning fun; they challenged and encouraged me, allowed me to explore what I was capable of, to push beyond my limitations. I loved my teachers and loved learning so much that my favorite game to play with my younger sisters was “school”. Of course, I was always the teacher!

In later years, I became aware that not all teachers were the same. I learned that many teachers were more concerned with grades and performance, with being the best and the fittest. In those later years of my education, the joy of learning was lost as I was simply fed information to memorize by teachers who did not see me as an individual but simply another student. I no longer saw my teachers as people, either; my respect for them had started to fade.

I left school at the end of my 11th year; the joy of learning had been lost. I entered the workforce and found, in my colleagues, yet a new kind of teacher. Here, I was able to choose my teachers and my fields of interest; I felt as if I was free to learn once again. From these teachers, I learned how to apply my knowledge and skills, how to interact with and manage the people around me. While I could not name it at the time, those who I chose as my teachers not only had knowledge and information, they applied it in everyday life. They walked the walk and talked the talk and lived what they knew.

 When I began my journey of self-discovery in order to enhance my personal relationships, understand family dynamics, and gain a greater sense of self, as well as become the best child care teacher I could, I met a teacher with whom I spent 15 years, first as a student and then as a teacher working alongside of her. With this teacher, I studied spiritual and personal development through meditation, opening to psychic and intuitive awareness, exploring diverse philosophies and esoteric beliefs, and engaging with my inner child. I was a full-time student of this teacher for two years before working side by side with her as a teacher. My dedication was so deep that I even lived on the same property with her for years.

During that time, I taught meditation and self-growth, and even taught child-care teachers internationally how to work more openly and effectively with children. I discovered the greatest reward in teaching was to witness the uniqueness, the potential, that lay dormant in each student and help them to give it life, not as the teacher or the world envisioned it should be, but as the student chose..."



Original article: http://www.robertrabbin.com/reading-room/new-article/a.php?article=thevalueofateacher