do you know?

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in His hands?
Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name,
and what is the name of His Son—
if you know?
Proverbs 30:4

We spend a lot of time asking, "Where?": "Where did it all start?"; ""Where is it going?"; "Where will it end?" Maybe we should start asking, "Who?": "Who started it?"; "Who made this mess?"; "Who will clean it up?"  Do you know?

Stirring the pot

An angry man stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered man  increases rebellion.
Proverbs 29:22

Don't stir the pot if you don't want to eat the soup!

policy & procedure

One who rebukes a person will later find more favor
than one who flatters  with his tongue.
Proverbs 28:23

Honesty is always the best policy!

Excuses, excuses

The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—
a lion in the public square!”
A door turns on its hinges,
and a slacker, on his bed.
The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he is too weary to bring it to his mouth.
In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser
than seven men who can answer sensibly.
Proverbs 26:13-16

Slackers are full of excuses, and we all know what excuses are like!

Saving

Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person,
but a foolish man consumes them.
Proverbs 21:20

The wise save, adding wealth to their home, while the foolish spend & consume, decreasing their value.

Overdrawn

A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.
A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.
Proverbs 18:6-7

When I was was a child, my mom used to say, "Don't let your mouth write checks your body can't cash!" whenever I was a smartaleck. I may not have known what a checking account was, but did I understand the principle of being overdrawn! Needless to say, there is no overdraft protection for a smart mouth!

Holding your tongue

 The intelligent person restrains his words,
and one who keeps a cool head
is a man of understanding.
Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent,
discerning when he seals his lips.

Sometimes intelligence is shown by keeping silent!

speaking in tongues

The reflections of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:1

We chose our words much more carefully when we realize they carry so much authority. So, what are you saying?

contagious

 Bright eyes cheer the heart;
good news strengthens  the bones.
Proverbs 14:30

Positivity is contagious; try catching some today!

Go take a walk

Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord,
but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
Proverbs 14:2

If you're going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk!

Mockingbird

A wise son responds to his father’s discipline,
but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 13:1

Mockingbirds may sound pretty, but they cannot sing their own unique song. As a mockingbird sings other bird's songs repeatedly, so a mocker endlessly repeats learning the same lesson over and over, and is never free to flourish.

Forrest Gump

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but one who hates correction is stupid
Proverbs 12:1

As Forrest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does," and it appears ignoring correction is, well, stupid.

Trouble

The one who searches for what is good  finds favor,
but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.
Prov 11:27

Don't go looking for trouble; you'll find more than you want!

tempted

The woman Folly is rowdy;
she is gullible and knows nothing.
She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:
“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”
But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Prov 9:13-18

Temptation isn't passive; it calls to everyone, claiming to hold happiness. But in the end, it leads to destruction.

swimming upstream

Happy is a man who finds wisdom
and who acquires understanding,
 for she is more profitable than silver,
and her revenue is better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life  is in her right hand;
in her left, riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant,
and all her paths, peaceful.
She is a tree of life  to those who embrace her,
and those who hold on to her are happy.
Proverbs 4:13-18

Knowledge and information fly at us all day long, often bringing anxiety. Life is a lot like swimming upstream, and wisdom allows you to move through it like a salmon!

teachability

The proverbs of Solomon  son of David, king of Israel:
For learning what wisdom and discipline are;
for understanding insightful sayings;
for receiving wise instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,
knowledge and discretion  to a young man—
a wise man will listen and increase his learning,
and a discerning man will obtain guidance—
for understanding a proverb or a parable,
the words of the wise, and their riddles.
Proverbs 1:1-6

Adults, are you passing down wisdom to the next generation? Youth, are you listening?  Teachability will take you a long way when you're young, and give you something to pass down when you're older.