Get Wisdom

     “Wisdom is the principal thing” is what David taught Solomon as a young boy. David wanted Solomon to know that seeking God’s wisdom was the most important choice he could make. Solomon learned this lesson very well. Solomon chose wisdom over all else.

     We should also make God’s wisdom our first choice. We don’t have to be like Solomon and wait for God to appear to us; we can boldly ask Him for wisdom today through prayer. God will grant our request. I never followed this practice as a youngster. I simply made the assumption that everything would go according to the plans I had in my own mind.

Sometimes, we have to wait on the promises of God. The people of Israel waited forty years in the wilderness for their promise. (Joshua 5:6) Remember that God’s timing is not our timing. While we sit and ponder on today, God has already seen today and has made provision for tomorrow. In fact He has seen a thousand tomorrows. We must learn patience. God may have seemed slow to the people of Israel as they faced persecution everyday and longed to be delivered. God is not slow. He is just not on our timetable.

     Patience allows God to work His perfect work in you, allowing trials to purify character and develop patience. We may never know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. If we remain patient through our rocky road experiences, we will find that in the end we will be much better and much stronger, ready to face the next obstacle. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but we should have a positive outlook because of what trials can produce in our lives. James tells us to turn our hardships into a time of learning, knowing that tough times can teach us patience.

      We have to learn to rest in the Lord, committing ourselves to Him and not being anxious for anything. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to entrust everything to Him: our families, jobs, possessions—all to His control and guidance. There has to be a belief that He can care for us better than we can take care of ourselves. We should be willing to wait patiently for Him to work out what is best for us, never having anger, worry or fear. When these emotions (anger, worry and fear) take over, they can become very destructive. They reveal that we lack faith.

     When a person dwells on past problems, they will become anxious and angry, but if you concentrate on God and His goodness, you will find peace.

I love my children (Two little girls); they are my inspiration and my motivation. They are one of the main reasons that I wake up in the morning. According to my wife I spoil my children. My personal opinion to the matter is that a father should spoil his children. Why would I want them to leave home to find love, peace and happiness? I have some very sweet children but like all children they can sometimes stretch me to the point in which I have to take my own personal timeout.

I am like the Pied Piper, when I come into the home my children bombard me with questions and they want to be a part of whatever I am doing. Under normal circumstances I enjoy having them around. I recently had some painting to do and they helped (Kind of). I installed a new microwave in the kitchen and they helped me again (Sort of). They may not be actual helpers but we have fun spending this quality time together. What I really enjoy the most is when we cuddle up on the couch to watch one of their favorite movies. These memories will last a lifetime.

However, There is a point in this relationship where I draw the line. What is that you may be asking of this man who “Loves” his children? I draw the line when my darling dears decide that my bedroom is now their own. I draw the line when they decide to knock on my bedroom door at 3:00 AM just so they can crawl in our bed (Not because of a boogieman).

My lovely wife, who enjoys spending countless hours in our bedroom, reading, talking on the phone and fumbling with her laptop, has established the problem here. Because of this my children come into our bedroom to socialize with my wife. They start off asking a few questions and before long they turn our room into a playground. My wife thinks I have no clue as to what is going on because when I am home she tells the children they have to “Get Out!” I am a smart man and I know better. I know that my little one’s are way too comfortable in our bedroom. If they had been banned on a regular basis, they would stop at the door and enquire as to whether or not they could enter (This was how things worked when I was a boy). Even my oldest daughter (College Student) comes into my room and flops on the bed to talk with the wife.

I would like to believe that this will soon pass but if history repeats itself (and it normally does) I guess I will just have to live with this situation. I love my children but I want my bedroom back!

Before we begin to embark on the festive holiday season, I want to be the first to say thank you for your support and encouragement. You comments and words of wisdom have inspired me to reach higher, obtaining all that is within my reach. I understand that I must first encourage myself but I also want to make those of you that believe in me happy. This past year may have brought with it various challenges but with God on our side we are going to make and it on that I am most certain. You may ask how can I be so certain, because Scripture says, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken…” God is the source in which we should all lean on. His wings will continue to cover us and carry us in this quest for more. I pray that blessing will be bestowed upon you this Thanksgiving and that your families will prosper in the coming season. Happy Thanksgiving!

Everyone wants to be part of the “in” crowd; In fact most of us are persuaded in this direction. When a person tries to become part of the “in” crowd the quickly find themselves following trends and people. We are all individuals God created us that way. Never follow but learn to lead, even if you don’t think you have leader type qualities, know that there is a leader inside of you waiting to come out. Throughout history many unassuming individuals have stepped up to the plate and have become great leaders. Know that you are the leader of the pack, even if you have a fear of failing; have no fear. First of all with God all things are possible, and as human no one is perfect. Former President George Bush was quoted as saying “I’ve made mistakes in my life, but I’m proud to tell you I’ve learned from my mistakes. That’s the role of a leader – to share wisdom, to share experience with people who are looking for someone to lead.” Like him or not George W. learned the values of a leader. The point here is that once you learn to trust in yourself people will want to know what you know.

Note: (For more on this topic see my book entitled “Fear, Folly & Purpose…The keys to making the right decisions available anywhere Christian books are sold)

Some people are never satisfied, you give them inch they want to take the whole mile, you give them a smile and they try to take that as well. These individuals are excessive or overly compulsive, they are never satisfied with simply staying in their own lane. This type of behavior is one that can cause bitter relations with friends and family, even worse it can cause bitter relation in your own psyche.

Some people will spend their entire life trying to find something that pleases them. These same people will spend eternity searching for some type of self-pleasure, never realizing that the consumption of stuff will never satisfy. Some may not agree saying that, “Money can buy happiness.” You do not have to be a rocket scientist to know that money is simply a means to get what you want but it will never bring internal peace and happiness.

 People must first learn how to love themselves. Once this is done they will then begin to appreciate the things that surround them. As a Christian I look to God for direction and inner solitude. God is my source for everything He is my energy and in Him I have decided to place my faith.  In God one can find all of the peace or pleasure that their heart desires. Never let the idea of having stuff control your emotions. Learn to love yourself first at that point you will find that things a re of no consequence to you.

This week’s blog is being brought to you by way of my new study. The piano has been moved and progression has begun. I have some things to work out but all in all I am ready. The hindrance the piano caused can only be explained as one of being misled and confused. During the time that the piano dwelled in its place I became complacent. I decided to live with this obstruction instead of moving it and making room for progression. The fact that I can now sit here in comfort, in seclusion alone with my thoughts is amazing. The inspiration that accompanies that I am obtaining based on my surroundings are nothing to be upset about either. I am looking forward to have a very good time dwelling in my new place of refuge. In fact my new book has begun and it is being made possible simply because I have created a place that I can call my own. I said it before and I will say it again, “Move that Piano because obstruction can cause hindrances.”

There is an old saying that says, “Something that is old can become new again.” The fashion world has embarrassed this statement and will regurgitate a fashion design over and over again. They seem to understand the human mind enough to know that if something is packaged or presented just a little bit different than it can be constituted as new. For example, I love wristwatches, I always have and more than likely my love for them will continue until I am old and gone. To my point, one day while visiting my local jeweler I made mention to the fact that I would love to have a “Patek Philippe” watch. This watch is considered the “crème-de-la-crème” of the watch world. Several days later the jeweler contacted me to tell me that one of her customers had an old Patek Philippe watch that belonged to his father that he wanted to sell. I was overjoyed and promptly made my way to the jeweler to purchase the watch. The watch was old and I could tell that it was not taken care of; basically the presentation of the piece caused me to almost say no. However, I know the value that a piece of this nature has if only it could be reconditioned. Long story short, I purchased the watch for pennies on the dollar, had it reconditioned and to my surprise, the value of the watch quadrupled!

What is the point of this tale? Well my point is this. When something is presented in a bad way many of us will not accept it, even though we know it may have some value or merit. When something is presented in a bad way our minds will subconsciously shut down refusing to embrace the information. Then someone comes along and presents this same information to you in a new and exciting way all of a sudden it begins to spark new interest in you thought patterns. Now the information has value, substance and merit. What is old has now become new! Always look beyond the surface of a thing; shallow thinking will only hinder you. Imagine if I had decided to say “No” to the Patek Philippe watch, I would have left something very valuable sitting on the table. (Think about it).

Just the other day I posted a comment on Facebook and also on Twitter indicating the importance of remembering family as the holiday season approaches. My words to that point said, “As we approach the holiday season remember to keep family first, love is the best gift of all and can last a lifetime.” To some this may not have been a big deal but to others this really means a lot. In fact, my sentiments to this statement have hit home with the loss of a dear loved one. Losing a loved one is never easy, it is an emotional experience that no one wants to go through. The holiday season (Thanksgiving/Christmas) makes the situation even harder to coupe with. 

The winter holidays can present a sad chain of events for many as they go through the winter blues (blahs). I often think about my dad during this time, remembering the many Christmas’s that he made possible for all eight of his children. Never did I hear him complain. As an adult with children of my own, I realize the thought of supporting a large family must have been a daunting task. However, I now realize that it was not about the gift exchange that made the holiday’s special, it was the gathering of the combined families sharing laughs and enjoying one another’s companionship.

This year I grieve with my extended family (Uncle and cousins) in the loss of their mother. I know this holiday season will present a challenge but they are a strong family and they love each other very much. That alone will help them see their way through this tragedy and will keep them moving forward. Losing a parent is never easy, especially when the parent has been an iconic member of the family. My prayer for this family is that they continue to share in laughter and love, caring on the tradition that our parents have instilled in them. Keep family first and give thanks to God for all things, for in due season we shall all meet again. 

Please be sure to visit my website www.mrdonaldpayne.com and receive your free gift.

What is the favor of the Lord? Favor is something that you really cannot explain; you just have to live it and experience it. Favor has been a part history since the beginning of time. The favor of the Lord that we experience is a direct lineage blessing passed down from our ancestors. Therefore, the blessing associated with you in regards to favor will be passed down to your children and to your children’s children. Some people will call it luck but for those of us who know and understand the wonderful blessings that only God can provide, luck falls out of the equation. I have written on this topic before but this information is too good to read only once. Not to mention that in order to get the full focus of what I am saying a person needs to know when favor is knocking at their door. Believe it, receive it, claim it and obtain it, the favor of the Lord is yours for the taking enjoy it.

In a world of uncertainty, one thing that has always stood the test of time has been true friends and their friendship. You come to depend on friends as go through life’s ups and downs. Many times people will call you friend, but when the “rubber meets the road” very few mean it. A friend is someone you can depend on no matter what. Through thick and thin; better or worse; a true friend will stick closer than a brother. Friends will cheer you up when you are down; they will help resurrect you when life has dealt you a bad blow. Some have been known to go as far giving up a part of themselves so a friend may live.

When picking a friend you have to be very careful; it’s like picking up a puppy. You have to ask yourself am I willing to spend years caring. I am very grateful for the friends that have crossed my path. The fact that I can contact an old friend that I have not seen for years and still get the same type of response just as if we talked everyday is pretty cool.

If you have or know someone that has a lot of friends, pay attention to them and notice how happy they are. I have heard someone say, “People don’t need friends.” I say this simply not true. With friendship you also get companionship and a certain type of camaraderie that can only be shared with a chum, pal or a buddy.

The feeling you get when a friend can trust in you enough to ask for some type advice or guidance, whether that advice has to do with marriage, religion, work or a personal matter, not only makes you feel good but defines the meaning of what friends are for.

I would like to suggest that if you don’t have a good friend, get one. I will guarantee you that it will be one of the smartest moves you will ever make.