Happy Birthday Wisdom!
*Note to the reader - Nerdy stuff in the blog. Fun stuff in the captions.
Among several other titles (currently wrapping up my Capote phase), I am currently reading a Guideposts book called Know the Bible in 30 Days. I am in the chapter studying the book of Proverbs and came across these quotes (by J. Stephen Lang). Here is a little conversation I had in response:
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| Just as I was celebrating 46, my great was turning one! We are birthday twins. 💗 [I deliberately never put them (or anyone else) on here, unless they are biologically mine. I value others' privacy too much.] |
Lang: "We have all encountered the unintentional arrogance of youth, young people full of the enthusiasm of their inexperience."
Me: Myself included, for sure! But I love the way he speaks in love rather than in criticism and judgment. We are ALL guilty of the need for improvement - more so if we blindly believe we are not. I have chosen to remind myself to "remove the log out of my own eye before I try to remove the splinter from another."
Jesus: "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:5, NIV
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| He KNOCKED it out of the park this year, for real...all the little details. We are growing together, and he is learning to hear my heart and my needs. I am learning to communicate and ask for help, so I'm not as cranky, bossy and rude. (💁 I didn't say I valued MY privacy. 😂) It is nice being gentler on me...and it makes me gentler on the people around me. He is motivated by that part. 😉 But also...look at those eyes. He is legitimately excited about celebrating me! 💕 |
Me: There is always an area in my life I can work on to improve. God's work is not complete.
Lang: "Proverbs seems to say to those people: Learn that your parents, grandparents and endless line of ancestors were not all fools - in fact, over the ages they learned a lot of things that will make your life better."
Me: He later calls this "collective wisdom". If we emphasize the "all," I think we can interpret this as saying some of our ancestors may have been fools - those who lived blindly, selfishly, violently, deceptively and/or stagnated in their growth and development. I think it's safe to say there are some ancestors and people in history that we shouldn't model. However, we can definitely learn something from just about anyone...if nothing other than what we don't want to become.
Lang: "The young need to hear that message - and, come to think of it, so do we all."
Me: In fact, I have debatably learned as much from children as I have learned from the adults in my life. (Maybe this is why Jesus said we must "become like" children???) So, while I agree with the wisdom of history and our ancestors, I think it is important that we always keep our eyes and ears open. There is a lot we can learn from the people around us, if we will stop talking, stop trying to get attention and praise, and start listening and learning.
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| A lot of my learning has come from this guy. When I told him about the parade shooting this week, he was noticeably more concerned about my emotional response. He kept patting my back and saying, "I'm so sorry, Mom." 💕 I gave my kids the best gift in the father I chose for them. I learn a lot from him, too. 🙏 |
Throughout my character formation over the last 46 years, I have learned a few things I consider to be true. As I "celebrate" another year on this planet, allow me to share my humble little proverbs with you:
1. When I speak and act in anger or hate, I am ALWAYS the fool.
2. The more I do with a pure, kind and genuine heart, the happier I live.
3. The more I try to elevate myself, the lower I find myself.
4. I will never receive the fulfillment of my own deep-heart, inner needs in the form of human praise. (My husband comes closest.)
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| And on that realization, I have been actively working on caring less about the judgments of others and spending the extra time on things I love to do, for us. This week, I finished growing a new sourdough starter, and... |
5. People...well, most of them...are quick to change loyalty when your back is turned and also when you are struggling. People love to elevate themselves above others.
6. Public opinion changes with the weather.
8. Self-abasement is not to be equated to humility. If you do not care for yourself, you put yourself at the mercy of others. (Please see numbers 5 and 6.)
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| I made my very first sourdough rye bread. I'm not really a bread girl, but...I am officially hooked!! It tasted so good and just felt healthier. |
9. Nearly every concept on earth has two intents - one for good and one for evil. (Love/Hate, Persuasive/Manipulative, Kind/Cruel, etc.). People can fool themselves on the root of their actions.
10. There is never one story. There are always as many stories as people involved.
11. Beautiful words and a lovely presentation are easily learned, but the rarer beautiful character results, with more difficulty, from pain and perseverance.
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| In summary...this guy has either significantly aged me or made me a much more beautiful person??? Whatever. He is a LOT. I tell him every day how few other people would put up with his antics. Alas, I have learned the art of commitment. Once again, I'm hooked. |
"The title was her decision; though there was no story called 'Answered Prayers,' she said, 'It's very fitting. St. Teresa of Avila commented, 'More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.' Perhaps that isn't the precise quotation, but we can look it up. The point is, the theme moving through your work, as nearly as I can locate it, is of people achieving a desperate aim only to have it rebound upon them - accentuating, and accelerating, their desperation.' "
- Truman Capote, Answered Prayers
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| Have I shared???? |
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| I finished the Falcon!! Now I have it stored safely in waiting for safe display. Next up... |
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| Ok. Let's be honest. I have a million and one things in my next up. My body just can't work as fast as my brain. However, I decided to ask Matt to get this working for my birthday, and he willingly obliged. We are EXTREMELY close, and he let me order yarn for it. (You guys...I PROMISE! He was in disbelief, as well. I do NOT have yarn that works for the base (warp) of weaving on a floor loom.) |
That said...
Happy Birthday Week!
Kristen Shanna, O.
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