A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) Red-faced, hands thrashing through the air, mouth spewing anger settles nothing other than the self-satisfaction of telling someone off in a display of embarrassing behavior. Some may refer to the episode as “blowing a gasket.” Be honest. Have you ever experienced a moment like this? One time, twenty years ago, during my son’s rebellious and disrespectful young adult years, anger got the best of me. I literally screamed and pounded my head against the wall in total frustration because he refused to do what… 

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, But it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 ESV “No more pages, how can that be?” That was my question when I realized my desk calendar ended at the end of June instead of December. It is a calendar in addition to a daily list that keeps me organized. As a multi-task person, they are critical. This list includes what needs to be accomplished each day and a plan for how to do so. I was overwhelmed with frustration when I realized my daily lists… 

Letting love cover all offenses is not as easy as it sounds. Proverbs 10:12 points out why it’s easier said than done. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses” (Proverbs 10:12) What an important and powerful word picture Proverbs 10:12 gives about anger toward others. We can “stir up” wounds or “cover” them with love and understanding. If we choose to “stir up,” we put the spoon of rehearsing hurts and misunderstandings into a pot of boiling mud and grime. Then we stir, stir, and stir causing any moisture of grace and mercy to evaporate. Then the mass solidifies into… 

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12 NLT). “…Void a miracle.” What had the doctor said? I shook my head, attempting to wrap my mind around his words. “Pardon?” “It’s unlikely you’ll have children biologically, void a miracle.” His furrowed brow spoke his concern. My husband Bill leaned in, then pulled me close. Always my resolute protector, even when his heart, too, was hurting. My hope for children seemed nothing more than smoldering embers, and, for a season, all passion waned. I lived in grays. But… God didn’t leave me in…