Rev. Michelle Manuel Proverbs 13:1-6 A wise child loves discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2 From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things, but the desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing. 3 Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips come to ruin. 4 The appetite of the lazy craves, and gets nothing, while the appetite of the diligent is richly supplied. 5 The righteous hate falsehood, but the wicked act shamefully and disgracefully. 6 Righteousness guards one whose way is upright, but sin overthrows [...]

Joseph Patty, Associate Director of Student Ministries Proverbs 4:7-9, 14-19 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.     Though it cost all you have, get understanding. 8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;     embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will give you a garland to grace your head     and present you with a glorious crown.”  14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked     or walk in the way of evildoers. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;     turn from it and go on your way. 16 For they cannot rest [...]

Craig Lafollette, Member since 1988, Goodwill class Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.  Reflection: Chris and I moved to Houston in September of 1980. I took a job with a small real estate development company, where a good friend worked. I had little experience in real estate, but the Houston real estate market was on fire. Big buildings were being [...]

Shelby Olive, Communications Associate Proverbs 31:1-9 1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 No, my son! No, son of my womb!      No, son of my vows!  3 Do not give your strength to women,      your ways to those who destroy kings.  4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,      it is not for kings to drink wine,      or for rulers to desire strong drink;  5 or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed,      and will pervert the rights of all the afflicted.  6 Give strong drink to one who [...]

Peggy Roe, Board of Trustees Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Reflection: According to several sources, the book of Proverbs was written around 700 BCE; the author is purported to be King Solomon, who is known for his wisdom. A striking fact is that even three millennia ago, a Jewish king was addressing parents who were worried about how to raise their children to be caring, responsible adults. In the Jewish tradition, the “sins of the fathers will be visited upon [...]

Rev. Katie Montgomery Mears, Director of Adult Ministries and Pastor of Contemporary Worship Proverbs 10:11 (CEB) The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Reflection: Against the manufacturer’s warning, our dryer is stacked on top of our washer. This generally doesn’t pose any issues, except when I am leaning down to pull stuff out of the washer, and I have forgotten to close the dryer door and it’s just swinging above me. I accidentally did that yesterday, and when I stood up, I banged my head into the dryer [...]

Louise McEvoy, Women’s Ministry Coordinator Proverbs 9:10-12 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11 Through me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, it is to your benefit; if you are cynical, you will bear it all alone. Reflection: In the movie Iron Man, Tony Stark says, “Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?” Hold that thought. When my then 6-year-old got in [...]

Meghan Kazmann, member Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.   Reflection: “It's not supposed to be this way.”  How many times have I repeated this in my head?  How many times have I meticulously prepared the perfectly hatched plan to witness it ultimately fall apart?  How many times have I felt so confident about God’s will for me just to watch my life turn in a completely different direction?  Long nights at the library and attending professor office hours just to barely pass freshman biology.  But I was [...]