Proverbs 14:23: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Saying you’ll do something isn’t enough to bring results. You have to act on your intentions to impact change.  The start of a new year is always a time full of healthy aspirations and positive goal-setting. I love setting goals, so I…

Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” The people you spend your time with influence who you are going to become.  This is one of the most commonly quoted verses in the book of Proverbs. Sometimes people paraphrase by saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you…

Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Anxiety is not a new struggle. It’s been weighing down hearts since Solomon was king! He gives wise advice for battling anxiety: kind words.  When I get anxious, I kind of space out. Unfortunately, that means I’m out of it when I’m really…

Proverbs 11:17: “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.” When you set out to hurt others, you ultimately hurt yourself.  I have a vivid childhood memory of climbing onto the top bunk-bed with my sister and piling all of our Beanie Babies onto the ceiling fan. We climbed back down, ran to the…

Proverbs 10:2: “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.” The very wise King Solomon explains how true, eternal purpose is found in righteousness and not in earthly treasures.  Remember when Instagram changed their policies and deleted a bunch of inactive and bot accounts? Celebrities and influencers lost millions of followers over night and…

Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Solomon talks a lot about the “fear of the Lord” throughout the book of Proverbs.   Proverbs was the first book of the Bible I ever read in its entirety. I remember seeing this phrase and being really…

Proverbs 8:8: “All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.” Wise people use their words wisely.   When I was little, I was obsessed with babies. I loved baby dolls; I loved seeing babies, and I loved my mom’s pregnant belly. I didn’t know a whole lot about pregnancy as a…

Proverbs 7:4: “Say to wisdom, “You are my sister, and to insight, “You are my relative.”  I have two sisters who live over 1,000 miles away. Even though we can’t see each other every day, I am intentional about prioritizing our relationships. We text in our group chat daily, FaceTime, and send each other funny memes on…

Proverbs 6:20-21: “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck.”   God has blessed you with your mom, dad, and other authority figures to point you in the right direction in life.  I’m getting to the age where my friends are starting…

Proverbs 5:3-4: “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.”  Often times, sin that seemed fun and satisfying at first ends in bitterness and pain.  I loved riding my bike as a kid. My parents would let…