pLaNs...AnD mOrE pLaNs!!!

Hey! Are you going to the Student Conference April 18-19? Following is an example of the solid, Biblical Truth taught at the Planet Wisdom Student Conference. If you want to sign up to receive these devotionals by email, go here.

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What's The Plan?

One of things that makes students unique is that your life is all about making plans. What are you doing Friday night? What classes are you taking next semester? Are you going to approach that girl or guy you're into? Bottom line: What are you going to do with your life?I'm not trying to make you feel more pressured about all this planning; it's just the way the world works. When you were a kid, your folks took care of all that planning for you. You went where they made you go, ate what they gave you, read and watched what they allowed, and pretty much spent your days living out their plans for you.

If you're like most people, you'll come to a point in life in a few years that will involve far less plan-making. For better or worse, you'll be living with the results of your plans. Married to someone. Working a job a set number of hours a week. Getting the bills paid and the kids taken care of and your acts of service done. Your planning will be limited to whatever a limited budget and limited free time will allow — if you're like most people.So you're living right now in the prime of your plan-making life. The consequences of what you decide about some big and little things in the next few years will have a lot to do with how your days and hours work themselves out.

That's why it matters that you learn to become a wise maker of plans today. We'll see in a few Proverbs below that wise planners and foolish planners end up with very different results.

How to be a Wise Planner

1) Ask the right people to help you make a good plan.

We all make a lot of plans inside our heads. We look at the different angles. We talk ourselves through big and little ideas about what we might do. But with the plans that really matter, Wisdom tells us to make some phone calls, send out a few e-mails, invest in a serious interview or two.

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." (Proverbs 15:22)

"Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance." (Proverbs 20:18)

You might not be planning a war, but is it less of a big deal to plan what college you'll go to, how you'll spend your summer, or what ministry you'll invest in? Pride says, "You know yourself best; go with whatever sounds good to you." Wisdom says, "Find someone wise who is also doing what you might like to do, and ask them how they got there."

But don't ask just anyone: "The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful." (Proverbs 12:5)

2) Be a righteous dude. Or girl.

Shocking news: People who live according to God's design for life make better plans that people in rebellion against God. It turns out God has a "veto" button for bad plans.

Again: "The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful." (Proverbs 12:5)

The wicked -- or anyone out to do things his own way instead of God's -- make plans, too. But God delights in tripping up those plans. He's watching, and we're mortal:

"They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, "Who will see them?" They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down." (Psalms 64:5-7)

"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." (Psalm 146:3-4)

3) Surrender your plan to God.

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)

Now we come to the biggies. God controls all the plans of all the people in all times and places. If we want any hope of having our carefully made plans work out, we've got to start by giving those plans to Him.

The idea here isn't just to say, "God, I commit this plan to you." The idea is to actually think about who God is and what you already know He wants from you -- to believe Him, to obey Him, to love Him -- and to build your plans out of that knowledge. That's wisdom.

4) Let God change your plan.

Here's the hardest part of making plans. You might consult the wisest counselors. You might be committed to living a righteous life by obeying God and finding ways to love Him. You might make a perfectly legit plan, fully ready to give Him all the glory.

And He might still allow life to turn your plan upside down. If so, our only choice is to see our frustrated plans as evidence that God loves us enough to change the direction of our life to something else, something we choose to believe He knows is better than our best-laid plans.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21)

Remember, God's plans never fail: "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11)

5) Work! the plan.

This final wise proverb is a message to all of us who like to spend all of our time making better plans, organizing our calendars and computer desktops and backpacks, researching more and more and more options. Eventually, we have to get to work working the plan! Wisdom says it pays off in the long run.

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)

Finally, Psalm 20 is a blessing written by King David. It's my prayer for you, as long as you walk in God's plan:

"May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." (Psalm 20:4)

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That too, is my prayer for all of you: "May [God] give you the desire[s] of your heart & make all your plans succeed."

I love you all, dearly.

I pray for you daily.

C'iao!

M

What's Your Vote: Wisdom or Folly?

We’ve already voted!

Yes, you read that right, “we’ve already voted.” And, we’ve voted with our lives. The following is from Planet Wisdom Devotionals. In light of what Frank taught last night, I think this is an appropriate, continuing theme.

In case some of you missed it, the NOOMA video he showed last night with the guy running, and running, and running, and then ending up on the beach, with all those other people already there…waiting, watching, ready….and then it ends with the sunrise -- what WAS that all about? For me, they were running TOWARD God and eagerly awaiting His presence in their lives. For others, it was a symbol of “TODAY”. They were eagerly awaiting the beginning of TODAY.

If you’ve voted for Wisdom, you too are running towards God. You eagerly wait for His direction, His tutelage, His quickening of your spirit.

If you’ve voted for Folly (the Whore), you are running away from God. You rely on your own counsel. You eagerly await that which will benefit you the most at the cost of others.
Enough of my commentary – read on. And, begin again running to God TODAY!

VOTE FOR WISDOM!

[Note: The following devo is NOT really about politics or political parties. It is NOT about what presidential candidate you or anyone else should vote for this year. It’s an analogy. Or a metaphor. I’m never sure which is which.]

Wisdom: “Let all who are simple come in here!” (Proverbs 9:4)
Folly: “Let all who are simple come in here!” (Proverbs 9:16)

Have you noticed we’re in the height of the political campaign season? Of course you’ve noticed! The ads and news talk about all the candidates and their positions and their promises and personality glitches -- it never stops. Who won the last primary and why? Who’s the frontrunner? Why do voters make their choices?

Young voters have been a big deal in the primaries. On the Democratic side, we’re told they gave Obama a huge boost in one state, but not in another. Newscasters: “Who do the young people like where you’re at, Jim?” “Well, Brett, it looks like the young people are making their choice for . . .”

Proverbs 9 could be read as a kind of political campaign. And this election battle is all about the young voters like you. You’ve got two candidates to choose from. Both make speeches. Both briefly describe their very different worldviews on the hot issues. (Perfect soundbites.) Both want your vote. And both candidates are women!

Even crazier: Both candidates are inviting young people (really, anyone lacking experience in life) to join their party. No, not a political party. An actual party in each of their prominent homes in the best part of town. Listen:

Ms. Wisdom: “Let all who are simple come in here! Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.” (v. 6)

Ms. Folly: “Let all who are simple come in here! Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”

You’re going to notice right away these two women have very different platforms.

I should also mention that the voting process is a little different, as well. Instead of making an “X” on a ballot or voting machine, you vote for these candidates by moving in with one of them. Or at least hanging out at either of their houses. You vote with your time, with how you spend your life, really. You’re not voting for a leader -- you’re voting for your own lifestyle. (And you’re never too young to start voting in this election.)

Let’s break down their basic messages.

Ms. Wisdom believes you cannot understand your own life if you don’t start by giving all your respect and support to the God who designed your life. (“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” she always says.) If you vote for her by getting to know God better and allowing her to help you learn to live His way, she promises three huge good things: “understanding,” long life, and “reward.”

She goes a little negative about her opponent. Wisdom says those who reject her and vote for Folly -- she calls them “mockers” -- will basically end up clueless and suffering (and maybe lonely).

Ms. Folly responds in verses 13-17. She’s cagey. She refuses to get into the debate with Wisdom. You’ll notice right away she’s kind of a mess (“loud,” “undisciplined,” “without knowledge”). But she makes one bold campaign promise that wins over lots of young voters: “Move in with me, and we’ll have a blast! I know how to party! Don’t let wisdom tell you how to live; do your own thing! Try it all! Why put limits on your own life or let others tell you what to do? Make your own choices to do whatever feels good in the moment. That’s what I call living."

Well, those are the candidates. You will vote one way or the other. There’s always 100 percent turnout. Every day, we either choose to live with wisdom or foolishness, to live by God’s design or to do whatever feels right to us.

In the last verse of the chapter, you get the idea the writer is on Wisdom’s side. He makes a nasty (but true!) editorial comment about people who vote for Folly, suggesting they're not "really living" at all.
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Here is Proverbs 9 from The Message:

Proverbs 9:1-18 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. (2) The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. (3) Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: (4) "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! (5) I've prepared a wonderful spread--fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. (6) Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." (7) If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. (8) So don't waste your time on a scoffer; all you'll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that's different--they'll love you for it! (9) Save your breath for the wise--they'll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know--they'll profit from it. (10) Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-GOD, insight into life from knowing a Holy God. (11) It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. (12) Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you. Madame Whore Calls Out, Too (13) Then there's this other woman, Madame Whore-- brazen, empty-headed, frivolous. (14) She sits on the front porch of her house on Main Street, (15) And as people walk by minding their own business, calls out, (16) "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? (17) Steal off with me, I'll show you a good time! No one will ever know--I'll give you the time of your life." (18) But they don't know about all the skeletons in her closet, that all her guests end up in hell.

Choose Wisdom, choose Life, choose God!

I love you!

C'iao-M

Thar Be Snow in Them Thar Heels, Y'all!

I found this picture taken today at Green Valley Lake, CA. GVL is right up the street from were we are going to Winter Camp at Ponderosa Pines! Whoop! Whoop! Imagine that, 2 feet of snow waiting for us. Kerplatt!

Resolutions . . . 2 0 0 8

The following is from Planet Wisdom Devotionals...you can click here to sign up to receive these!

Fools' Resolutions

We give the calendar a lot of power, don’t we? We make a big deal about December changing into January, one year changing into another. It’s a new start! It’s a new beginning! I can be a better person starting . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . now!

Maybe I’m projecting again. Every year, I make a few resolutions -- commitments to make some kind of a change in my life. And every year my interest in sticking to that diet/reading/exercise/being-nicer plan starts fading around noon on January 4. Part of the problem is that I’m desperately hoping I’ll be able to magically will myself to be a different person just by hitting the restart button.

It doesn’t work that way, does it? Learning to live wisely takes time and hard work. It takes prayer and willingness to be changed by God. It doesn’t happen overnight (especially when you stay up until three a.m. the night before the day you’re planning to start being a better person).

But there is something you can change overnight that would make a big difference in your life right away: Don’t be a fool! More specifically, stop thinking like a fool. Fools make foolish choices because they’re committed to foolish ideas. What ideas? Good question. Let’s explore:

The Fool’s Top Five Resolutions for 2008

1. I Will Not Believe in God!“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ ” (Psalm 53:1)

Whatever he tells you about being rational and logical fallacies and a lack of evidence for God, the fool must still make a hard faith choice to believe God does not exist. In Romans 1, Paul says God’s existence is obvious from what He has made. It’s no wonder fools start their attack on God as Creator. To convince themselves there is no God to answer to, a fool must first come up with an alternate explanation for the existence of everything else (including himself).

Why would someone want to disbelieve in God? It’s not a hard question. We’d all like to be our own gods, with only ourselves to answer to for our actions. The fool longs to prove his own way is the best way, no matter what anyone tells him.

Stats tell us that 90-some percent of Americans believe in God in one way or another. But all of us wrestle with trusting Him with our lives. Too often, even Christians live as if He is fictional. Wisdom starts with learning to believe Him enough to be afraid of Him. (Proverbs 9:10)

2. I Will Not be Told What to Do!“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7)

“A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.” (Proverbs 17:10)

“He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.“ (Proverbs 28:26)

For all the fuss over box office dud The Golden Compass, the loudest message I heard wasn’t about atheism. It was about not letting anyone in any kind of authority tell you what to do. The girl in the film stood up against evil authority, true. But she also took a stand against authority figures that cared deeply for her.

The fool is committed to never being corrected or rebuked -- by his parents, teachers, friends, or enemies. He is right, and he knows it. He sees refusing to give in as a great strength. To learn from your mistakes requires admitting you made a mistake. The fool sees that as weakness. He will not bend.

If you spend much time in Proverbs, you’ll see that plan never works out very well.

3. I Will Say Whatever Comes to My Mind!
“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (Proverbs 15:2)

“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” (Proverbs 18:2)

“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.” (Proverbs 17:28)

The fool thinks it’s unhealthy to hold back on any thought that forms in the mind during a conversation. She believes wisdom is discovered through self-expression -- and that other people probably would benefit from her perspective on whatever topic comes around. Fools aren’t big on asking questions, except as a polite way of creating an excuse to tell you what they think. A fools stomach rumbles and he opens up to projectile vomit his foolish ideas about whatever is on the menu.

4. I Will Not Hold Back My Anger!“It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” (Proverbs 20:3)

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” (Proverbs 29:11)

Since a fool is absolutely convinced that his most important job in life is to protect himself and provide for himself and to express himself, he’s got zero reason to keep his anger quiet. He must express his rage to keep anyone from taking advantage of him. He must answer every perceived insult to prove he is not weak.

Since a fool can’t believe that God will protect Him, that God is in control of his circumstances, or that he might be wrong, he can’t afford to let anything pass. Every small thing is worth fighting over.

5. I Won’t Stop!“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11)

Wow. That’s the second use of the word vomit in this devo. Cool.

Dogs are gross. They throw up. And then they eat it. Fools make a similar choice. They do a foolish thing. It causes a huge mess. And then they do it again. Why? Because they just cannot believe their choice is the reason for the mess. A fool commits himself to making the same mistake over and over until it works. And it never works.

Okay, let’s ease up a bit on this nameless fool. After all, everyone walks around in his shoes sometimes. I’ve done everything on this list. You have too. Hopefully, the difference between being foolish sometimes and being a hardcore fool is that the fool is committed to these resolutions as a lifestyle. He doesn’t just fall into them; he believes in them.

You have my permission to narrow your resolution list down to just one thing this year: Don’t be a fool! That’s one that will be worth working on all the way through February, at least.

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Maybe we should start a "don't be a fool!" club??? Hey did any of you all see Miss Jenna's email on Sunday prayer? Well, in case you didn't...I'll reprint it here for your edification!

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Hello everybody!!!!

I just wanted to invite everybody...this Sunday (January 6th) there will be a time of prayer and fellowship for all who would like to come. We will be meeting in the youth coffee room about 8:15am before church and praying with one another and for each other. There will probably be coffee and some muffins or something provided. If you need a ride please let me know and I will try and work something out. I really hope you come!!! I feel like Satan's presence is strong in this world and what better way to guard our hearts and minds than prayer! I love you all deeply!!!! Hopefully see you Sunday even if you cant make the prayer meeting.
Love always,
Jenna K

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I love you all!

dogledanji!!!

M