Papa Pat Tiny Devotionals

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family member who have dropped by, garlic butter and pizza crusts rock. The words of King Lemuel, the pronouncement which his mother taught him: What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? Proverbs 31:1-2, NASB Almost all of the attention given to Proverbs 31 goes to the Excellent Wife verses, 10-31. You might hear, occasionally, about why intoxicants aren’t for kings, but for those who have the miseries.  However, if ever I’ve heard about the authority of the source of these words, I’ve forgotten it.  First: who is Lemuel? I’m going to condense extensive research here: it’s Solomon.  Second: Therefore, the speaker is Bathsheba. Third: She birthed him with her body, and  Fourth: She birthed him with her vows (covenant/design/purpose/commitment). It’s that last point that really makes the difference, isn’t it?  “Having a baby” has the same relationship to “raising a child” as “a wedding”

 A great good afternoon to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family member who have dropped by, stir your coffee. A slave will not be instructed by words alone; For though he understands, there will be no response. Proverbs 29: 19, NASB So: “You have to beat your slaves” is the message for today? Not on THIS blog. This DOES make a significant point about a slave culture, but I’m going to illustrate it with a much better and common practice: child rearing. A newborn is UTTERLY dependent on others for everything, except breathing. They can’t get what they need; they can’t ask for what they need; they don’t even KNOW what they need. However, they ARE receiving instruction. It’s perhaps the most significant instruction they will ever get, and it comes through the cuddles, feeding, and changing that are a part of the bonding process. The instruction progression looks something like this; ages VERY approximate; YMMV: 0 – 18 months: Doesn’t understand instruction. 18 month

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, LOTS of leftovers! And there will be enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And sustenance for your attendants. Proverbs 27:27, NASB. Let’s hear it for the goats! (Don’t expect anything profound today; I’m not feeling it.)  (This post might border on amusing, but that’s all.) I actually bought a goat once, to eat the overgrown back yard. That turned out to be a bad decision, as impulse buys often are.  The Beauti- fuful Princess Bess and the Moose were with me; I’m guessing Bess was about 11 or 12, which would mean Moose was 8 or 9.  We passed a place that advertised pygmy goats for sale. So, we stopped, and WITH THE FULL ENDORSEMENT OF THE CHILDREN (remember that!), I bought a goat.  Bess named it Gilmer. The kids rode in the back of the car with Gilmer Goat Patterson. We were all happy! Joyous! In a celebratory mood! Until we arrived home. The

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who dropped by,  MO Coffee! Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool. Proverbs 26:1, NASB “The Peter Principle” described one way in which undeserved honor goes to a fool: they are good at one job, so they get promoted to the next. That process continues until they get promoted into a position they can’t handle. And they stay there, being incompetent. I have seen this in action, in organizations that use a college degree to award employment: educators, and some military officers. The honor of those positions is not fitting for one who doesn’t know, and won’t, or can’t, learn. “Papa” is the highest honor and title I’ve received. It’s my job: husband, father, grandfather.  I’m pretty good at it. Took a long time to get there, though; I was just shy of 30 before my firstborn came along. I’ve been refining my game ever since, for almost 38 years now. Recentl

 A great good CHRISTMAS MORNING to all my friends and neighbors out there in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I love you. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2, NASB I used to wonder “Why did Jesus use those parables all the time? Why not just say things plainly?” The disciples wondered that as well.  In our super-modern brilliance, we believe we understand everything. Maybe so. On Christmas morning, though, I’m not so sure that we are QUITE as smart as we we think. Concealing a matter: is there any better camouflage than a baby, for a divine entry into the lives of people on Earth?  And not a royal baby, either; a Nobody Special baby. A baby of questionable parentage: a young woman claims she is with child, but has never known a man. Her betrothed, a skilled craftsman, has a good heart. He doesn’t want to shame her publicly, but let her slip away quietly.  It takes an angelic vision to revea

 A great good Christmas Eve morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, use nails, not just care, to hang those stockings. By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; And by knowledge the rooms are filled   With all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4, NASB Houses protect us from the elements, right? So, do you wait until the tornado/blizzard hits to start construction? This morning, I remembered some great kindness an old friend showed me, and I sent him a small thank-you note. He was a great help during the worm-eaten years of 2007-2010, when, in rapid succession, I lost my health, my career, my marriage, and was one miracle away from losing my house.  I didn’t lose my three children. They provided a solid reason to live, as well as the means for doing it.  I didn’t lose my church family.  The good brother I texted this morning supported my tottering steps, as I tried to return to some kind of

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to those family members who have dropped by, we have lamb chops for lunch. Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Proverbs 23:4-5, NASB I ALMOST decided to use verse 4 only as my text today; it has such PUNCH!  “Stop dwelling on it.” Not a whole lot of wiggle room in THAT, is there? The ONLY way I have been able to accumulate wealth has been to buy a house. I bought one in 1982, sold it in 1987 for a profit. With that nest egg,  I took a sales job, brokering IBM mainframe components.  I took that job  because business was booming, and  I couldn’t WAIT to make scads of cash! Well, I waited. Then waited some more. and that industry collapsed, for reasons. And month by month, my nest egg took wings like an eagle, and flew off; and then, it was gone. Which permitted me t

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Shine On! The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2, NASB People in Biblical times probably understood this easier than people in modern times. Wealthy folks had a lot of sheep; poor folks only had a couple of sheep ( II Sam 12 ). When it was time to shear the sheep, the wealthy owner ( Nabal, for example ) was out there with the clippers, just like the poor guy with one sheep. If their hearts were right, they might have had sheep-owner discussions while picking wool out of their ears. And, while sharing the sheep-owner link, the Lord-the-Maker link could be easily comprehended. I’m not saying that always happened; I’m just saying it COULD have happened. Are today’s rich in touch with the poor? Are today’s wielders-of-power in touch with the powerless? Based on the volume of political mail I get

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, kids and grandkids were here yesterday. A wise person scales the city of the mighty And brings down the stronghold in which they trust. Proverbs 21:22, NASB (I’m going to speak of individual strongholds; this may apply to social, legal, economic strongholds as well, but I have no experience with those.) 100% of my military experience was as a junior enlisted medic, so I have no training in strategy. Even so, I know that it is DEATH to make a frontal assault on a stronghold. And yet, that enemy stronghold MUST come down. Ask Santa Anna and the Alamo defenders; ask a chess player. Military examples illustrate spiritual warfare. Addiction;  victim mentality; feelings of worthlessness; racism; rage; vanity; pride; LOTS more. These are all strongholds of the enemy.  Military strongholds are surrounded by a city, which not only provides the troops in the fortress, but equips the

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who dropped by, many joyful hugs! Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1, NASB I reiterate part of yesterday’s Tiny Devotional: poverty is not a virtue to be sought. However, integrity exalts a person, regardless of economics. I did enough word study on the term ‘perverse speech’ to be confident that it’s not talking about vulgar language, but lies.  QUESTION: Are all those who are perverse in speech fools? Perverse speech also isn’t mixing up words, or what your mama does when she calls you by the names of your brothers and sisters, then smites you, because you KNOW who she is talking to! Two examples of acquaintances who lied a lot:  A high school classmate. He was a charming, outgoing guy, and it took me a bit to discover that he would rather lie than tell the truth, even when he lied to his own harm.  A former

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, let us rejoice in the life we have been given! A poor person utters pleadings, But a rich person answers defiantly. Proverbs 18:23, NASB  Bible verses about the rich are often rebukes for uncaring and/or greedy behavior. There are exceptions, and this is one of them. Up until my late 20s, I was confused; I thought poverty was a virtue. I didn’t see that possessions are neither good nor bad; they’re just tools; it’s how I use them that is good or bad. Eventually, I learned the resource adults struggle for isn’t money; it’s power. Money is just how we keep score. That point is deftly made by this verse. Waffle House is my favorite restaurant in the world. One morning, I noticed my waitress quietly go about her work, while one of the cooks kept picking at her.  She ignored him. She had to! People were depending on her income (I saw her children). She kept her mouth shut, went

 A great good afternoon to all my friends and neighbors out there in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, juggling is a useful skill. Grandchildren are the crown of the old, And the glory of sons is their fathers. Proverbs 17: 6, NASB  MANY things to share from this chapter, but this verse just seemed to call my name.  Two parts to this proverb: grandchildren  and the old ; and, sons/fathers, which I’m gonna read as children/parents, unless I discover that there is a specifically-male truth here.. The first part of the verse is EASY! It’s GREAT to have grandchildren! Vanessa and I have LOTS of them (15!). So, I speak with direct experience on this: grandchildren are a wonder and a delight. The second part of the verse is more difficult, because I don’t quite know how to parse it.  Is it saying “the glory of (having) sons is (the crown of) fathers?” AS far as I can tell, JUST consulting this one English translation, that’s a perfectly valid reading, and, it works. O

 A great good morning, to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And, to family members who have dropped by, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Vanessa! Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Be assured, he will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5, NASB I recently had a conversation with my youngest bio-son, the Moose, about rules and people who break them. It was inspired by Episode 15 of The Mandalorian, in which a character breaks one of his basic rules to accomplish his mission. We agreed it was an acceptable violation. What about other transgressions?  When people criticized His disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath, Jesus told them that the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath. They didn’t like hearing that, being proud in heart; they KNEW they were righteous, because they followed the rules.  Proud-in-heart also leads you to break the rules: I’m too rich, important, powerful to have to follow the rules. YOU have to follow them, but I can do whate

A great and good AFTERNOON to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, string some popcorn on thread as a decoration for the tree.   A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13, NASB  Alicia Ann was BAD sick on Sunday; I’ve had more minor, longer-lasting symptoms. Thus, no Tiny Devotionals for the last two days. Part of that was because the greater drove out the lesser; on Sunday, Alicia’s temp almost took us to the ER. She recovered, but my mind was not on writing. The other part was because I felt so OFF, I suspected it would affect what I wrote.  I didn’t want to make others feel bad, and I didn’t want people fearing I was more-than-temporarily disturbed.  POINT-THE-FIRST: Sad hearts are real.   “Shake it off! There’s nothing wrong with you!” That heaps guilt and shame on the sad heart, and offers no help. The proverb validates the experience of the sufferer; there IS something

 A great good AFTERNOON to my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And, to family members who have dropped by, there’s a bathroom on the LEFT. An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 12:4, NASB Writing about this verse bothers me, a LOT. If I skipped over it, it would bother me more. Let’s see how it goes. Here’s what I understand about a crown. It’s a symbol of deserved honor, composed of only the finest materials, formed by the best artisans.  It is the highest award a person can have.   It is never demanded; it must be awarded. A TRUE crown is never placed on a buffoon; it requires a worthy head. This describes the relationship of the husband to the excellent wife. He must deserve her; he must make his conduct and character match her excellence. Here’s what I understand about rottenness in the bones. (I’ve actually got a progressive bone disease.)  It hurts almost all the time. There’s no cure for it. It will

 A great good RED FRIDAY morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to any family members who dropped by, sometimes I miss you so much it hurts. As a ring of gold in a pig’s snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. Proverbs 11:22, NASB One of the best practices I implemented with my kids was daily reading from the Book of Proverbs. When I started, I didn’t realize just how beneficial it was going to become.  It gave us quiet time together. They didn’t always appreciate it; sometimes, they got downright bumptious. Still, we kept it up, as long as health and morning schedules permitted. In 1990, my first-born son was 7 years old. He was reading quite a lot of the morning selection himself, and proud to do it. He didn’t always understand the topic being addressed, though.  Money was tight. I was getting my teaching certificate, my GI benefits was exhausted,  I worked part-time when I could.  Still, I scraped up enough to take him to the movie starring the Fa

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, y’all want a sandwich? The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3, NASB I had my first experience with the Living God when I was 16. For a while, without skill or guidance, I studied the Bible.  After a fashion, that is:  Whenever I encountered a difficult passage, I would quickly turn away, thinking, “I’d better not think about this. It might prove the Bible is wrong.” That’s an excellent way to cultivate doubts, and a lousy way to study the Bible. Eventually, I reverted to heathen ways for a while.   Now, I embrace difficulty: today’s Tiny Devotional verse is difficult. WHAT PROVERBS 10:3 CAN’T MEAN: Righteous people will never want for food.  There are 89 citations for “hunger” or “hungry” in the NASB, and some of them apply to the righteous; eight of them apply to Jesus. Others reference the disciples in

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And, to family members who have dropped by, stretch before exercise. Wisdom has built her house, She has carved out her seven pillars; She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine; She has also set her table; She has sent out her attendants, she calls out From the tops of the heights of the city: Proverbs 9:1-3, NASB I was hoping to find something in this morning’s reading to encourage Alicia Ann not to go out into the cold without a jacket. It’s ROTC uniform day, they didn’t have a jacket in her size, so, she walked outside in sub-freezing weather in short sleeves. She DID comply with my direct instruction, though. (Maybe that matches up with the next verse: “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”) But I picked verses 1-3. I wanted to talk about the seven pillars. Rule 1 of Biblical interpretation: don’t get weird.  There are LOTS of sources happy to tell you what the seven pillars ARE. Some of them are even

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, don’t try this at home. Does not wisdom call, And understanding raise her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: Proverbs 8:1-3, NASB Here’s the promise of these verses: First, that there IS such a thing as meaning. Second, it’s not hidden away. I don’t want to confuse the issue; saying that meaning exists is not the same thing as saying “everything happens for a reason.” I don’t know where that statement originated. I encountered it in a somewhat rational form in counselor training; start with the idea that human behavior is purposeful, and you can get to the same vicinity as that statement. It won’t address a tree falling on your house, though. There IS such a thing as wisdom. Understanding exists.  When you find yourself in crisis,

A great good morning, to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, today is Pearl Harbor Day. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend, So that they may keep you from an adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words. Proverbs 7:4-5, NASB MY WISE SISTERS Consider the adulteress and the foreigner: The adulteress is in a position of intimate trust, which she violates.  The foreigner doesn’t have that position, but seeks it, by devious means. Wisdom and understanding protect us from both. Seeking them requires work on our part. Pearl Harbor Day is a good day to think about this.  I plan to watch two versions of “December 7th,” a 1943 movie directed by John Ford and Gregg Toland.   The original, run-time of 81:52 , was never released.   The edited version, with a 32:27 run-time , won an Oscar in 1944.  One easily-accessed source (which I frequently use) says the original asked embarrassing qu

A great good morning to my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped in, we’ve got pinto beans. My son, if you have become a guarantor for your neighbor, Or have given a handshake for a stranger,  Proverbs 6:1, NASB For a long time, I didn’t enjoy reading Proverbs 1-9. I thought, “These just say that wisdom is good, over and over. I want Proverbs 10!” How wrong I was!  While I did recognize a FEW bits of wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6 for example), I couldn’t wait to get to chapter 10. How much life-giving wisdom did I miss? For example,  Pr 6:1. It’s every bit as practical as any of the jewels in the latter two-thirds of Proverbs.  “If you have been” is a formal set-up for a corrective action. The sense of it is almost  “Don’t do this! OOPS! You already did it!” The corrective action is described in my post of October 6. Moral 1: Papa Pat, there is a reason these first nine chapters are here. Why are you just realizing that now? (and what ELSE have you mi

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors out there in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Happy Repeal Day! My son, pay attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding, So that you may maintain discretion And your lips may comply with knowledge. Proverbs 5:1-2, NASB The saying is addressed to the son, but I think the basic admonition is to the father.  The words are plain: the father is setting himself before his son as an example.  You have to be pretty confident to do that.  This says to me: father, have your act together. Don’t think you can get away with anything; little eyes are on you constantly. Your children have no more powerful influence than you. This is a STRONG word! It means I had better be pretty careful how I act, and how I respond to the acts of others; and I had BETTER not act in a way I don’t want to see my kids act.  Our society is no longer polite. Politicians speak horrible things about each other; we had rioting in t

 A great good RED FRIDAY morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Kenneth’s COVID results are NEGATIVE! The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your possessions, acquire understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” Proverbs 4:7-9, NASB The beginning of wisdom is NOT: “Tear down everything you think is old.” This morning, I’m remembering with embarrassment a service at my home church (large, prosperous suburban). It was in 1971; I was college freshman.   I had just discovered, through a brief tutoring experience obtained via a college class, that poor kids existed. And so, when one of the deacons requested an approval to carpet an area in the building, I objected: give the money to help poor kids!  I objected rudely, and without really seeking an answer. I got a much more po

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s MO coffee in my cup. Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, And one who obtains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver, And her produce better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her. Proverbs 3:13-15. NASB 30+ years ago, my church sang Integrity’s Hosanna! Music lyricist Lynn Deshazo’s praise chorus: Lord, You are more precious than silver; Lord You are more costly than gold; Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds; And nothing I desire compares with You. Our worship team introduced a modification: Father, You are… Jesus, You are… Spirit, You are… And then, in an inspired moment, Pastor David taught us to sing this variant with a SECOND modification: Brother, you are… Sister, you are… And nothing God desires compares with you. Yea, and Amen: regardless of what we WERE, we are transformed by H

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, how did we ever make it without cats walking on us when we were trying to write? My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding. Proverbs 2:1-2, NASB This morning, I’m looking at the escalation and expansion of our response to wisdom.  We don’t walk around full of foolishness in the morning, and that afternoon experience transformation. It’s mostly not lightning, but like the slow growth of a plant.  In fact, I think that those lightning-like moments are just the full revelation of a long and quiet period of growth. First, we have to receive, and then, we treasure. I don’t believe that we necessarily comprehend at this point; we just know we have gotten something, and that it’s valuable.  After that, we must train ourselves to learn, and finally, to understand what it all

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped in, I forgot what I was going to tell you. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: Proverbs 1:1, NASB Smart queens dig wisdom. Some time ago, just for a lark, I asked fellow regulars at a SF/fantasy-themed Internet diner to give me examples of some of their favorite first lines from books.   The responses were GREAT! I might have to go back and look that up, just to get some more smiles. If I do, I’ll include some of the responses in the COMMENTS section. First lines are IMPORTANT, and not something to be wasted. And that’s why I chose this verse for today’s Tiny Devotional. Now, I’d LIKE to get fancy here, and tell you of some profound meaning I discovered in the Septuagint, or how the word order lends blah blah to the sitz im leben. But that’s bogus. The first line is clear: what it is, who wrote it, and why that’s important. What it is: It’s wisdom, not d