Papa Pat Tiny Devotionals

A great good RED FRIDAY morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, what happened to JUNE?  There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance. Proverbs 30:13, NASB Verses 11-14 resemble a resume for jerks. I could combine all of these into a single post, but that MIGHT mean I’d run out of verses for the 30th of the month.  Get an image of Mr. GoofyEyes the Boaster in your mind. See the eyes lifted in an expression that goes beyond confidence, into superiority and arrogance? Frequently, the mouth accompanies the eyes with a slight smile, smirk, or sneer.  If you walk into a group of randomly assembled people, how long would it take you to spot Mr. GoofyEyes? Moments, right?  That’s because they are LOUDLY boasting “I’m better than you are.”  By some measurement, that’s probably true. Perhaps they make more money, have a better car, can run faster, throw a football farther, g...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, wanna buy a duck? Scorners set a city aflame, But wise men turn away anger. Proverbs 29:8, NASB “I reached my formative years at a time when the country was tearing itself apart.” Has there EVER been a time when the country wasn’t tearing itself apart? Ask your friendly neighborhood historian. King Solomon ruled just under 3000 years ago, and whether he wrote this proverb himself, or contracted it out to Iron Age Speechwriters Guild, this is ANCIENT writing. Somehow, without social media, without talk radio, telephones, newspapers, or even a reliable postal system, scorners set a city aflame.  Internet trolls and a certain flavor of social influencers are modern scorners. They have created NOTHING new, just been handed new methods of spreading the ancient scorn/fertilizer.   Ancient scorn and modern communication still set cities aflame.  Remember t...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Kenneth leaves today for Army training. He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father. Proverbs 28:7, NASB The Hebrew word NASB renders as ‘glutton’ is זָלַל ( zālal ), literally meaning ‘shaky,’ and if you check out all of the English translations, you’ll see that NOBODY likes this pack of loose-living good-for-nothings. Responsible parents ALWAYS have in mind the future adult role of their children, first entrusted to them as slimy, squalling infants, requiring a caregiver for their most basic needs. Parents feed, clothe, and shelter the infants; then there is potty training; teaching them how to put on a shirt, matching buttons to button-holes. Teaching them how to tie their shoes is a BIG event! Behind all of these little lessons is the knowledge that one day, they are going to be on their own. Figura...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I slept in! Like a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his home. Proverbs 27:8, NASB Since I know nothing about birds, and a LOT about wandering from home, this verse tells me more about them than it does about us. It sounds like birds don’t like wandering, either. Some of y’all raise chickens; please advise. We moved frequently when I was a lad. By the time I graduated from high school: 16 different homes, three states, three different family constellations.  I continued nomad life as an adult: 26 different homes, three states, two continents, and multiple family constellations, until I made my last move in November 1992.  My multiple residences only matter when I seek to answer a question this verse poses: do I have a home to wander from? Yes. My home has ALWAYS been the first place I lived. This is what it looks like, now;  i...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s Monday.  Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly. Proverbs 26:11, NASB Oh, YUCK!  I haven’t had breakfast yet, and now, I’m not sure that’s going to happen. I’m inclined to believe the most significant aspect of this verse is that the writers of the Bible were real people, who were willing to go to any length to get the point across.  I guess I contributed to the writing of hundreds, maybe thousands, of documents for institutions over the years.  There was always someone who objected to some turn of phrase I thought was on point. (I even had a boss once who didn’t like the notepads I used!) It made for a frustrating, sometimes demoralizing process. So, while I’m slightly nauseated at the verse, I’m also (internally) wildly cheering at the audacity and authority of the author: He got animal puke included in the Bible! I co...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, we leave for The Way Church at 8:45. Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor humiliates you? Proverbs 25:8, NASB Papa, Bess, Jumper, 1989 Jumper Bill was a country hound dog, until we moved here. He had never been around neighbors before; or neighbor’s newspapers, or baseball gloves. So, he brought those items home. To show us, I guess: “PAPA! Look what I found! It was just laying around!” He was a pretty fast learner. After those two items, he never brought home anything else, that I can recall. The neighbor owning the baseball glove (actually, his daughter owned it) learned even faster. He was still in the middle of fussing, when he realized the Jumper Bill hadn’t entered his house to burgle the glove; instead, he’d picked it up from where it was abandoned in the front yard (that’s not good for baseball glo...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, visualize whirled peas. If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Proverbs 24:10, NASB Stumped, stumped, stumped. In 52 minutes, I’m supposed to be in men’s group, and I’ve encountered a really tough verse. I was alerted to the fact that it’s a tough verse, because NASB, and almost every other English translation, is Captain Obvious.   OF COURSE, you don’t have enough strength if you can’t handle the tough fight. Why spend a verse saying THAT? So, I had to look, and I discover that the word that is translated ‘limited’ here, and in other translations ‘weak, small, limited, diminished’ is  כֹּחֶֽכָה (tsar) It appears 105 times in the Bible, and this is the ONLY time it’s translated as ‘small.’ In almost every other place, it’s rendered as ‘enemy, adversary, trouble, distress, affliction, foes.’ Look: the translators of t...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, R emember E veryone D eployed. Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always. Proverbs 23:17, NASB In my earliest days (1973) as a Christian believer, I was in the Army in Germany, surrounded by other young men and women from all over the country, with all SORTS of church backgrounds. I don’t know exactly how many conversations I had about ‘fear of the Lord.’ but it was a LOT. I quickly grew tired of it, because the conversations always took the same form: “They told me I had to fear God, and I don’t like that. That’s why I’m high on hash/Mandrax/smack all the time.” Today, I wouldn’t engage in that conversation for more than, say, 15 seconds. Back then, though, I didn’t realize people lied in order to justify their substance abuse.  So, I tried to explain this wasn’t terror-fear; it was reverence-fear. And, while that was true, it never wo...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, don’t stop singing, just because you don’t know the words. He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. Proverbs 22:9, NASB  Unlike some of the wisdom statements, this is really straightforward: “Generous people feed the poor, and will be blessed for it.” But a footnote caught my attention. The phrase NASB translates as ‘generous’ is טוֹב עַיִן (tobe ayin), which the KJV and many others translates as ‘bountiful eye.’ I’m slightly tempted to say that it really means ‘good looking;’ I couldn’t get away with that, though, because there is no link between physical beauty and charitable action. It’s not stretching the meaning at all to translate the phrase for us moderns as ‘positive outlook,’ with a taste of ‘generous, loving, beautiful’ added. Okay: how does THAT link to giving to the poor? “Stand by for news! War, scandal, fami...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the Fairmount Pattersons are Papa-sitting this morning! It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. Proverbs 21:9, NASB Today is the 21st of the month; so, Proverbs 21. I have written about verses 1-8;  it’s verse 9’s turn. Thus, my selection of this verse has NOTHING to do with my wife, mother, sisters, or daughters! All of them are intelligent, confident, and assertive; they are NOT contentious. ‘Contentious’ does NOT mean ‘has a different opinion’!  A man who has lived with a contentious woman gives the definition by example: I was 20 years old, and stupid (those might be the same thing).  I thought our marriage would work because she was beautiful, and I was, too. It didn’t take long before I realized I was wrong about that. Most of the time, it didn’t matter what I did; I couldn’t please her. We were married...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the D&D crew ate all the popcorn. A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5, NASB NOTE: It’s impossible for me to consider this verse without thinking of the submersible Titan, gone missing since early Sunday morning. Their plan was indeed deep water, diving over two miles down to visit the wreckage of the Titanic. They have enough on-board oxygen to last perhaps until Friday. Whether the MASSIVE efforts by men of understanding will be enough to draw them out, no one knows.  Lord, we pray for their rescue. I’m not certain, but I THINK this verse has meaning to fishermen. I am NOT a fisherman;  ADD prevents me from sitting around holding a stick, waiting for something to happen. Fishermen KNOW there is a great treasure below the surface, out of sight and out of reach; they also know that the met...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, HAPPY JUNETEENTH! A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Proverbs 19:9, NASB “I hope my Tiny Devotional will allow me to say something about Juneteenth.” That was one of my first coherent thoughts this morning.  So, how am I to apply a message about inevitable bad consequences for liars, to a celebration of freedom for black Americans? And, if I even TRY to do that, how do I avoid sounding political (which is something I despise)?  Furthermore, do I have STANDING to make any statement at all? For the past 12 years, I have been the only white permanent resident in a black household. Even a Redneck Biker is changed by that kind of exposure; I hope that gives me some insight and authority to speak. If you conclude otherwise, feel free to ignore. So, can I link a false witness or lie to Juneteenth?  Well, I CAN, but in doing so,...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, I’m wokking the wok. He also who is slack in his work Is brother to him who destroys. Proverbs 18:9, NASB When MaryJo was a college student in the 1960s, her typing speed got her a summer job working with the Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles. She was one of eight clerks in the section that processed tag applications, which, at that time, was a once-a-year event. (It’s by birthdate now!) When she discovered the HUGE stack of pending applications, she was almost overwhelmed, but she put her head down, grabbed the first one, and got to work. After a week of lunches at her desk, and never taking a break, she had barely made a dent in the backlog; still, she kept up the pace… ...until an older lady, the head clerk in the section, took her aside and spoke to her, gently. “Dear, we are glad that you can type so fast. But after your summer job is over, the rest of us sti...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, leave the thermostat alone! He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Proverbs 17:9, NASB When a verse isn’t immediately clear to me, I go looking at original language (using Strong’s Concordance).  Frequently, I get insight that there is hidden meaning. This morning, the insight I got is that there is NO hidden meaning. I’m skittish about ‘concealing a transgression.’ My last 35 years have REQUIRED that I work a program that requires rigorous honesty; in my first 35 years, I  concealed my transgressions from everyone, including myself. So, ALARM!!!! Here’s the blinding revelation I received a few minutes ago:  The first line is NOT Agamemnon concealing his transgression against Belteshazzar FROM Belteshazzar; it’s Agamemnon concealing Cyrenius’s transgression against Belteshazzar from Belteshazza...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Remember Everyone Deployed! Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. Proverbs 16:8, NASB I find myself being unprepared to wrestle with the proverb. I’m questioning my credentials in the “little vs great income” comparison.  On one hand, my career choice (education) was never going to provide me with great income. My one foray into the land of Big Bucks, as a mainframe computer reseller, coincided with a massive industry downturn.  On the other hand, any time I start to get smug about how I got by while making ‘little,’ I remember that I was born in North America, and that in comparison with the rest of the world, we’re bloody rich. I can’t really say I know a lot about righteousness or injustice, either. There were a few college years when I rode a motorcycle and had long hair, and I got pulled over by the cops a lot, but that’...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the dogs still fear the cats. A fool rejects his father’s discipline,  But he who regards reproof is sensible.  Proverbs 15:5, NASB The parallel construction of the verse links two words, which in this translation are ' DISCIPLINE' and ‘ REPROOF. ’ They do NOT mean the same thing! Discipline.  The Hebrew word translated here as ‘discipline’ is מוּסָר (musar), and it’s most often rendered as ‘instruction.’ It’s related to the word meaning ‘transfer’ or ‘pass,’ as when you ’pass’ the basketball. Worst parenting statement EVER:  “DAISNAID”  (Do As I Say, Not As I Do) I don’t know who first came up with that stupid phrase, but I wish they hadn’t. If you’ve never heard it, count yourself lucky; if you’ve ever SAID it, then repent immediately! It places you in opposition to the clear meaning of every good teaching found anywhere. It’s a simple conc...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, one of the eggs was FROZEN. The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit. Proverbs 14:8, NASB These proverbs are making more sense to me recently. In large part, that’s because I’m seeing people live out the points that are made, for good and for bad. ‘Know Yourself’ is a simple and  primary command found in ALL major religions, * which attests to its’ significance.  Keep this in mind: ‘simple’ and ‘easy’ are NOT the same thing! I’m inclined to think that knowing myself has been the hardest task of my life. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Ignorance is defined as ‘lack of knowledge or information;’ it is our natural state. We start out not KNOWING the outcomes of our behavior. We might have an idea, based on received advice, or personal observation, but until we ACT, we don’t really KNOW the outcomes. Wise people do kno...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, we ate all the potatoes, but we have rice. A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. Proverbs 13:6, NASB In my years as a counselor, I ran A LOT of support groups. At the end of some particularly intense sessions, I’d start to close by asking : “Is there anything else we need to KNOW, SAY, DO, or BE ?” Rationale: those are all different ways of participating in change. That’s addressed in today’s wisdom: To BE righteous, we KNOW and SAY truth.  To BE wicked, we DO disgusting and shameful things. Why isn’t what the wicked KNOWS a part of this verse? Aside from requirements of poetic forms, it’s because what they KNOW doesn’t matter, in light of what they DO.  Have you ever corrected a subordinate (or a child), and they kept telling you “I know, I know” as you described the problem?  Aggravating, isn’t it?  Ag...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, draw your own conclusions. Praise the Insightful! A man will be praised according to his insight, But one of perverse mind will be despised. Proverbs 12:8, NASB When did THAT happen? I’m not denying it is true; just don’t know when it starts.  Do children receive praise according to their insight?  Considering praise by age-level, it seems the progression begins with “not hitting/biting,” then “plays well with others;” then strength, agility, beauty are added in. Eventually, academic success is praised. I personally don’t recall having ANY insight, until I was 20 or so, and discovered ‘honesty.’  I didn’t see it in any of my pre-adult peers, either.  Maybe it’s a trait only seasoned adults have? Except recently, my 18-year-old Kenneth shocked me with the insight he had into a family conflict, and his ability to communicate that insight to others. Ma...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the dogs snacked on peanut butter and cheese. And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. Proverbs 7:10, NASB This is the story of the gullible young man, who is carelessly wandering where he doesn’t belong. He’s also innocent, in the sense that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Yet. But what he actually did, was put on his suit made out of pork chops, and then dropped by the wolf camp. He was just curious to see what would happen, HONEST! Young man, you done messed up.  And just like you were secretly hoping, here comes trouble. Ain’t she pretty? Such fashion sense! And, providing a thrill to your heart, she approaches YOU! Young man, you fidna mess up even worse.  Regardless of whatever fantasy you are spinning in your brain, about taking her home to meet mama, and settling down with her, even YOU should recognize that this...

  A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, is the cold-brew coffee strong enough? Internet Troll Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers; Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, Who spreads strife. Proverbs 6:13-14, NASB These are the characteristics of the wicked, who also has a perverse mouth . Confession: I’m not researching Late Bronze Age communication methods in order to understand all of the implications of winking, signaling, and pointing. There might be something interesting there, but here’s the bottom line: The wicked uses multiple forms of communication to spread strife. Unfortunately, the wicked person progressed from winking and pointing to tweeting and posting. The goal is the same: to spread strife.  It’s working. It’s NOT a trivial issue, unless you regard injecting lies from Satan as trivial. That’s where it originates, you know....

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, my new cold-brew carafe is functional. And you groan at your final end, When your flesh and your body are consumed; And you say, “How I have hated instruction! And my heart spurned reproof! Proverbs 5:11-12, NASB This section of Proverbs is headed “Pitfalls of Immorality.” It’s about all the bad stuff that comes our way when we seek the illicit pleasures, instead of the servant pleasures. My first thought is “Well, I dodged THAT bullet!” I have the perspective of one who has been clean and sober for 35 years, AND is 70 years old with an array of health issues, so: LOTS of stuff hurts!  I remember my last hangover; add THAT misery to  the natural aging process? Nope!  My second thought is “How awful to miss all of the GOOD stuff!”  Yesterday, I got to sing “ Be Thou My Vision, ” which dates back to the 6th century. It was LOVELY to participate in 1500 year...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, the Liberty picnic is today.   I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. Proverbs 4:11, NASB  Most of those who will read this are parents, and if you have been a parent for more than, say, three days, you will know that there are good days, and there are bad days. If you are living through the good days, it’s lovely! If you are in the bad days, the good days seem to be very, very far away. And, while prayer and a good support system are valuable coping strategies, there is nothing I know of that can turn a bad day into a good day. That’s when this verse becomes very important. We can’t CONTROL the outcomes for our children, but we can influence them. Being a good example to our kids is pretty much the best we can do, whether it’s a good day or a bad day. However, on a good day, there are many other things to celebrate; on a bad day...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Kenneth took his diploma to National Guard drill today. So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:10, NASB Yesterday, the verse was about what Wisdom saves us FROM; today, it’s about what Wisdom saves us TO. This verse can be read as a bargain with God: “I’m going to give to the Lord, because I’ll get back many times more!” I’d be lying if I said I’d never heard THAT sermon preached, and I’d be lying if I said it had no appeal.   In the days when I was behind on the rent, and had to go to friends and relatives for help for groceries and medical expenses, it would have been GREAT if I could give $1 and get back $10.  Problem one: that approach never seemed to work for me, or anyone else I knew personally.  Problem two:  I usually didn’t have the $1. Ever have your tithe check bounce? I have. The REAL pro...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s RED Friday! Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Proverbs 2:14, NASB The topic under discussion is: “Things Wisdom Will Protect You From,” and delighted evil-doers are under consideration. My first response, lasting all of a few seconds, was “Oh, this is harsh! Who would do such a thing?” I had a lovely moment in which I contemplated the inherent goodness of man, and rejected the idea of one who would do evil for its’ own sake. And then, I remembered being 17, and driving across the lawn of some person I didn’t know; for no reason, other than having a perverse heart. Wisdom saved me from my perverse heart a few years later, when I became a Christian (although I confess I was a recalcitrant student). Going further, my program of recovery from alcoholism helped me repair the damage I had brought to myself and others.  But, this morning, as...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, breakfast is served, when you can face it. To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, Proverbs 1:4-5, NASB I’m getting these little pops of wisdom dropping down recently. They happen when I understand aspects of life in new ways, as I accept my own aging process. As I prepared today’s selection, I realized: Everybody longs for a safe place, and  That’s what these verses promise. Have you heard the latest news about the DANGERS of EDUCATION ?!?!!!  My personal course of study has brought me some frightening challenges; so, I DO understand the anxiety. The danger is vastly overblown, though, and it’s NOT a recent development: “...much learning doth make thee mad!” Acts 26:24b, KJV As one of the wisest, most learned men ever, Solomon wanted t...