Prodigal: Proverbs bring wisdom.

Me: Yes, they do.

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Proverbs 3:2

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me:   The winds came and the tree fell.

Prodigal:  Yes, I guess it is something to ponder.

This is from the book  The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

We ought not to believe every saying or suggestion, but ought warily and patiently to ponder the matter with reference to God.  But alas!  Such is our weakness, that we often rather believe and speak evil of others than good.  Those that are perfect men do not easily give credit to every tale; for they know that human infirmity is prone to evil, and very subject to slip in words.

It is great wisdom not to be rash in thy actions, nor to stand obstinately in thine own conceits; it belongeth also to this same wisdom not to believe everything which thou hearest, nor presently to pour into the ears of others what thou hast heard or believed.  Consult with a man that is wise and conscientious, and seek to be instructed by a better than thyself, rather than to follow thine own inventions.

A good life maketh a man wise according to God, and giveth him experience in many things.  The more humble a man is in himself, and the more resigned unto God; so much the more prudent shall he be in all things, and the more at peace.

But who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  James 1:25

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: Look at that sword!

Me: Yes, it is a nice one.

I really was not sure. I thought about going to the sun room, and reading. The room had plenty of windows, and was bright and sunny. It would make a relaxing place to sit and read. I thought about taking the dog for a walk and, I thought about just spending time on the phone.

For what ever reason, I did decide to stay. My family had decided to watch a show on television, that I had never seen. The show was on the Discovery channel. Tonight they were going to discuss swords. Information was given on different points about swords.

The beginning really did not capture my attention. I found myself distracted and moving around and missing parts of it. I really was not sure why, I continued to watch the show.

Toward the end of the show, they brought in an expert on how to handle swords. While the sword was out, various moves were discussed. He explained some very core truths you have to grasp in order to be effective with the sword.

They show the two men completing several exercises with the sword. The purpose of these exercises was so that you would become familiar with the sword. They were several movements and a lot of time was spent just learning these exercises over and over. This first truth was that you have to become familiar with the sword. A person should be able to understand how it feels, how much it weighs and the smallest detail about the sword.

The second truth was teaching how to cut with the sword. This exercise used a watermelon and they would practice cutting open the watermelon with one swing. He explained that even a dull blade could cut open a watermelon. This is because the sword already has what it takes to be an effective tool. The tough part is trying not to use our muscle in cutting open the watermelon. If we use our muscle then it will not be clean and may not cut the watermelon at all. All the power is in the sword.

Most people have to re train themselves when learning how to use a sword. They have to learn that it is not themselves that has to put the power in the sword. For most people this is really hard. It can take time to understand the complete power of the sword itself. Once you have mastered the ability to let go and completely allow the sword to do all the work, then you can see the power in the sword completely.

The power is all in the sword and we have to re train ourselves to understand it is not our power at all. In Ephesians 6 the bible explains our armor that we use in spirtual battle. The last piece of armor that is described is the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

If we really want to use our sword effectively, we need to be familiar with the sword. If we really want to cut through the enemies lies, we need to realize the power in the sword. The power is in the word of God and not ourselves. The sword can complete the task. That means we do not have to have the most strength. We do not have to be a spiritual giant. We do not have to be afraid of an enemy that seems bigger than us. The power is in our sword and not us.

God cared enough about us that he made sure that the sword we carry is amazing. This sword is not small and easily broken. No this sword has the power to stop the enemy in anything that may come against us.

Today the enemy looks tricky. The enemy is taunting. The enemy seems not to stop. But the enemy doesnt have your sword.

Coming out swinging today and see how the sword will make them all fall.

Ephesians 6:19-20

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal:  I don’t know if this will turn out the best.

Me:  Don’t worry, I don’t expect perfection and neither does Christ.

Prodigal:  Makes me happy to hear that.

This is from the book God Will Make a Way:  Stories of Hope

Charles Spurgeon once preached what, in his opinion, was one of his poorest sermons.  He stammered and stumbled through it and felt like a complete failure by the sermon’s end.  He was greatly humiliated, and when he got home he fell on his knees and cried, “Lord God.  Thou canst do something with nothing.  Bless that poor sermon.”

All through the week, Spurgeon uttered that prayer about his failure.  He awoke in the night and prayed about it.  Then he determined that the next Sunday he would redeem himself by preaching a great sermon.  Sure enough, the next Sunday the sermon was delivered well and, at the close of the service, people crowed about him and covered him with praise for it.  Spurgeon went home pleased with himself, but he later said to himself, “I’ll watch the results of those two sermons.”  And he did.

From the one sermon that seemed a failure, he was able to trace forty-one conversions to Jesus Christ.  From the magnificent sermon, he was unable to discover a single soul who had been saved.

In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.

Isaiah 28:5

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

 

Me:  What do you see?

Prodigal:  I see the sun and the water and where they seem to meet together.

Me:  What a wonder to see.

 

This is from the book  God Came Near by Max Lucado

 

Should a man see only popularity, he becomes a mirror, reflecting whatever needs to be reflected to gain acceptance.  Though in vogue, he is vague.  Though in style, he is stodgy.  Personal convictions change with the seasons.  Individual beliefs come in all colors, each for a different night of the week.  He’s a puppet on a thousand strings.  He’s a singer of a hundred songs, with no song of his own.  His appearance changes to fit the seeing so often that he forgets who he set out to be.  He is everyone and no one.

Should a man see only power, he becomes a wolf–prowling, hunting, and stalking the elusive game.  Recognition is his prey and people are his prizes.  His quest is endless.  There is always another world to conquer or another person to control.  As a result, he who sees only power is degraded to an animal, an insatiable scavenger controlled not by a will from within but by lurings from without.

Should a man see only pleasure, he becomes a carnival thrill-seeker, alive only in bright lights, wild rides, and titillating entertainment.  With lustful fever he races from ride to ride, satisfying his insatiable passion for sensations only long enough to look for another.  Ferris wheels of romance.  Haunted houses of eroticism.  Hammer rides of danger and excitement.  Long after the crowd is gone he can still be found on the carnival founds rummaging through empty boxes of popcorn and sticky cones that held the cotton candy.  He is driven by passion, willing to sell his soul if need be for one more rush, one more race of the pulse, one more sideshow that will take him away from the real world of promises broken and commitments to keep.

Seekers of popularity, power, and pleasure.  The end results is the same: painful unfulfillment.

Only in seeking his Maker does a man truly become a man.  For in seeing his Creator, man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be.  He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time.  Destiny?  Tomorrow?  Truth?  All are questions within the reach of the man who knows his source.

It is in seeing Jesus that man sees his source.

 

 

Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

Matthew 15:32

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me:  Today is the day that the Lord has given!

Prodigal:  That is true for all of us.

Today we share from the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels and Miracles by Amy Newmark

I was driving home from an audition to sing as a church cantor in a local Catholic church.  The audition went very well and they had hired me on the spot.  I felt blessed.

It wasn’t far to the highway that would take me home.  I had a green arrow indicating that I could make a left turn, so I turned toward the entrance ramp.  Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a speeding Suburban blew through a red light and plowed into my little Neon.  I saw it coming and there was nothing I could do.

Glass shattered around me, the airbags deployed and something heavy pushed against my legs.  It was the car’s engine.  To make matters worse, the engine was in flames.  I frantically tried my door, only to find it was completely caved in.  I couldn’t budge it.  I’m pretty sure I was screaming by then.

The police came quite quickly and one officer put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.  The car was still smoldering under the crushed hood, though, and I could smell gasoline.

When the firefighters and rescue team finally arrived, they couldn’t get the door open either.  Flames began spreading out from under the hood again.  I was crying now as the firemen scrambled to get something to cut me out.  I could see on their faces that things looked rather grim.  I kept calling for someone to help me.  The adrenaline had started to wear off and I was almost certain that my left ankle was broken.

A man suddenly appeared at the side of my car.  I remember he was very handsome and had a comforting smile.  He said, “I’ve go you, sweetheart.  Hang on.”

Before I knew it, he had opened the door effortlessly and helped me out of the burning wreck.  Then he let me lean against him and he guided me to the side of the road, out of harm’s way.  The front end of the car was engulfed in flames by then.  The firemen rushed over with a foam spray to put out the fire, frantic to rescue me from where I was stuck–except I wasn’t there anymore.

One of the astonished firefighters walked over to where I was sitting.  The man who helped me had disappeared so I assumed he had gone back to his own vehicle.

I asked the firefighter if he could thank the man for me.  He shook his head, and said, “Lady there was no man.  We went for the Jaws of Life to get you out of the car, only to find you sitting on the curb.  Lady, we couldn’t open that door.  It’s so damaged, the only way to free you was to cut you out.

I knew I had seen him.  That man helped me walk to the curb.  I couldn’t have done it myself because I couldn’t even put any weight on my injured foot.  I argued with the firefighter:  The man who had saved me had been there.  I held onto him.  He was real.  I felt him guiding me out of the car and across the road.  I leaned on him when I could not walk.

The fireman responded, “Trust me, Miss, there was no one there.  I have no idea how you got out, but I can assure you there was no man.”

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

Jennifer  Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: I am having a nice walk today.

Me: It is time for another video!

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Proverbs 3:1

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

 

Me:  You are doing great with the climbing!

Prodigal:  Thanks, the company is good company and it helps.

Me:  I will continue with my thoughts then.

 

This is from the book The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

 

Every man naturally desireth to know; but what availeth knowledge without the fear of God?  Better, surely, is an humble rustic that serveth God, than a proud philosopher that, neglecting himself, studieth the course of the heavens.  Whoso knoweth himself well, groweth mean in his own conceit, and delighteth not in the praises of men.  If I understood all things in the world, and were not in charity, what would that hep me in the sight of God, who will judge me according to my deeds?

Cease from an inordinate desire of knowing, for therein is found much distraction and deceit.  The learned are well pleased to seem so to others, and to be accounted wise.  There be many things, which to know doth little or nothing profit the soul:  and he is very unwise, who is intent upon anythings save those which avail for his salvation.  Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life comforteth the mind, and a pure conscience giveth great confidence towards God.

 

Faith is needed at this time.  Faith comes from the spirit and not the mind.  Faith will be your foundation and not your knowledge.

 

But he knoweth the way that I take:  when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

 

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Me:  I like all your necklaces, but do you think you have enough?

Prodigal:  I might need two more!

Me:  Let me share this story and then tell me what you think.

This is from the book  Small Miracles for Women:  Extraordinary Coincidences for Heart and Spirit by Yitta Halberstam & Judith Leventhal

The glitter of green stones drew me to the display case.  The light bounced off silver and glass.  Amid the throng of holiday shoppers, I stood in the corner area reserved for fine jewelry and gazed at the bracelet, noticing its unique handiwork.  The beaten silver, fashioned to resemble diamond chips, was exquisite, and it was encrusted with dozens of dark green emeralds.  I knew this was a one-of-a kind treasure.

As I admired the intricate piece, I remembered a promise my husband had made.  David had bought me a lovely gift on our honeymoon four years earlier.  He had selected an emerald-green Austrian crystal and seed-pearl bracelet in honor of my May birthstone.  As he fastened it on my wrist, he lovingly said, “I promise you that I will buy you real emeralds someday soon.  Just wait.”  I loved the sentiment of his honeymoon gift, but deep down I excitedly looked forward to the fulfillment of David’s promise.

Until that time, however, I still loved wearing my crystal bracelet.  I wore it frequently, each time fondly remembering the island boutique where we had found it.  Whenever David saw the bracelet, he would smile and reassure me that the time was coming soon when he would keep his promise.

It became our habit over the years to look in every jewelry store window.  David’s pursuit became symbolic of his devotion to me, and I loved him for it.  We wandered in and out of countless shops, becoming somewhat discouraged when we realized that the cost of his promise was well beyond our means.  I started to doubt that I would ever own what David desired to give me.  David, however, never lost faith.

On the day I found the particular bracelet, we were in the mall during the last week before Christmas to buy gifts for our children.  Finances were tight and we had agreed there would be no exchange of gifts between us.  We had just completed one of the most stressful years of our marriage.  With David’s diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, our lives had forever changed.  This fatal neurological disorder had pitched us into a panic, not to mention near bankruptcy.

I looked up into David’s eyes and saw love shining even brighter than the green stones.  I could tell what was in his mind.  Nothing short of this bracelet would satisfy his original honeymoon promise.  But I knew there was not way we could possible afford it.  I tried to tell him, but the words died on my lips.  He’d had so many disappointments that year; I didn’t have the heart to tell him that we absolutely shouldn’t consider it.

Thinking fast, I came up with a reason to refuse the offer I knew I couldn’t accept.  I have large wrists and normally bracelets don’t fit.  As the store clerk reverently lifted the object out of the case, I knew it would be too small.  The silver and green made a colorful contrast against my brown skin.  I silently acknowledged how much I wanted the bracelet while still hoping it would not fit.  As the clerk reached around my wrist and closed the intricate clasp, my heart both leaped and then quickly plummeted.  It fit!  It was perfect.  Yet I knew it would be wrong to buy it.  The unpaid bills, with more looming in the future, had placed a vise around our checkbook.

I glanced at my husband, my best friend, and saw him beam.  This gentle man was now the victim of a very cruel disease.  His was a sentence with only one verdict:  untimely, slow, and cruel death.  My eyes brimmed with tears as I realized we would not live out our dream of growing old together.  The jewelry before me was meaningless compared with the hope of living a lifetime with this man.  But to David, the bracelet on  my wrist would not be just one more bauble in a crowded jewelry box.  Rather, this was his love for me displayed for all the world to see.  To David, a promise made was a promise to be kept.  I sadly realized that he might not have many more months or years in which to keep his promise.  Suddenly it became the most important covenant ever made, and I knew that somehow I had to juggle the bills to let him have the honor of keeping it.

“Do you like it?”  he whispered.  Hearing the hope in his voice, mingled with the adoration in his eyes, was heart-wrenching.  It was clear that David cherished me.  All he had ever wanted, from the day we met, was to make me happy.  I was a lucky woman, indeed.

I heard myself saying, “Yes, honey, I love it.  It’s exactly what I want.”

The clerk reached out to remove the bracelet.  I could not believe this little object had worked its ways into my heart so quickly.

“How much is it?”  I finally asked.

Slowly the man turned over the little white tag.

Two hundred and fifty dollars.  Surely this was a mistake!  I had seen enough fine jewelry to know that price was only a fraction of its worth.

The man began to extol the beauty of the item, pointing out the 180 emeralds in a handmade Brazilian setting.  But even though $250.00 was an incredible value, it might as well have been $2,500, given our meager budget.

Without thinking, I asked, “Would you take $225, tax included?”

I was amazed to hear myself ask the question, because shops in malls do not normally bargain.

The clerk looked at me in surprise, but answered, “That will be fine.”

Before he could change his mind, I whipped out my credit card, watching David beam with pride.  The man quickly handled the transaction and we were on our way.  Every few steps we would stop and look at the bracelet.  Before we reached the car, David said:  “When I get sicker and eventually am no longer with you, I hope you’ll look at each emerald on the bracelet.  Every one will remind you of something special we’ve done:  a trip we took, a movie we saw together, or a moment we shared.  This will be your memory bracelet.”

I began to cry.  David’s concern was not for his own failing health, but for my welfare after he was gone.

As we worked our way home in rush-hour Honolulu traffic, I wondered just how we would pay for the bracelet.  Oddly enough, however, I never really panicked.  I was somehow only curious about how it would all work out.  We talked as we drove, and every so often we looked admiringly at the miracle of the promise kept.

Upon arriving home, I grabbed the mail and began to open it as we walked inside.  Among the usual bills were two cards.  One was from a church where I had sung several times that year.  It was a thank-you note for my music ministry, along with a gift–a check for $200.  I was speechless.  I reached for the second card and slit it open.  Out fell two bills:  a twenty and a five.  My benefactor preferred to remain anonymous.  The card was simply signed, “Anonymous.”

I looked up at David and we both shook our heads in amazement and then began to laugh.  Even as I had inexplicably felt the urge to negotiate our price in the mall, the payment of David’s promise was already in our mailbox.  God had already taken care of every detail, right down to the penny.

And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and withersoever thou thurnest thyself.

1 Kings 2:3

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Prodigal: What a time to focus on the Lord.

Me: I agree and I hope this encourages others.

Come on in this river of mine

The peace is great and sweet as the new wine

I tell you true it is ever so blue

Because His love poured out for me and you

Peace and Love from above

Yes, I know, yes it is fine!

One day you will see

One day you will know

Because your life all will know

Please oh please

I beg you now do not wait to long

Or think forever is never too long

Because, I plead with your heart from mine

Let your light forever shine

Yes, I know you are looking at me

But do not do that

Look to Him to see

Each new day he brings to you

A fresh new start for all to see

So my friend

If you are looking around

To someone else and truth

You have not found

The only one to compare is Him

Because He alone is your best friend

Do you not know by now my dear?

That if all is told, it is Him that is real

Yes life and death is long

Yes, my child HE said to me

I love you so

And gave; Oh so dear

All I could I poured out

On that hill so long ago

So take from my hand

And receive my love

It is free indeed

My pure Love

by Mary Catherine King

Proverbs 16:1

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org