--THE LORD GIVES WISDOM ~~

--"For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

--VERY recently I had a huge mishap at work; a colleague and I dropped an entire gallon of yellow paint near the entrance of the military chapel I call home. As I was lamenting to Nancy on my way home after the incident and figuring out how to clean the yellow mess, she suggested I call maintenance to clean it. I caught myself smiling.

--I smiled because my thoughts on calling maintenance were summed up with the unspoken response "This is the Army, we clean our own messes." When did I come to understand and speak army so readily? Truth is, after devoting twenty-two years as a civilian to this institution called the Army, I've changed. My time serving with the Army has changed my resolve, my knowledge, my perspective, my faith, and my discipline, and for good measure, I can speak Army acronyms with the best It is often I find myself surprised by my words of actions that have been influenced by Army culture.

We are changed for the better or for the worse. by influences. The institutions, environments, and causes we become part of influence us in abiding. ways. We often have to discern how we have been changed.
Much to my chagrin, I have caught myself more than once over the years speaking tougher than I want to-- a side effect of the Army.
Mentally, I must make changes when that happens and remember who the Lord calls me to be.

--"Lord Jesus, may I recognize the influences that help develop my character and my life in You, and may I make necessary adjustment to become more like You. ~"-
---Guideposts/JS~