July 23: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ADD WISDOM BUT DON'T SUBTRACT LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, AND PURPOSE.

Affirmation: I find balance between giving and receiving.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
“Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. Bring them here to me,” he said. (Matthew 14:16-18)
Pay attention and obey. Such a simple command, and that is all He asks of us. Do this, and let God do His part.
~~~~~~~
Reading for Today
Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

                       July 23


SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ADD WISDOM BUT DON'T SUBTRACT LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, AND PURPOSE. 

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. 
PROVERBS 13:20 

When I was young and in school, I remember hearing about the president's "cabinet" and assumed he was keeping a secret stash of snacks in the Oval Office. Then I learned the cabinet was a group of people who surrounded the president and offered counsel on how to lead various parts of the government. (I'm still holding on to the idea of snacks too.) 


My wife also knew about the president's cabinet and loved the idea so much that she decided to create one of her own. If it works for the president, she figured it would work for her too. Throughout her adult life, she's had an informal cabinet of five or six people. She's pretty choosy about this group and makes sure it's stocked with people who listen and offer advice without forgetting the role of love and acceptance we all need. None of us outgrows the need to get feedback from other people who see the world differently. But a bunch of naysayers can stymie your progress. Cynics are lightweights. Keep them at a distance. 


I expected to see Sweet Maria's cabinet members help her make wiser deci­sions, but I found something more-something maybe a little bit better: they give us emotional support. When we're wrestling with big life decisions, most people want love and acceptance first and information second. When we've failed, we need hugs, not advice. If you happen to be on someone's cabinet, whether they made it official or not, the first purpose of your appointment is to be an terrific encourager. 


Who would be in your cabinet? 


                   

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