Here’s the final page of preview on "An Apple For my Teacher."  Someone had made a request to see what the musical elements looked like, so I thought I’d show the third page of the previews/product shots.

I have to tell you, I love teachers!  Every time I do a teacher-oriented product, I learn something… this time it was how to spell Mathematics!!!!  I’m a very good at spelling, but didn’t know that for my entire life I had spelled that word wrong .  In my new kit, I had left the "e" off of the book in the stack, but by the miracles of photoshop have corrected and uploaded the corrected piece so that next week’s kit will be perfect!

It reminds me of the day that I had two people from opposite ends of the country call me about a product that I had been selling for over five years with a spelling error.  I had a 16 x 20 matted and framed print for displaying your child’s school photos (actually we still sell it at 800-662-3333 if you’re interested).  In the center spot where the Senior photo will eventually go is a poem I wrote about taking time to enjoy your children as they’re growing.  In it I mispelled kindergarten (I spelled it "kindergarden")  For five years not a single person had noticed or if they did they hadn’t called to tell me and in the same day two kindergarten teachers called to let me know because they knew that I would want to correct it.

This brings me to explaining the proverb yesterday!  A couple of people expressed that they didn’t understand a part of the proverb I had selected.  Prov 27:5  An open rebuke is better than hidden love! 

The correction that my friend "Snapdragon" wrote to me creates the perfect opportunity to explain its concept to you.   In essence my friend openly rebuked me — pointed out an error so that I would have a chance to correct it.  Because I try to have a teachable spirit and delight in growing and improving, this was a blessing to me.  In this case an open rebuke doesn’t mean mean-spirited or hateful communication, but a correction.  The people who really care about you will also care enough to let you know when you are going in a wrong direction, making a mistake or are doing something wrong that could cause you or others harm.  This kind of person cares enough to risk their relationship with you so that you can improve and make changes in your life. 

The second part of the proverb is about hidden love.  Love that is never expressed (that is hidden) has no power in our lives.  Much damage in people’s lives has come from love that is hidden.  How many people have never been told by their parents that they are loved.  How often is a boss, friend or family member very quick to criticize and yet never communicates love and appreciation?  How many people have been so shy that they never make a move toward a relationship with someone who would have loved them in return?  How many people never express love and appreciation to those that are around them, though they might feel it in their heart.  Love that is not given expression and communicated openly accomplishes nothing in that other person’s life.  The open rebuke when given in a spirit of love (desiring the best for that person that you love) is better than love that is hidden and never acted upon or expressed.

One example of what I might say to express and live out this proverb in my daily life is to say to my daughter, "I love you enough to tell you the truth and perhaps risk having you not like me for a little while."   

Often the proverbs are written in a common communication technique of the time in which there is a positive contrasting to negative format.  i.e. a fool does this… a wise man does this instead….  Another thing you might notice is that many of the proverbs (and other portions of scripture) are actually written in a more negative from of expression than is the custom in our western culture. 

In other words,  as a whole our culture prefers to know what we should be doing than what’s bad.  Many of us will get the point much better if we turn the scripture’s truth into a positive form.  I like to pause and think of a way that I might rephrase the concept and find in it a positive action to take.

For instance in the proverb for today "The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised."  This is a negative expression that speaks towards those "pious" sounding individuals that steal, cheat or otherwise do not have a character that is full of integrity and obedience.  A positive expression of this might read, "the person who’s prayers God loves to hear and answer is the person who knows and obeys both the law and the spirit of the law.  God delights in the person who is full of godly character not just acting the part."  Does this help a little? 

A word of explanation in today’s proverb, the Israelites were forbidden from charging interest.  If you made a loan it was usually to the poor and you weren’t to charge interest, but simply lend the money and eventually have it returned.  So the person who charged interest was a person who made money off of someone else’s misery.

THE PROVERB OF THE DAY:  Proverbs 28:7-9  Young people who obey the law are wise; those who seek out worthless companions bring shame to their parents. A person who makes money by charging interest will lose it. It will end up in the hands of someone who is kind to the poor. The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised.  NLT

Audrey Jeanne Roberts