I enjoy reading the book of Proverbs. The book is full of good advice and wise statements. Some verses really speak to my heart while others can be so obvious to the point of amusement. There are two verses which speak to me most from Chapter 27.

I am a city planner for the City of Plano. My planning work carries over into my personal life as I like to think about and plan for tomorrow. Sometimes, I get too caught up in an anticipated future event or a dream I hope will come to pass and become unaware of what is happening in the present.

Verse 1 reminds us that in order to have a tomorrow, you have to live through today. You never know what the present can bring and we need to be open to God’s plans, even when they differ from ours or we might not understand them. I have had days like this when something big happens during the day when you least expect it, which can change the future.

I had not planned on any big vacations for 2010. My wife and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary next year and we are saving for a special trip. However, an opportunity came along to act on a long-term dream to go to Israel with Gene and Elaine Getz . The Lord placed in me a strong desire to go, and He blessed me with vacation time and the money beyond our savings to make this plan happen.

Verse 9 is another section of the text which spoke to my heart. Our buses left the Mount Zion Hotel in Jerusalem for the airport around 1:00 a.m. for the long trip back to America. I was sad the trip had come to an end so quickly, was nervous about the security details we may have to face at the Tel Aviv airport, and was wondering if I had the endurance for a 15-hour plane ride back to Dallas.

As we entered the highway to travel to the airport, we drove through an area of Jerusalem where the air was filled with smoke. The smoke had a scent of incense as the aroma filled the bus. The scent was very pleasant and calmed my fears and eased my sadness as the Lord assured me His strength would be sufficient to face the challenges of the Israeli airport and the long trip home.