“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” – Proverbs 13:12 No one loves the sting of disappointment. It can truly make the heart sick to dwell on all the times our expectations were dashed when things didn’t go to plan. Much of our efforts toward good mental health are wrapped up in how we manage when our best hopes are deferred. Disappointments are part of life. This needs to be understood from the beginning. Some bonus parenting advice: never give your children every silly little thing they want. It’s unrealistic to assume that your every wish will be granted. Even when you’ve done…

The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. – Proverbs 13:4 There is much in the book of Proverbs about the importance of diligence. Apart from a miraculous gift of grace, or pure dumb luck, there is really no success without it. In any area of life, persistence is key to success. Keep going, nose to the grindstone, do the work and put in the hours, get things done, and get the results you are looking for. While I have known all of this for some time, I have spent most of my life being a dreamer, a dawdler, a reader, and a procrastinator. I can identify much more with…