Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

Do you ask yourself, “What am I doing and why am I doing it?” Frankly, most of us ask ourselves these questions at times, especially when we’re constantly facing challenges, navigating uncharted territory (shifting culture), or feel the mountain in front of us is too steep to climb. Sometimes I ask myself a simple question: “Is this desire to write, speak, and coach something I created, or something God placed inside me?” To be fully transparent, sometimes I wonder whether my dream and vision to write, coach, and speak are truly God-inspired or just something I want to believe. We will unpack this on today’s episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com [https://marketplaceproverbs.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

We used to have three Cocker Spaniels. If I mentioned the word “bone,” their ears immediately perked up, and their tails started wagging. They loved bones. Big bones. Little bones. Milk-Bones. Even bones they buried and forgot where they buried them. They were bone experts. But the bones Ezekiel saw weren’t dog bones. They were people's bones. Dry bones. Scattered bones. The kind of bones most people would look at and conclude: “That story is over.” Then God asked Ezekiel a remarkable question: “Son of man, can these bones live?” “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.”— Proverbs 14:30 NLT Today’s episode was inspired by reading Marty Stubbfield’s Old Lazy Dog Blog, a daily newsletter. It’s free. Please consider subscribing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com [https://marketplaceproverbs.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

Sometimes do you feel like every well you dig gets filled in? By well, I mean sales programs and presentations. Every presentation seems to encounter resistance and experience delays. Every door you try to open seems to close. If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve probably had seasons where you wondered if you were digging in the wrong place. I certainly have. But what if the delays weren’t punishment? What if the resistance wasn’t rejection? What if God was simply leading you to a place called Rehoboth? “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when desire comes, it is a tree of life.”—Proverbs 13:12 NKJV This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com [https://marketplaceproverbs.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

In the marketplace, trophies come in many forms—sales awards, promotions, titles, plaques on the wall, followers online, even the quiet applause of being noticed. None of those things is inherently wrong. But Proverbs 10 forces us to ask a deeper question: What happens when the trophies we chase become the things that define us? Some trophies collect dust. Some trophies inflate ego. And some trophies cost more than we realize. Today, we’ll explore the difference between temporary recognition and lasting significance—because not everything worth pursuing can be displayed on a shelf. Grab your coffee, and let’s talk about the trophies that truly matter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com [https://marketplaceproverbs.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

Have you ever noticed that life is constantly asking one question: What will you ignore, and what will you focus on? Every day, hundreds of voices compete for our attention—news alerts, social media, worries, opportunities, distractions, even our own internal chatter. But here’s something I’ve learned the hard way: what we ignore doesn’t always go away… and what we focus on tends to grow. Think on this: A poor diet ignored in your younger years may show up later as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. A neglected relationship doesn’t usually collapse overnight—it drifts.A neglected prayer life doesn’t suddenly disappear—it slowly weakens. The opposite is also true. What we intentionally focus on begins to shape us. Focus on gratitude, and complaining loses its grip. Focus on wisdom, and confusion begins to clear. Focus on relationships, and transactions start becoming partnerships. Today’s proverb reminds us that wisdom is not merely about knowing more—it’s about learning what deserves our attention. So grab your coffee and let’s talk about the power of ignoring versus focusing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com [https://marketplaceproverbs.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]