Proverbs 22:5
In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
    but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

          This verse applies to the social aspects of being a teenager and I will tell you why. If you are a "wicked" person, life will be hard for you. If you are a teenager and you get dragged into doing bad things, such as smoking and drugs, Life will be harder for you. Your health will deteriorate eventually and that will make your life harder. If you want to stay healthy and on the right path, you will stay away from the people who do things like that. You want to stay away from the "bad" crowds if you want to preserve your life. You have to watch who your friends are and who you hang out with.

Proverbs 22:8
Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
    and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

This verse talks about how business people should treat their workers because of this. If say, you are a business person and you don't treat your workers very well, "Sowing injustice", you will reap calamity, or destruction. If you physically abuse your workers "The rod wielded in fury" It will come back to hurt you. It won't last forever, you will eventually reap what you sow. This verse also isn't just talking about business people, it says "Whoever" so even if you are to young or to old to work, you must still treat people well and with the respect they deserve.

Proverbs 22:16
One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

This verse warns business people from getting greedy and this is why. If you hurt others or do other things like sueing, you will probably get a lot of money out of it. Also, if you do things like bribing or flattery, giving presents to people and expecting something in return, you will also probably make a lot of money. This is one thing in common but there is also another, doing both of these things will eventually lead to poverty. You can apply this to a teenagers life like mine because if say, you are a bully and oppress other people, you may get a lot of attention but you will probably be caught and you will also most likely not make any friends. Also, if you flatter people with presents and gifts, you will only make "Fake" friends. I think that is partly what true poverty is: Having no friends, no-one to turn to for help.

Biblical Proverb

The wise store up their choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

          I think this proverb is saying something like save the best for last. You also want to savor your best food because there might not be a lot and it is hard to come by. If you eat it all very quickly you will run out and then you will have to buy some more which can be expensive. You could also apply this mentally, you want to savor and treasure the good moments in life, you want to remember them so you can look back on them later in life. Good food is expensive and shouldn't be taken for granted. If you waste your good food by using it up in one sitting you will not have any left if something unexpected comes along, you will be rushed and worried.



Proverbs 22 verse about friends

One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.

          I think this verse is saying if you watch what you say and how you say it you can make powerful friends. People will like you and want to be your friend because you tread carefully and try not to hurt their feelings. If you like to be around people with pure hearts they will "Rub off" on you. You are more likely to be like them the more you hang out with them. People who love a pure heart tend to be wise and as everyone knows, a king likes a wise adviser. If I were to apply this to my teenager life today, I would say that I have quite a few friends and that one of the main reasons for this is the fact that I watch what I say around people. I try not to hurt their feelings by putting them down with my words and because of that, they want to associate and hang out with me. You always have to respect others so that they can give you some respect back.



Australian Proverb

A bad worker blames his tools.

          I think this proverb is pretty self-explanatory in that someone who isn't good at something blames other things for his mistakes. If you are for example playing golf and you absolutely fail a shot, you might blame it on the wind or something when it is actually your fault. You have to take responsibility for your actions so that people can respect you. You could also think of this the other way round. He may be a bad worker because he blames his tools. If you are given a computer to use at work, you have to work with what you have and try to make things better. At least you got a computer, right? You should not take it for granted that you have tools to use and work with. Basically what I think it's saying is look at yourself then look at the tools then acknowledge where you went wrong. Learning from your mistakes is a big part in becoming mature.

Biblical proverb

"If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit."

          I think this proverb is saying that too much of a good thing isn't good. You can apply this to a few things like medicine. Medicine is supposed to be good for you but if you overdose, or take more than you're supposed to it can seriously harm you. You can also apply this to money. If you make a lot of money and get rich, it can't always be good. You may get overconfident, or spend a lot of your money because you think you will always have enough.

          This proverb can also be saying don't be greedy and take more than you need because it can be bad for you. You always have to be respectful and take your fair share. If you are eating dinner at someone else's house, you try to be respectful and try not to take so much that it makes you look greedy. If you eat too much, your stomach might not feel well and you might throw up.

Ukrainian Proverb

"Those sitting above can easily spit on those below."

          I think this proverb is saying something like this: If there is someone in a position of power, it's easy for them to abuse their power and "spit" on the people "below" them like the poor and needy. It's easy for people to misuse their places of power for their own ends. I recently watched a TV show that talked about an FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover,  who had secret files on basically everyone of importance. This made him very powerful, even more powerful than he was before. He misused his place of power to make himself even more powerful. We have to use our abilities and skills to help them, not to push ourselves higher. If all the people who have positions of power used them for helping and not for what they want, the world would be a much better place.

          If you were once living in poverty and then got rich somehow, it's so easy to forget about when you were living in the dumps and how you felt like. You have to remember the good times as well as the bad times so that you can help those who are still in poverty. Another way you could think of this proverb is if there is someone like a president or prime minister, they have to listen to the people’s needs and what they want. They can’t ignore the people because it’s a democracy.

Biblical proverb
"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."

     This proverb could be saying a couple of things but here's what I think. Money can be gone very quickly so you have to know where it's going and how to deal with it. There are lots of things like hidden expenses where you don't know where it's all going. You have to be good at budgeting so you know how to manage your money and where it needs to go towards. This also ties into our last unit on budgeting.

     It can also be saying all the little things add up. If you "go across" twice a week to buy things like slurpees, it can add up to cost you quite a bit. You have to know what you're doing with your money and not waste it on things that you don't need. You can't just buy whatever you want whenever you feel like it, you have to set priorities and needs before wants.

Chinese Proverb

“A rat who gnaws at a cat’s tail invites destruction.”

            This proverb is saying that if you tease or annoy someone or something dangerous to you, you are inviting death or destruction. Cats and mice are natural enemies so if a mouse is annoying a cat, the cat will certainly kill him. I have had some experience with this because if I tease my older brother sometimes, he will chase me. I know he will have that reaction but I still do it. You basically want to get hurt or have something bad happen to you.

            If you hurt someone they will probably want to hurt you back, whether it be with words or physically.

African Proverb

“Before shooting, one must aim.”

This proverb is saying something like “Look before you leap.” Or “Think before you act.” You have to think about what you’re going to do so you are sure you want to do it. You must notice the repercussions of what you’re going to do before you do it so that you know that this is what you want to do. It could also be saying don’t just do anything without thinking because you may regret it afterward. You have to have a mindset for what you are doing and make sure it’s what you want.

            There’s also the practical application in which you can’t just shoot in the general direction of your target and just hope the projectile will hit its target, you have to put effort into it, which is the aiming part. You have to make an effort to hit your target.