All right, hello, hello, everybody, and welcome to this first episode of this uh podcast titled Walking the Way with Dr. Carlos Quijada. And I'm really excited to get this started. It's been announced for quite some time, but the time has come uh to finally get on with this new journey uh called Walking the Way. So, welcome to all of my listeners. And uh, first off, I want to encourage you that at any given point, please feel free to share this video so that more people would get to listen and with time uh build up an audience. Uh so those of you that uh don't know me, uh, my name is Carlos Quijada. Um, I wear various hats. Uh I'm a husband, a father, uh also an educator and a pastor in the city of San Antonio. Uh our ministry is called the Way Ministries, and we've been around for already a few years. And teaching the Word of God is one of my greatest passions. So uh this is gonna be a time in which we are going to uh talk about life and see what the Bible says about different things that we experience as human beings. So um I encourage you to take some notes, uh uh follow our page uh at The Way Ministry Central, and and just be encouraged by these words. So uh I want to start off by talking a little bit of why this podcast. Um we live in a time where uh there's a lot of voices out there, a lot of uh things that people say on what to do, what not to do. Uh right now in the United States, the the political climate, it's heavy, a lot of uh opposing polls on different ideas, different things. And it's it's very important uh for us to put things in perspective. And I just felt this heavy uh lead in my heart to create a space, and and I know I'm not the only one doing this, but uh to provide a theological perspective about things that we go through in life uh and see how God's word can connect with you. Uh maybe you're someone who has never read the Bible or or you don't attend a church or or or you have no connection with uh what the Bible says or with God and Jesus. And if you're watching this, it's it's totally okay for you to sit and and listen to some of these things because I'm not here to talk deep preachings and things like that. I'm here to talk to you at a human level. There's gonna be times where I'm gonna have some guests come over and and discuss different topics such as uh relationships, uh, parenting, finances, and and so on and so forth. So anything that involves the human experience, uh, whether it's mental health, physical health, spiritual health, these are topics that we're going to cover here. Um, so as we kick off this uh new season, uh I have thought of starting a uh a series that will really be uh a foundation to all the things that we're going to discuss during the live of this podcast. And I titled this series A Great Way to Start. Uh there's that song that uh those from my generation and maybe before me, uh that uh the the remi song from the sound of music. Uh the the song goes, let's start from the very beginning, uh a great way, a very good place to start. Uh so in walking the way, where do we start? What does the beginning look like? And and that is what I want to spend the next 20 minutes or so discussing on what is going to be the foundation of the things that we're gonna talk here. Um, I would love to hear from uh my listeners and and audience any questions or any comments. I want this to be interactive. So uh at the in the link, you're gonna have access to ways to contact me, how to interact. You can submit questions, and I will uh do my best to answer them in future episodes. But today I'm just going to introduce what this is gonna be about and and lay out that base for the things that are going to be discussed here. So one of the things that uh the Bible teaches us is the importance of wisdom. Uh my prayer is that during these segments uh I can share wisdom. Uh and and there's a a very crucial difference that I need to highlight and is uh crucial difference between between knowledge and wisdom. Uh basically, if we're gonna go in simple terms, knowledge is the compilation, the the the the recollection recollection of uh uh uh facts, things that you know. Uh to gain knowledge, we go to school or or to universities, those who have access to that. Uh we learn from our parents uh by uh observing the things that they do, and and and we learn how to read, how to uh do math, and how to do different things that as we get older, uh we keep building on that knowledge. But wisdom is something deeper. Wisdom is the application of that knowledge in a way that is righteous, in a way that uh you're going to find purpose. So we see that when we talk about wisdom, it has a more spiritual um uh uh connotation uh to that. And and when we talk about the Bible, the Bible is a book that you probably have heard. Uh it has instructions uh for different things, uh, how to be a good spouse or a good parent or a good child and different things uh as such. It also uh teaches us uh the the tenets of our faith, how can we be people that reflect uh the character of God, of Jesus who came uh to to this earth to show us the way. Um and and also talks about how can we experience the love of God, and and it also I I always like to say that John 3.16 is the summary of the whole Bible story, and it's that God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him may not perish might have but have eternal life. So, in all these things, how to really be the type of person that we are meant to be, we need wisdom. And when we go to the Bible, Proverbs is one of the wisdom books. Uh, it's actually uh the the most well-known uh book of wisdom in the Bible. Uh, there's a few others, uh Job, Ecclesiastes, the book of songs, uh Proverbs, it's attributed to a king by the name of Solomon, who uh he was the son of King David. Uh perhaps you heard of King David, and and now there's this series that is going on, uh, the house of David, and and you might be watching uh about the story of David. So he had a son by the name of Solomon, and when he was still uh relatively young, he took over the kingship of the nation of Israel. So I'm gonna talk a little bit about Solomon in in just a few moments, but Proverbs is a book that was written by him, and and there were a few other authors that also uh wrote there. And in this book, it teaches wisdom through short uh terms or or points or principles. Um they're not laws. Uh, some things that we read in uh the book of Proverbs, they're not uh a magical uh uh formula that if you do X, Y, and Z, then you know this is gonna happen. But it's mostly general, universal uh principles that are very beneficial for us. And it talks a lot about the human experience. One of the things I love about Proverbs is that it really connects uh with people at a very human level. So it doesn't matter whether you're a Christian or whether you're a Buddhist or or Muslim or or atheist, there are experiences that are common ground to all of us humans, that even though you have a different belief than I do, there are things that that are undeniable. Uh for example, uh we know that if we don't take care of our bodies uh in the right way, we're gonna get sick. If we uh uh consume too much of a substance that uh could be harmful to us. No matter what your belief is, it things are gonna just fall apart. Same with relationships. If you don't educate your children in ways that uh they're gonna grow up to be uh an asset to society, it doesn't matter what your beliefs are, these are principles that may lead. And and of course, uh like I said, in some point, we're gonna talk about parenting, but not always good parenting might yield to kids that will do the right thing because kids are influenced by other things. But in Proverbs, we see some principles that are gonna guide us in making good decisions and in doing things in ways that will benefit not just uh you but your relationships, uh, the outcome of things that you do, and things like that. And of course, we can find wisdom in other parts of the Bible, but uh, we're gonna start off with uh with this book. Um like I said, Proverbs was mostly written by King Solomon. Um Solomon, he um when he became king, he made a very important request, and is that God would give him wisdom. Um, I know as I started uh getting ready to start this podcast, I I asked God, God give me wisdom on how to do this because um I I've been uh teaching the Word of God, the Bible, uh, for quite some time. Uh, but every time we start something new, we need the guidance and wisdom of God. Um, and and again, this to you might mean different things or look in different ways, but we're gonna have conversations about that. We're gonna have discussions to learn about each other and see what is the truth. One of the things that uh also is part of the human experience is that we are seeking truth. And some might seek it in the wrong places or or or places that might seem the right ones, but then dissolution sets in. Um, but life is about seeking truth, and and more on that uh at another time. I know that's it's a very heavy topic, uh, which we'll unpack at a future uh episode, but I want to read from Proverbs uh chapter one, and it says in the opening verse that the Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, and and here is uh a first indication of him who wrote it. Uh, like I said, there are some parts uh mostly towards the end of this book that are attributed to other individuals, but for the most part, these proverbs um were written by Solomon. And just as I'm doing today, uh the book starts with the why. Why this book, why uh these words are useful, and and why do we still have this book? This is a book that was written thousands of years ago. It was a very different world, different uh social cultural contexts. Uh, the Middle East and in ancient times was a completely different world, and yet we find that there are words in this book that are relevant to us today. So it says in verse 2 to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding. I mentioned before that the the Proverbs, they're not um a set of a laws of uh one plus one equals two type of rules, uh, but these are instructions, these are sayings. It's it's kind of like in our uh Western culture and also in Eastern culture, uh people have sayings that uh have been passed down generation after generation. I I remember growing up that my parents would always uh be telling sayings, things that they learned from their forefathers and things like that. And and there's a lot of truth in them. They're not uh laws that apply every single time, but uh they help us have understandings on how things work in this world. So we find here that it's to know wisdom and instructions. Uh, it also says in verse three to receive instruction in wise behavior. One of the things that I do besides pastoring is that I'm also uh in the mental health counseling field. So um, if you're a counselor, I just want to uh say hi to you as my colleague. Um, and in my work as a counselor, in my practice, I run into people that engage in behaviors that are not helpful. Um, and and of course, a lot of them come to counseling because they have at least contemplated the need to change their ways because it's just not working out. Uh there was there's uh uh a quote uh by Einstein that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. So here we find instructions on how to have uh wise behaviors that are going to help you uh do better in life. Oftentimes there are things that happen to us not because of somebody else's fault, it's uh it's not because God wanted it to be that way, it's just the fruit of behaviors that we had. Uh there's the law of planting and and reaping. If if I plant uh an avocado seed or a seed, uh an apple seed, it's I'm not going to harvest an orange tree. And and that's something that we all know. If I want to have a tree of a certain fruit, I need to plant the seed of that particular fruit. And and even within uh a fruit, they're different species. So same is true with um things in life. So our actions, they will generate an effect. Um, when we act, there's uh react. And uh that can happen to us directly. Things that I do, uh, I get uh an effect from it. Uh, sometimes the way we treat other people that can cause a reaction. So it's important if we want to be uh successful in life that we apply behaviors that are wise and appropriate. So the book of Proverbs promises to guide us in that endeavor on how to behave correctly, how to uh be uh wiser with all the things that have to do with our lives. It says righteousness, uh, justice and equity, to give prudence to the naive, to the youth, knowledge and discretion. Doesn't matter where you are in your walk of life, you might be a young person. Maybe you can be uh an experienced person because in verse 5 it says, a wise man will hear and increase in learning. So it doesn't matter how young you are or inexperienced or how old and experienced you are, you can benefit from the words of this book. You can increase your knowledge and learn discretion, but most importantly, you can gain wisdom. And it says, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel. Verse 6 to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. So all these things will help us have a clear picture of all the things that you are meant to reach. And I want to close with this final verse for today, and it says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction. So knowledge is a collection of facts, wisdom is the right use of what we know for daily living, and all that is connected to having a right relationship with the one who created you. This is key for each of us to really learn wisdom. It's it's it says it's the beginning of it. So for us to embark in this path and walk the way, we need first of all to recognize. Obviously, we didn't create ourselves, um, the universe. I know there's different theories out there, and and that's something that we will address as well at some point. Uh, what are the different theories about the origins of life, the origins of the cosmos, and and what are the things that would make more sense? And a lot of scientists have agreed that everything started with a creator. There, there can't be other ways. So, the same way you and I, we must begin with our origin, who made us, why are we here? And when we understand that, and we assume the attitude of, you know what, I want to not fear in the sense of have of being afraid or or or cowardice type of fear, but more of a fear of being reverent and and come humbly with uh a heart willing to be instructed. That is the beginning of wisdom. So I just want to encourage you to have an open hand. Uh, like I said, no matter what your belief is, what your background is, this uh message is for you. Just have an open hand and an open heart uh to engage in these conversations. Uh and my prayer is that uh you can reach the conclusions that will help you make better sense of your life. Um I want to end with this that uh it's a quote from Watke, and he says, What the alphabet is to reading, notes to reading music, and numerals to mathematics, the fear of the Lord is to attaining the revealed knowledge of this book. So we can know a lot of things, we can know how to uh uh understand finances, for example, but to be able to manage a good budget, that is wisdom, to be able to apply what you and I know and use it for good, that is the essence of what wisdom is. So I just want to thank you for watching. Uh, like I said in the beginning, this is only the introduction of this journey, and I am so excited for things that we're going to discuss and and the individuals that are going to be part of this conversation. So, welcome to Walking the Way. Uh, again, this is Dr. Carlos Quijada. And until next time, may the Lord bless you and may his peace be with you today and every day. Take care.