Showered by Blessings

Dwelling in His Presence chapter 2

2012-01-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 3:8-13. What are some of the ways that God uses to call us to come out of hiding?

Asking us directly, asking how we know what we did was wrong, asking why we did what we did

In what ways to do you tend to hide from God?

I hide in my busy-ness

Dwelling in His Presence chapter one

2012-01-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

Using his words in Phillipians 3:7-8 as a guide, write out your desire to be intimate with the Lord.

I want to discard the things that the world sees as important and spend my time cultivating a relationship with the Lord, for that is much more important in my eyes. I don't need to follow the world's rules and policies--the only one I need to worry about pleasing is the Lord!

How does God's invitation to intimacy stir your heart?

It brings back to mind what I so often forget in the busy, fast paced world: that God loves ME for ME, nothing more or less. He created me and knows even my innnermost thoughts, and loves me anyway. He WANTS to spend time with me and thinks I am wonderful just the way I am. Why would I avoid spending time with one who loves me so completely and unconditionally??

What are some hinderances or distractions that keep you from consistently dwelling in His presence?

I'm 'too busy', I'm 'tired'...I spend time doing mindless tasks that could be discarded forever instead of taking the time to spend with the Lord. I have to make Him the priority He desires to be, and spend the time with Him that He so wants me to spend!!

Prayer: Dear Lord, I am humbled by Your invitation for intimacy. May I not be content just to stand in the door; I desire to enter in and stay in order to enjoy the richness of Your grace and love. Amen.

Made to Crave--Chapter One

2011-06-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

1. One weight loss company personifies craving as a little orange monster that chases us around, tempting us to eat unhealthy foods. Take a moment to reflect on your own experience of craving, recently and over time.
If you could personify craving based on your experience of it, what form might it take? Would it be like the little orange monster or would it take a different shape? Describe what your craving looks like and how it behaves. If you could sit down and have a conversation with this imaginary craving, what do you think it might say to you? What questions would you want to ask it? How do you imagine it might respond?

I would see it as a little green devil on my shoulder, telling me all the Devil's lies about why I deserve to give in to my cravings. It sneers and jeers at me when I make healthy choices. I think it talks to me in smooth, soothing tones until I argue with it, and then it is nasty and smart back to me.

2. How do you respond to the idea that God made us to crave? Have you ever pursued a craving--a longing, passion, or desire--that made a positive contribution to your life? What do you think distinguishes that kind of craving from the craving that leads you to eat in unhealthy ways?

The thing that comes to mind is how with all 3 pregnancies, I physically craved ice water! It was what my body needed and the desire for it took place of all the cravings I might have had for sugar sweetened drinks. It was a good craving that felt empowering and positive to fulfill, unlike fulfilling the desires for bad for me foods, etc. I didn't feel guilt after consuming it like I do other things.

3. If it's true that we are made to crave, how might it change the way you understand your cravings? Do you believe there could be any benefits to listening to your cravings rather than trying to silence them? If so, what might these benenfits be? If not, why not?

If I use it as a stepping stone to pray instead of reach for the things I want to eat, it can definitely be a good thing! It will lead me to a closer relationship with the Lord!

There are other questions, but these are the ones that struck me.....I only shared my answers to these, and will do so for the other chapters as well.

Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman's Guide to Contentment

2011-03-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Starting a new Bible study or two for Lent...you know me, I don't always stick with these things! I found this e-book on amazon for free right now, and I think it was God sent!

Chapter 1: Webster's definition of perspective: looking through; seeing clearly; the capacity to view things in their true relation of relative importance." Therefore, an eternal perspective is God's way of seeing. When we have God's perspective, we view our lives and evaluate what is important from His viewpoint.

Positives:
healthy children
married to my best friend
job I love
healthy extended family
church family
house
food
cars
clothes
enough extra so we don't have to stress about each and every thing we spend

Negatives:
weigh too much
don't have enough 'me' time
feel like I don't have close friends at work, etc. anymore
would like to have more discretionary money to spend
house needs updating
need more space in house
would like the baby to be healthier..not as many cold, ear infections, etc.
would like more sleep!

Now the question is "Which list do I spend the majority of my time dwelling on?" I think I DO spend more time on the positives!!

Day 17: Jesus' First Tour of Galilee: Jesus Calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John a Second Time

2010-09-06T07:08:00.001-07:00

Jesus arises early in the morning while His disciples sleep and goes off to a lonely place to pray. His disciples awake and search for Him. They tell Him the crowds are looking everywhere for Him. His response must have surprised them. Write His response (Mark 1:38):
"Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

Decision: Does Peter trust his own professional expertise or does he trust and obey the command of Jesus? hat is always the issue. "I know my business," one man says. "I can handle it," or "I wasn't given a brain and talents for nothing," says another. "I can do this!" is the typical response of proactive, capable men and women. The question is, Will you trust your experience and expertise or will you trust God? This was Peter's decision.

Have you ever struggled with relying solely on God versus your expertise?

For sure! I have had several times when I wanted to follow what I thought was best, but it wasn't what God had in mind or what God was leading me toward. It is hard to lay aside my humanity and do what He says, but I will always be better for it!

Great list of God's opposites of man's thinking on page 60!

Jesus Heals a Leper and Sends Him to the High Priest

Jesus has been rejected in His hometown, has incurred the wrath of the Pharisees for cleansing the temple in Jerusalem, and has violated their oral laws regarding the Sabbath. He has healed many and is the new matinee idol of the multitudes because of the miracles He has performed. His ministry will now take a hard right turn. He will do something unprecedented in Jewish history. By performing a certain miracle, He will nonverbally, but unequivocally, announce that He is the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18 (the Messiah).

Leprosy was a dreaded disease and thought to be highly contagious. Lepers could not socialize with uninfected people and were banned from the synagogue. Considered unclean both physically and spiritually, they were forced to live outside the cities and beg for money to stay alive. As we saw on Day 2, because the Jews were cause and effect thinkers, they considered leprosy a punishment from God. The priests did not even bother to pray for their salvation or for their healing. Leprosy was called "the finger of God." It was God's curse on them for something in their past or the sin of their parents before they reached the age of accountability.

What is significant about this particular leper?

I looked up several internet resources about what was significant about this particular leper, but I am not getting it!

Thankfully the book goes on to say that the leper would have had to believe that Jesus was the Messiah because only the Messiah could heal him.

The leper was to tell _______________. no one

Moses had commanded this as a ______________ to them. testimony

This is the first of three messianic signs by which Jesus would validate Himself as the Messiah. Who better than the high priest to examine this man who was in the advanced stages of leprosy and have to testify that the leper was indeed clean and fully cured? In doing so, he would be indirectly saying that Jesus was truly the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18

There was one problem. No priest had ever performed this cleansing because no Jewish lepers had ever been healed. Turn to Leviticus 14 and you will read about the eight-day, step-by-step procedure required in the law to be performed by the priest. The humor in this is that the priest would have no idea how to perform the cleansing. Can you imagine the panic in his face and the scrambling he would have done to look up the procedure in Leviticus as if cramming for a test?

Day 15: Jesus Arrives in Galilee and Begins Teaching

2010-08-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Jesus is welcomed in Galilee, but what appears to be acceptance of Him and His messiahship is really a rejection. They flock to Him for one reason His miracles--what he can do for them physically. How would they know He was the Messiah that had been prophesied for generations? how would they know that this was not just a charismatic rabbi with unique gifts? We must see this through Jewish eyes.

These would be the three signs that the Messiah was on the earth and should cause every Jew on the planet to fall down and worship Him.

Miracle #1: The Messiah would heal a Jewish leper. The Old Testament records the healing of Naaman the leper, but he was a Gentile. There was no record of any Jew ever being healed.

Miracle #2: The Messiah would heal a demon-possessed man who was also dumb (could not speak). There were exorcists in that day as there are today. However the demon would also be communicated with through the voice of the one who was possessed.

Miracle #3: The Messiah would heal a man born blind from birth.

Luke 4:15 tells us what three things about Jesus' teaching?
1. He taught in the synagogues
2. Everyone glorified/praised Him
3. ??? I'm not getting the third thing!

Be the Royal Official: Once again, this story will have great meaning to you if you study it emphatically or autobiographically by putting yourself in the scene. Just the small amount of information that has been mentioned is enough to understand and feel the drama of what this man and his wife must have been experiencing. Your son has become increasingly ill and no remedies are available. You are an official who works for one of the most powerful men on earth. You would have access to the best medical care, but nothing is working. You and your wife stay up night after night trying to bring the fever down. There is no ice, so cool water from a well is all you have. You cat nap while your wife watches him. She, in turn, does the same so you can rest. You must be at your job every day, but you can't concentrate. Your wife is becoming emotional, and as the fever climbs she cries, "Do something!"

Herod and his top officials are aware of a Nazarene named Jesus and have been monitoring his movements. The Rabbi has miraculously cured people of many illnesses and He is now in Cana, some seventeen miles away. Wit the dual emotions of fear of never seeing your son again and the hope of a miracle, you set out on your journey. A good day's travel in antiquity was about seventeen miles, but this is your son's life that quivers in the balance. You keep a breakneck pace, slowing down only to catch your breath and drink some water. Time is critical; your son may not have a day left. You reach Cana and ask where you might find Jesus. "Look for the crowd," they say. You come with desperate boldness as you burst into the front of the crowd that surrounds Him. You entreat Him to come to Capernaum and heal your son. You have memorized your speech for seventeen miles, but no convincing is necessary. He speaks to the crowds about needing a miracle in order to believe, then looks in your eyes and with no drama or emotion and calmly says,"Go, your son lives." He has no questions about the illness and there is no hesitation, only a firmness and confidence in His voice and compassion in His eyes. It was not what you expected. Would He not need to personally go to your home and touch the boy? You believe Him, but aren't sure why. It was some indefinable quality that you can't quite put your finger on. You can't explain it, but you walk away wit complete assurance that your son will be okay.

Could you have trusted Jesus that much or would you have had to first see the results? Why or why not?

I think in such a situation, I would have trusted Jesus, because what other choice did he have? He didn't know if his son was going to live, but he obviously thought by going there that he might get a miracle...I think I would trust that it had happened!

In verse 52, what day did the healing occur?

yesterday

Step back into his sandals for a moment: You have had little sleep in weeks. Because of the urgency of the situation, you have traveled seventeen miles in record time. You have survived on pure adrenaline and the love for your child. Jesus tells you he is healed. You believe it! But would you not rush back so you could throw your arms around that little boy as fast as you could, worn out or not? Instead, an afternoon and a night pass. The next morning he begins his journey. It is very likely that the royal official, assured that his son is well, went off completely at peace and got a good night's sleep before starting for home the next morning. Amazing confidence in Jesus!

Notes from" Prayers that Bring Healing"

2010-08-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Subtitle of the book is "Overcome Sickness, Pain, & Disease. God's Healing Is For You!"

I will be reviewing this book on my other blog soon, and am already impressed with the first page!

The word demand means "a seeking or state of being sought after." It means pressing forward despite obstacles to get to a place where the anointing is and expecting it to fall on you...Too often God's people do not receive miracles and healing because they do not place a demand on the anointing. They don't push forward because they don't expect that something miraculous will happen....Let me tell you this: Don't let the devil talk you out of your healing. Put your mind on God. You have to press through discouragement and frustration so that you don't miss your miracle.

In Matthew 9:36, the Bible says that "When [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." Jesus cares very deeply that you are hurting and suffering. He doesn't want that for you.

Isaiah 53 is the redemptive chapter. Verse 5 talks about being healed by the stripes of Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus took thirty-nine lashes on His back and body. There are thirty-nine major categories of sickness and disease. Every stripe that Jesus endured took care of a different sickness and disease.

Healing Declarations that I especially like:

By the stripes of Jesus I am healed. He took my sickness; He carried my pain. I believe it is the will of God for me to be healed.

Every hidden sickness and every hidden disease, I command you to leave my body in the name of Jesus.

I command all pain to leave my body in the name of Jesus.

I come against nervous conditions, insomnia, and acid reflux. God had not given me the spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.

I speak to digestive disorders and allergies to certain food. You have no place in my body. You must go in the name of Jesus.

I thank you, Lord, that health and healing are coming now.

When people got word that Jesus was coming to their region, they made their way to meet Him...Their healing, deliverance, and hunger for the Word were so valuable to them that they put their lives on hold and safety at risk. They knew that if they could just get into Jesus' presence all their worries would be subsided and their needs met.

Passive, apathetic saints do not receive from the anointing. We cannot be passive and expect to receive from these gifts. We must be active with our faith.

A word about my decision...

2010-07-31T06:33:00.000-07:00

...to no longer share this blog publicly on Facebook. I have been very hurt by someone who is supposed to be a Christian lately. I don't want to stoop to this person's level by being passive aggressive or whatever on there. I don't want those who don't know what is going on to speculate. I figure if you care enough to actually be reading this, that you're not as likely to gossip about me. I pray that I'm right.

I'm very blessed in that I have had several friends minister to me during this time that has been rough. Like many people, my self-esteem is not the greatest. When someone obviously doesn't want anything to do with me, it hurts. I know that my esteem lies only in mine and God's view of me, but the human in me wants to please people, too. I start wondering what is so offensive in me that this person can't stand me?? I need to remember that it is not something I can fix. It is not MY problem to resolve. I am to reach out in love, and that is all I can do. If I do that, and they don't respond, I have tried my best. At this point, it would be best for me to back off. And if they continue to be like this, well...oh well.

It bothers me that apparently this person feels like they no longer have to even pretend to like me or treat me in Christian love now that they don't live near me anymore. Well, now that I think about it, it isn't like she made that much of an effort when we did live nearby. She would walk right by me and not speak. She never spoke to me unless I tried to speak first. You and I know that this is not the way that God would have us behave. And SHE and God will have to deal with that. It isn't my 'thing'.

I've tried. I've honestly tried. I guess what also bothers me is that so many people I know are very oblivious to this side of her, and think she's some kind of saint. THAT is frustrating. But I'm not going there.

The Lord is gonna help me through this. A dear friend suggested a book to me that I'm going to look for that addresses my 'people pleasing' tendencies. If you are reading this...please pray that I continue to leave this in God's hands and stop worrying myself with such pettiness. God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

Day 14: Jesus Travels Through Samaria

2010-07-31T05:24:00.000-07:00

There are two verses here that are the basis of songs that I know...I love finding such verses!

John 4:13-14 "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." I' not sure of the name of this song, but it has a line in the chorus that starts "Spring up, oh, well..."

John 4:24

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

This song is from The 12 Canticles composed by Randall Thompson and dedicated to Emory & Henry's Concert Choir. We sang it as part of our tour(s) when I was in college.

~*~When I was working on this the other day, I got off on a tangent once I started researching these songs! Then we went out of town on a small vacation, so finally I'm back to the article at hand! ~*~

Here's some very relevant history that is important to understanding the relationship of the Biblical Jews and the Samaritans:

Jesus must make a decision that all Jews had to make when traveling between Judea and Galilee. The most direct route would forth them to go through Samaria. The alternate route would take them more than 2 days longer through an area called the Decapolis. This cluster of ten towns was mostly Gentile and extremely pagan. They had to pass by pagan statuaries and monuments that were very offensive to any Jew. However, to go through Samaria was also deeply offensive because of over 700 years of alienation.
It began in 722 BC. The Assyrians, under the leadership of a general named Sargon II conquered the northern kingdom and its capital, Samaria. they took Jewish captives back to Assyria, with the exception of some who hid in the mountains nearby. These stragglers stayed in Samaria and eventually intermarried with non-Jews who traveled through the area. Children were born as a result of those unions and eventually, a half-breed race developed. True Jews considered any marriage outside their race a sacrilege and would do anything to avoid contact with a Samaritan half-breed. Samaritans would not worship in Jerusalem and had set up their own temple on Mount Gerizim, the place where Moses had given a blessing to Israel as they came out of Egypt. They believed in the law, but only the first five books of the Torah (also called the Tanakh). They did not believe in the prophets.

Sidebar p. 50: Samaritans believed in the law but not the prophets. they also refused to worship at the temple in Jerusalem or attend the sacred festivals held there. They worshipped in a temple they had erected at the base of Mount Gerizim at Sychar. They even scratched through references to Jerusalem in the sacred writings and wrote "Mt. Gerizim" in its place.

What does Jesus' decision to go through Samaria tell you about Him?
I think it tells us that he loves them even though their ancestors had made some not-so-great decisions. He is willing to let bygones be bygones and embrace them as people who deserve attention and respect.

Having been trained in phariasaic Judaism, what do you imagine the disciples would have done if they had stayed with Jesus rather than going for lunch?
They would have told Jesus not to speak to her, or at least would have stood by and looked incredulous!

Step into the Woman's Sandals: You are coming to get water at noon rather than in the early morning or end of the day when all of the other women come. You have been unsuccessful in marriage five times. Wild rumors have circulated about the failed marriages, but only you know the reasons why. You are currently unmarried and living with a man. The gossip around town is unbearable, and you are shunned by the women. As this woman, would you not come at an hour when no other women would be at the well? Would you not be interested if someone told you He knows of a way you would never have to come back to this well again and feel the stares of the others critically boring into on you? Through Jesus speaks of a "Water that can refresh your soul forever," you are only capable at this point of thinking on a physical level.

Why do you think the woman continues talking to Jesus?
She wants to hear more about this living water that never runs dry. She doesn't really understand what he is talking about, but Jesus knows this about her and knows that this will get her listening!

Jewish tradition stated that a woman may be divorced a maximum of three times. Understanding the Jewish perspective is critical. Divorce was only the prerogative of the man, therefore we know that if a divorce occurred, it was initiated by her husband. However, we can't necessarily assume that she was a terrible wife. The school of Shammai stated that divorce was legitimate only in cases of unfaithfulness. The more liberal school of Hallel said that a man could divorce a woman for almost any reason, from burning his breakfast to seeing another woman at the market whom he thought was more attractive than his wife. She could well have been the victim of some egotistical morons who divorced her for selfish reasons. Also, the inability of the woman to bear children was the most frequent cause of divorce in antiquity; the woman was often considered to be paying the price for her past sins...This could well have been the reason for one or more of her divorces. But, what about the other husbands? For all we know, they may have died (without even asking her permission)...Keep in mind that the penalty for adultery was stoning, so had she been known as a promiscuous woman, as most people assume, she would have been executed long ago. Jesus was probably the only one who knew.

Sidebar p. 51: Though Jesus does not condone the fact that the woman is living with her boyfriend, He sees much deeper into the pain that drove her there. To understand and to empathize is not necessarily to condone (my emphasis added). When hope is lost, people tend to seek any avenue of retreat to assuage the pain. Jesus does not lecture her about her sin, He simply reveals Himself to her and everything changes.

Ooooh, so true! Some good stuff coming up here!!

ASSUMPTIONS! When we label someone, we put the person in a box from which it can be impossible to escape. It takes the potential of forgiveness and redemption out of the equation. This woman had undoubtedly made some critical mistakes, but have we assumed more negatives about her than the evidence supports? Jesus did not see a promiscuous woman. He saw a woman battered and scarred by her past, a woman who had lost hope. He longed to help her rather than write her off and label her as unfit for the kingdom (my emphasis added).

Have you ever had a personal experience like this or known someone who has been labeled or defined a certain way without people knowing the whole story?
Yes, yes, yes, yes!! I'm STILL dealing with ramifications of this instance that happened 16 years ago! 1 person in particular STILL has me in a box. Not that it matters in the scheme of my life, but sadly, she does.

Sidebar p.52: Many things can be learned from this encounter. Hopefully we will not miss the fact that Jesus neither condoned the woman's current indiscretion nor did He make her behavior the focal point of the problem. Unhealthy relationships are symptomatic of heart issues. Too often we define people by their behavior. This story screams out to us: "Deal with the person, not what the person has done!" (my emphasis added)

Doesn't this speak directly to what we in the church are dealing with today?? We are to LOVE the sinner and hate the sin. Too often all we see is the sin and not the person. We want to send them away, thinking their sin is greater than our own. We may not understand their situation or lifestyle, but ostracizing them is certainly not going to help them think we are anything but righteous and judgmental. Lord, help us to do better! Work in me, and let me live the way You would have me to live!!

Other than the woman running to tell the townspeople what happened to her, how do we know that something radical happened to the woman? Verse 28 says,"She left ___________." What does this indicate to us?

She left her jar! She was so excited that she forgot what that for which she came to the well!

Day 13: A Learned Law Professor Seeks Jesus By Night

2010-07-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

Sidebar p. 47: As we study, keep in mind that this cleansing of the temple was much more than an "incident." It would prove to be a major contributing factor to Jesus' ultimate death.

Why do you think Nicodemus would be secretive about his desire to speak with Jesus?
It might not have been PC to talk to Jesus. He may have been intrigued and wanted to know more, but he didn't know how his peers would feel about it.

Another interesting sidebar: Whether then or now, men often have a difficult time coming to Jesus openly. Sometimes they will only come, in a sense, "by night," under cover of darkness. For a grown man, successful in his vocation, to come to Jesus, he will be admitting that all of his prior years on the planet have been lived in error.

VERY interesting and insightful!

Nicodemus's confusion when Jesus says he must be "born again" takes on new significance when we see it from a Hebrew perspective. The phrase "born again" was a very common Jewish idiom. There were at least six different avenues through which a person could be "born again":
1. When a Gentile converts to Judaism (and becomes a proselyte).

(I'm not sure what this word means, so I'll look it up here in a minute!)

2. When a man become king (not of the tribe of Judah or house of David).
3. When a male is circumcised at age thirteen (Nicodemus was was past that age).
4. Between ages eighteen and about twenty-five, a Jewish man would marry a Jewish woman and it was said of him: "he has been born again."
5. When a man becomes a rabbi around age thirty. (See 3:1, as a "spiritual ruler," Nicodemus was already a rabbi.)
6. When he became a leading teacher in a rabbinical school around age fifty.

Nicodemus asks, "How can a man be born again when he is ____________?" Old

This tells us that he has exhausted every avenue in his understanding through which this might be possible. Examine the list again. Can you picture this learned rabbi mentally checking off each of these as Jesus spoke. Finally he comes to the end, realizing that he has qualified at every level under Jewish definition and that the only remaining option is almost too ridiculous to even mention. Surely Jesus could not possibly mean the absurd notion of reentering his mother's womb, could He?

sidebar p. 48: Nicodemus is mentioned in rabbinic writings. His Hebrew name was actually Nakdimon Ben Bonai. He was one of the wealthiest men in Jerusalem and sometime after he became a believer in Jesus, he somehow lost his wealth. After that, he made a living as a well digger in Jerusalem.

Look at the following verses, and write in your own words four things John says to them in response:

Verse 27: nothing can be received by people except through heaven

Verse 28: you yourselves know that I said that I am not the Christ, but am sent before him.

Verse 30: he will become bigger, and I will become smaller

Verse 34: God sent him and he speaks words of God.

Sidebar p. 49: John Wesley said that a leader is not fond of his power. Such is the case with John. He knows his role and realizes that he must fade into the background, though his followers find this difficult to accept. John has great humility, something seldom seen in our present-day leadership, spiritual or otherwise. It has become the forgotten virtue, yet we will observe this great emphasis on humility throughout the Gospels. (I love the reference to John Wesley, founder of Methodism...and this isn't a Methodist-produced study! :) )

Why was John in prison? Herod Antipas had a brother named Herod Phillip. He divorced his wife, Herodius, and Herod Antipas married her. Leviticus 20:20 says that a man may not marry his brother's wife while he is still alive. John, not known for his reluctance to speak the truth, confronts Herod about his sin with all the subtlety of a meat cleaver and is promptly thrown in jail for his trouble.

OK, looked up meaning of proselyte. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, it occurs only in the New Testament where it signifies a convert to the Jewish religion.

Help me Lord....

2010-07-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

help me to remember that what You know about me and what You think about me is the only thing I need to worry myself with. Beating myself up and questioning things that are out of my control are not what You want for me. I am sorry for the wrong I've done, Lord. I am human. I sometimes let my emotions get the best of me. I can certainly be stubborn. I can also be hypocritical. Take these things and change me, Lord. I am so very grateful for all that You do and have done for me and my family every day! I want to become more like You and to follow Your lead. Show me what You would have me to do. Remind me to speak in love and to follow my own advice. Bind my tongue when it is not speaking words that would be pleasing unto You. Remind me that a smile on my face goes a long way, and help me to be encouraging to others instead of tearing them down. Help me use my struggles, my strengths, my victories, my pains, my ALL to bring You glory. I do love You so much, Lord, and want my actions, thoughts, and expressions to be pleasing unto You!

And for little reminder that You just sent me? I got it! Thank you, Lord. I will focus on the ones who matter and who can love me in spite of my many imperfections! You've always got my needs in mind before I even share my thoughts with You! Amazing, awesome, humbling....You are all!

Day 12: Jesus' First Miracle/Jesus cleanses the temple in Jerusalem

2010-07-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Sidebar p. 44: There have been various ancient books claiming that Jesus did miracles as a young boy. John tells us here, very clearly, that the changing of the water into wine was Jesus' first miracle, invalidating the claims of other writings.

...He has the servants take six twenty-to-thirty-gallon clay pots, which were used mostly for foot washing, and fill them with water. (This water would have been unsuitable for drinking.)

Be the servants: You would, no doubt, swallow hard, look at each other in dismay, and consider your jobs as history when Jesus tells you to take a class of this nasty, brackish water to your boss to be approved for the guests. Imagine the absurdity of it all from the perspective of the poor servants, who are just trying to make a few extra bucks on the weekend. Imagine how you would hold your breath and brace yourself for that moment when he tastes this putrid stuff and spews it out on the ground. Only, it never happens. A smile comes over the wine steward's face, and he compliments the groom on continuing to serve high-quality wine even toward the end of the party. The following Monday morning, imagine trying to respond to the question,"Well, Sam, how was your weekend?"

There are many applications that can be made from this familiar story. Even at the end of the party, in our last days on this earth, the joy is meant to come with great intensity. But what happens when the wine runs out? What does a person do when their joy runs dry and their passion for life slows to a trickle? Aside from the cliches and five-step plans to restore your joy, what do you say to someone when the wine has run out in their life? What do you say to yourself?

This brings to mind an elderly person who is tired of being in pain, missing his/her siblings, spouse, etc. but finds him/herself still on this earth. I think I would try to make the point to him/her that he/she still has a purpose and job that God wants them to do here on earth, and to try to figure out and strive to do it well for the Master.

But it also makes me think about how I know I have felt when stuck in the mire of depression. No mere words will pull me out, even if I know that I have everything under the sky to be thankful for and to enjoy. It is a feeling that words cannot describe. That is when relying on the Lord and clinging to Him comes in! I think of how I felt back in the fall when I was off my meds (in the first trimester of my pregnancy) and I lost a loved one unexpectedly. I had nothing BUT the cross to cling to. No one else could say words that would bring comfort, especially those in my family who were also hurting. I wanted desperately to take those pills and get the chemicals flowing through my veins again, but my loved ones reminded me that I could do this, with Jesus' help, and follow my doctor's guidelines in order to keep my baby safe. Thinking back to that difficult time brings tears again, because it was so heart wrenching. It still is, not a year later! I miss her so much, and I know others do as well....especially her kids, her sister, her parents, and her boyfriend. But we have to go on. We have to cling to Jesus and trust in Him to carry us when we cannot rely on our own strength. I don't know how in the world people get through difficult times without Him!

Interesting! Good Friday (the Passover when Christ died) was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous twelve hundred years, the priest blew the shophar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. The moment the lamb was sacrificed, all the people paused to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. On Good Friday at 3:00 p.m., when Jesus was being crucified, He said, "It is finished." At that moment the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and the shophar was blown from the temple. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God was fulfilled at the exact hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place.

Sidebar p. 45: When someone possesses a deep capacity for love and compassion, he often will posses a similar capacity on the other end of the emotional scale. He will be capable of hating that which negatively impacts the object of that love. (Hence, Jesus' anger at the temple!)

...The pilgrims were required to bring an animal to be sacrificed. The animal had to be an unblemished male. Most families raised a lamb from birth for the purpose of presenting it at the temple courtyard. However, Annas and his fellow priests seldom accepted the animal brought by the pilgrims. They often found some blemish that made it unacceptable for sacrifice. This problem, however, could be quickly remedied. Out back, temple sheep were kept, available for purchase at an outrageous fee. However, only Jewish coinage was accepted as payment. Moneychangers stood nearby, always happy to exchange the pilgrims' Roman coinage for a "nominal fee." In addition, a temple tax had to be paid. This is why Jesus was angry. The bartering and selling was in the outer courtyard, not inside the temple, yet the priests had turned this sacred place into a haven of opportunity to swindle the people, a "den of thieves."

Sidebar p. 46: If Jesus walked into your community of faith, what tables would He likely overturn? He would probably overturn us worrying so about paying bills but not about doing the ministry that Christ would have us to do, like with apportionments.

Why do you think Jesus intended to pass the disciples by?
They had spent years saving and raising this lamb, and it was truly unblemished. It was selfish and dishonest to say that it was not fit to be sacrificed, and even more dishonest to charge such a fee for a different lamb raised at the temple.

With whom is Jesus angry? Primarily, the priests who have encouraged this to take place in the temple. They are the ones that have changed this sacred place into a moneymaking venture.

Could He have handled the situation in a different way?
Yes, but it is unlikely that doing so diplomatically would have brought about any change!

What would you have done?
I'll admit it, I've been known to pitch some fits when I think things are being done unfairly or unjustly. However, I know that in MY position--I'm clearly not Jesus!--it would be more effective to 'catch flies with honey instead of vinegar'.

Does this justify violence on our part when our values are violated?
Justify it? No. But explain it to an extent? Yes. It is a definite rough spot in which to be!

Sidebar p. 46: In John 2:24-25, we see that there is a difference between being a critical person and a critical thinker. Write the difference below.

Being a critical thinker means to think about things objectively. Being a critical person is being judgemental and harsh to others, often when it is not warranted.

Summarize verses 24-25 in your own words.

Jesus didn't trust them with his life. He didn't need their endorsement, for he knew what they were made of.

Day 11: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

Think about this: What do you want? What do you really want? Don't write down the nice, proper, politically correct answer. What are you really looking for? Is it success, financial security, personal fulfillment, a house in the Bahamas? Did you know that God is more interested in your wants than in your needs. This is not a prosperity statement! Your needs are guaranteed if you trust Him (Phil. 4:19). But what you want in your heart is what reveals your character. If you are unwilling to acknowledge what you really want and give a cliche answer, God will have to wait until you get real. There is no way to trick Him. So, what do you really want?

I really want financial security, and time with my loved ones.

Sidebar page 42: More than discipline, discipleship requires passion and desire. You have to really want to be a disciple. Some aren't ready, and sadly, some may never be. Many say that this is what they really want but find that the cost is to high.

Philip asks Nathanael to at least "check Him out," and Nathanael reluctantly agrees. Upon meeting Jesus, he is startled by His greeting. Write verse 47: Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Nazarenes were despised by Judeans. They were thought to be self-absorbed and only interested in money. Nathanael suffered from deep prejudice that he would later have to yield to the Savior.

When you think of someone in the Old Testament who was crafty, deceitful, and full of guile, who do you think of? _______________ (Hint for one example He tricked his brother and stole his birthright.) Jacob

Nathanael's immediate response is _____________. Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Day 10: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

So true: How many times have you floated away on a spiritual high from a retreat or time with friends or family, only to be cut off at the knees by an avalanche of issues or temptations? Jesus was not exempt from such an experience. On a high mountain, He is tempted by Satan in the same three fundamental areas in which we are all tempted.

From 1 John 2:16, those three areas are the lust of the ______________, the lust of _____________, and the _________________.

flesh, eyes, and the pride of life

1. "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

This temptation appeals to the lust of the ___________. flesh

2. "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down" (for angels will catch you).

Satan appeals to Jesus' _______________ to fully reveal Himself. pride

3. Satan offers to deliver to Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for His worship.

Satan appeals to the lust of the ___________. eyes

In the first two temptations, Satan questions Jesus' identity ("If you are the Son of God"). If Satan can confuse us concerning who we are in Christ, then collapsing in the face of temptation is pretty much a done deal...game over!

Read John 14:10. Notice the last few words. Paraphrase what Jesus says.

Jesus says that if we should believe that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. The Father lives in Him, and does all the work!

Sidebar: The issue that tends to elude most of us as believers is that God's desire is not to take a weak person and make him strong so that he can operate in strength. God's idea is for us to realize that we are weak and yield ourselves to Jesus within us to be our strength and therefore overcome our weakness. Its all about Him...not about us being gallant and courageous on His behalf.

Something to think about: The secret of Jesus' life was that He didn't live it! How does that grab you? The truth is that every miracle He performed and every word He uttered was done by God the Father through Jesus the Son...You see the total dependence on His Father with every breath He took....The (1st) temptation rested in Satan's hope and desire to get Jesus to do a harmless deed through His own strength and energy rather than in total dependence on God the Father...give some thought to the implications of living by the life of another in terms of living your own life by the life of Jesus within you. Discuss what this would mean.

It reminds me, somewhat, of being an expectant mother...except that Jesus is the one calling the shots!

What do the following passages say about Satan's current position in the world?

Satan is ___________________ (2 Cor. 4:4). blind

Satan is ___________________ (Eph. 2:2).disobedient

Satan is _________________ (John 12:31; 16:11). cast out

On Day 1, we saw that "the Word [Jesus] became flesh and lived among us. "Word" here is logos, meaning "person". Read Romans 10:17 and write it below. Then try to put it to memory.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

"Word" is also used in John 1 but with a different meaning. The word used here is rama, which means "revelation". Now rewrite the verse using the word revelation.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the revelation of Christ.

Day 9, Part III: Jesus' Public Ministry Begins

2010-07-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Interesting note: Jesus had not even begun His ministry, and yet God was pleased. He had not taught or healed or done anything significant to this point except mature physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually (Luke 2:52). God was pleased with who He was, just as He is pleased with who we are when we are rightly related to Him. Jesus will face forty days alone without food or drink and will engage in hand-to-hand spiritual combat with Satan. It will be critical that Jesus is certain of His identity in order for Him to deal with the temptations He is about to face.

Sidebar on p. 37: Can't say it enough: How you see yourself will determine your behavior.

Reiterated again: How can we deal with temptation effectively unless we know who we are? Let's say that I have bought into the idea that I have transferred ownership of my life to Jesus and I am a new creation. Am I still a dirty rotten sinner? I am constantly told that I am a sinner and so I think of myself in that manner. All of a sudden I stand face-to-face with a very attractive and enticing temptation. I am alone. No one will know. Yet, it's wrong and I know it. I wrestle with the thought. It pulls and tugs at me. Well, who am I anyway? I'm just a rotten sinner, I say to myself. Why not just go ahead and give in....just this once, I reason. After all, that's who I am.

OOH, WATCH OUT! I FEEL A SERMON COMING ON, YA'LL!

Keep reading: If I consider myself a liar, a thief, or a cheat, what would be the natural way to play out those perceptions of myself? To lie, steal, and cheat. But, what if I believed God about my person rather than defining myself by the occasional stupid and harmful sins I commit? What if I looked at that temptation, and as appealing to my flesh as it is, I said,"As good as that looks and as vulnerable as I feel right now, that is not who I am! It is not worthy of me. It doesn't fit! I am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), I am God's possession (2 Tim. 2:19), I am dead to sin (Rom. 6:2-10; Eph. 1:7). The Enemy cannot defeat me as I realize he has already been defeated (Rev. 9:9-12). Convinced of that, why wouldn't I spin on my heel and walk away?

OH, man! This is exactly how many of us get caught up in sin! We think we're rotten anyway, we give in since we think we're beyond redemption! But we are NOT!

The book gives the following suggestion:
Look at the contrast in these two perspectives. Can you see the problem? This may be a little different than you have been taught about yourself, but it may well be the reason so many of us live in defeat and with tremendous guilt. Record your honest impressions as you consider this and review day 9.

I did one better: I recorded my thoughts on this as a devotion for WorldPrayr! I will try to link it up here when it is published! :)

Day 8: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting tidbit: The word baptism means "dye." When a white cloth is placed in a colored dye, the cloth identifies with the dye. People who came to John for baptism were not only repenting of their sins, but were also expressing by immersion into the Jordan "We want to identify ourselves with this message and with the coming kingdom."

Read Isaiah 40:3 and paraphrase:

Prepare the way of the Lord! Make the bumpy places smooth and the curvy places straight!

John had an unusual blend of strength and boldness mixed with a humble, receptive spirit. Many begin with such an intent but lose their cutting edge along the way. How do you think a believer can maintain this?

Stay in the Word and continue to listen to what the Spirit is calling you to do

Day 7: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-19T13:58:00.001-07:00

Why does the Bible say that Mary and Joseph moved to Nazareth rather than to Judea (Matt. 2: 19-23)?

It says that Archelaus, son of Herod, was appointed to rule over Judea after Herod's death. They were afraid of him, since he was even more bloodthirsty than Herod. In a dream, they were told to settle in Nazareth instead to be safer.

Until His death, Jesus would consistently be known as a ___________.

He would be known as a Nazarene, which fulfilled prophesy.

Thirty years later, who does Philip ask to come and meet Jesus and asks the question "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46)?_____________ Where do you think Jesus was from? ________________

He went and found Nathanael; this is an interesting question to ask the daughter of an itinerant United Methodist minister. Jesus, too, was itinerant. I suppose since he lived most of his upbringing in Nazareth, I would consider him from there. However, he was from wherever the Lord wanted Him to be....just as I am. I am from Weber City/Kingsport/Big Stone Gap/Rossville!

Sidebar of page 31:

In order to understand Hebrew thinking and culture, we must understand the role of the Mishnah in daily Jewish life. The Mishnah is a compilation of laws that the Jews believe were given orally by God and handed down through Israel's great leaders. These laws were compiled into one text around AD 200. They were also called "hedge laws" because they were intended to form a hedge or wall of protection around the Mosaic law. It was these laws, which were actually created by Jewish leaders, that Jesus railed against. The intent had been to help the Jewish people, but by Jesus' day, they had become a tremendous burden and were impossible to obey.

How did Jesus learn and develop the wisdom we observe in the Gospels? Read Isaiah 50:4-9 and write the answer in your own words.

He was woken by God in the morning and prepared Him to take orders. He followed orders, was beaten, had his beard pulled, was insulted, spit upon..all while God helped Him. He set his face like stone knowing that God was there with Him.

Interesting comparison: In Jesus' submission to His parents, we clearly see the superior (God) placing Himself under the authority of the inferior (man). It is said that Francis of Assisi would regularly submit himself under the authority of the youngest member of his order. Why would he do that? Consider what taking this bold step would do in Francis' life. Consider also what this would do in the young man to whom Francis submitted.

What would Francis stand to gain personally from such an action?

Absolutely nothing!

Respond to the principle that the key to authority is submission.

If a person in authority truly approaches his/her job with the attitude of servanthood instead of ruling, he will gain the respect and appreciation of those who serve under him/her. This will show those beneath him/her that he has their best interests at heart instead of his own.

What if the apostle Paul came to you and said he wanted to submit himself to your care and guidance. When you regained consciousness, what would be your first thoughts in terms of how this might help you mature and grow?

Oh wow...I can barely even fathom it! I can only think about how I would want to lead him in knowing more about Jesus and loving Him with all my heart!

Day 6: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Magi brought gifts to Jesus:
Gold signifying _________________. kingship

Frankincense signifying ____________. priesthood

Myrrh signifying _________________. death

Herod knew he had been tricked (by the magi). How then do you imagine the magi were able to escape his wrath? God allowed them to escape, for nothing is possible for Him!

Two teenagers and a newborn infant are forced to flee to a strange land without the means to support their family. Was the gold brought to them by the magi simply a happy coincidence or was an all-knowing God aware six-hundred years prior that a financial pledge would be critical for the young couple as they fled abroad? Was Daniel's heroic answer to the king's dream, which saved the lives of those magi's ancestors, causing them to revere Daniel and his descendant, the Christ child, merely happenstance?

Not in my opinion! God knows the 'big picture' and the entire story from beginning to end. He knew these things before they happened or needed to happen!

Day 5: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

A thought about "saving" the oppressed Jewish people: It is difficult to go into any oppressed culture and have people be receptive to "being saved" because they naturally think in terms of "level of offense" rather than the "condition of the heart."

The Glory of God appeared before the shepherds...what was the "Glory of God"? Was it an extremely bright light and some sort of mystical presence?

The Glory of God had not been seen by anyone on the earth in almost six hundred years. During the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, the Glory of God appeared as a cloud by day to shelter the Hebrews from the sun and fire by night to keep them warm. The Glory of God had last been seen by Ezekiel in a vision when he was held captive in Babylon. Solomon's temple, where the Glory was then residing, was burned to the ground by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Before its destruction, God allowed Ezekiel to see the Glory depart from the temple, move to the threshold of the temple, then move to the eastern gate of the city, then over over the Mount of Olives, and go back to heaven (Ezek. 9-11). The Glory of God had not been seen by any human being for almost six hundred years. Is it any wonder the shepherds were so frightened?

Shepherds made up the bottom rung of the social ladder. They were considered untrustworthy, and their testimony was not valid in a court of law. How interesting that God chose these men to be the first Jews to see the Messiah. Why would anyone try to fabricate something like this?

Many scholars believe that the "cloths" were actually burial cloths used for wrapping a deceased body in preparation for burial. That being so, the uniqueness of the sign would have been the burial cloths, not the manger. The sign would point to the fact that this child was "born to die". But Dr. Ken Bailey, an expert on Middle Eastern culture, asserts that the significance of the wrapping cloths was that it actually freed these simple peasants to do what the angel had said. He states that these simple shepherds would never have felt comfortable entering the home of a person or family of royal lineage. Since the baby was wrapped in these common strips of cloth, these men would identify the family as peasants, just as they were. The cloths gave the shepherds the green light to feel welcome, and it also made a statement that the Messiah will open the doors of salvation and acceptance to everyone, regardless of status, gender, or nationality.

Therefore, there is no ______________ for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). condemnation

(What an awesome thing is that?!)

Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as _____________ as snow (Isaiah 1:8). white

One day all believers will stand in God's presence ______________ and with ___________ (Jude 24). faultless, joy

On the sidebar of page 23: "Our identity does not come from what we have done, whether good or bad. Our identity comes from what God has done on our behalf."

Because we seldom read these passages except during the euphoria of the Christmas season, it is easy to miss the critical impact of what is implied as well as stated. Do you find it interesting that the angel links peace with God's favor? It makes sense, but it should make you nervous if you view it the way most of us have been taught. Let's illustrate: Answer the following questions as honestly as you can:

As God looks at you, is He pleased with what He sees? Yes, I believe He is!

How would you rate His pleasure with you on a scale of 1-10? I'd say maybe a 7 or 8

What was the basis for the number you wrote? My rating was based on the fact that I am faithful to Him, that I try to share Him with others including raising my children to know about Him, that I believe firmly in His grace saving me....

Does your number reflect (a)your behavior or (b)who you are as a person? B

Unless we are firmly convinced of our identity, we will never be able to adequately deal with temptation. We will see this clearly in the life of Jesus when He is baptized and then goes head to head with Satan himself. God spoke at His baptism, saying,"This is my Son in whom I am well pleased." This was as much for Jesus' sake as for the crowd's. The assurance of who He was would have been crucial when Satan questioned His identity as the Son of God.

Some scripture about the people who know Jesus:

I am a ____________ of Jesus Christ (John 15:15). friend

I have been made ____________ (Col. 2:10). full

I am ________________ for all time (Heb. 10:14). perfected

I am _____________ and ____________ (Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22) holy, without blame

I am totally ________________ (Col. 2:13). forgiven

I am __________ in His sight (Isa. 43:4). precious

I am the _____________ of God (2 Cor. 5:21). righteousness

I am a ______________ (Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2). saint

If the glory of God is now present in the life of the believer, how can we ever again think of ourselves as worthless?

Question: Are you a (a)sinner saved by grace or (b)a saint?

I consider myself a sinner saved by grace!

Which of the above reflects more humility, a or b?

I initially thought a, but as I read on in this lesson, found out that b is the better answer! Why is this?

Because sins are what you do, not who you are! Who you are is a saint who sometimes messes up. To see yourself as a saint is more humble because it has nothing to do with anything you achieved or earned. You didn't make yourself a saint or even come up with the title. God did!

Why is understanding what the angel said to the shepherds so critical? If you do not believe God is pleased with you as a person, you will spend the rest of your life trying to make yourself pleasing to Him. There are not enough verses you can memorize, Bible studies you can attend, or sins that you can avoid for you to ever feel disillusioned, cynical, and dissatisfied with everything about your life and will never understand or experience peace. How can a believer be at peace if he or she can never do enough to achieve God's favor? It's impossible!

The Glory of God returned to earth as the shepherds stood in awe. During His time on earth, the Glory resided in Jesus. When He ascended into heaven the Glory of God left with Him, but the Glory later returned at Pentecost (Acts 2). Where does the Glory of God now dwell? (Col. 1:27) in us!

How can a believer have the living God take up residence inside of him and still be determined to define himself by the sins he commits rather than by the Glory that lives within him?

Day 4: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

On the sidebar of page 19:

Consider this: Jesus was the only person who was ever born as a result of his own choice. The rest of us were born because someone else made the choice. In fact, Jesus most certainly sat in on the meeting to decide whom His mother was going to be.

Did you know that the name John means "grace"? I didn't! This indicated that "...God is now planning to do a whole new thing. From now on, God's faithful will no longer follow Him out of duty and obligation, but out of desire, which is the essence of grace."

Be honest. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=lowest amount of obligation; 10=highest), how much of your spiritual walk is out of obligation? I'd say maybe 3!

More about John: "Luke says he lived in the wilderness until he began his ministry at age thirty. Why? Probably to be kept apart from the erroneous teaching of pharisaic Judaism, which permeated Jewish society."

Notice how an engagement was in Jewish life as Matthew refers to Joseph as Mary's __________ in verse 19 before they were married.

epoused

Thoughts for discussion:
1. As Jesus grew, do you think He was ever confronted directly with the false charge of being illegitimate?
I'd never thought about this....I'd say it was possible. I don't know whether or not this was something that was 'discussed' during the day in Jewish society.

2. How would you answer the charge that Jesus was born out of wedlock?

I would say that no, he was not illegitimate. He was not born of 'normal' circumstances, 'normal' labels, etc. don't apply!

Day 3: When The Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

Read and compare the two encounters with Gabriel and the difference between Zacharia's and Mary's response.

Zacharia responded with fear, Mary was shaken but not afraid. Zacharia responded with disbelief, Mary responded by promising she would do as it was said.

There is a sidebar about the prophesies about the Messiah's birth. Then there is a question:
What would have been the one prophecy about the Messiah that would probably have caused Mary to think she would not be the one? (see Mic. 5:2) This one talks about how the birth would come from Bethlehem, but that was not where she lived.

Take a guess from the following options at what age a young man and a young woman would be considered ready for marriage.
A Jewish girl: 12, 12 yrs. + 1 day, 13, 14 1/2
A Jewish boy: 13, 14, 16, 18
The correct answer would be girl: 12 years + 1 day and boy: 18 yrs.

An interesting tidbit on the sidebar: The angel Gabriel is highly regarded in Jewish theology in Jewish theology as a messenger from God. He is pictured in rabbinic writings as standing before the throne of God. For Gabriel to be send specifically to Zacharias implies that he was a major topic of discussion in the "board room" in heaven, an incredible honor for him.

In the next section, we're asked to stand in Mary's sandals.

*You will have to entrust yourself to God for your relationship with your fiance. Describe your emotions after you begin to process what you have been told.

Wow. As a mom I know what emotions I went through each time I discovered I was expecting, and once even as I found out that I'd been given a blessed surprise kind of like Mary. But to know how I would be scrutinized, how hard life would be for me the next several months?? I would have been scared and apprehensive, and feel as though I had nowhere to turn. Being as that she didn't explain things to her family, there had to be times when they chastised her. She was experiencing new emotions and physical sensations and wasn't able to fully share and embrace them because she could not share from which they came. She had to feel frustrated at times over this, I would think!

You will have to trust God to protect you from slander within your community. How will your child be viewed as He grows up?
I would think that knowing that He was going to be the Messiah brought her comfort and hope that He would be accepted and loved by all. I would think she would feel that her current frustrations and pains would be worth it once everyone knew that she had been chosen to carry the Messiah!

You will have to trust God for your personal safety. The penalty for a betrothed virgin found with child was ......death! (Lev. 20:10)

Something to consider: Often God does things that may seem illogical to us at the time because He thinks so differently than we do.

Can you think of a way God has does this sort of thing in your life or in the lives of others?

We were just talking about this last night at United Methodist Women..a friend of ours had recently quit her job due to lots of problems coming up there, and it was very difficult and painful for her. She recently found out that her mother may have cancer. We agreed that maybe God had helped relieve her of her job so she could be free to care for her mother.

Day 2: When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Some interesting tidbits from day 2:
On Herod:

He suffered from paranoia, always fearful that his crown would be stolen from him. Ruthless and bloodthirsty, he put to death anyone he even mildly suspected of usurping his authority. He had 3 of them (his wives) and at least 3 of his sons killed for that very reason...He was deeply hated by the Pharisees because of his contempt for the laws of God and by the Sadducees, who resented him for severely curtaining their power and influence....he supposedly converted to Judaism but was never considered a true Jew...he was well aware of his unpopularity among the Jews and feared that no one would mourn on the day he died. He ordered that prominent families (men, women, and children) be gathered together and herded into the Hippodrome (a large stadium area) and put to death the moment he died so that there would be mourning throughout the land on that day. Upon his death, his wife mercifully released all of the people, subverting his evil wishes...Herod the Paranoid may be a more fitting title for him at the end of his life.

On Zacharias:

Because no one but the priest may enter into the Holy of Holies, a rope would have been tied around his waist in order to pull him out in the event that he died performing his duties...where the angel stood was the cause of his great fear...if the priest entered the Holy of Holies and an angel appeared at the right side of the altar, God was displeased with the offering and the priest would die. Though there is no record of this ever happening, the possibility was always on their mind...

This little quiz was included....which of these quotations are from the Bible?
--"Charity begins at home."

--"Above all, to thine own self be true."

--"God helps those who help themselves."

--"Never a borrower or a lender be."

--"Cleanliness is next to godliness."

--"The Devil can cite Scripture for his own purpose."

(For the record, none of these are found in the Bible!

Can you think of any Christian traditions that are more cultural than biblical?

Many of our traditions surrounding Christmas are cultural. Anything related to Independence Day is cultural, of course.

On Elizabeth:

Consider the fact that Elizabeth is childless. Her barrenness would have been considered a great shame in first-century Jewish culture. This cause-and-effect mentality would foster the natural assumption that she and her husband had secretly sinned against God and were paying the price. many believers still think that way today.

Imagine being saddled with this kind of guilt all your life. Consider for a moment what God is doing here. This faithful couple painfully accepts their plight of childlessness. At the point where they have finally given up the dream of having children, God comes through against all odds. What does this say to you about learning to give up? We are taught always to persevere and to persist however, it is often when we finally give up our desires and dreams that God comes through in miraculous ways.

Question: Write what it means to "die to your dreams."

I think that this means that when we finally realize that we can't do it on our own, that we can't reach that goal in our life by our own might and power, that God is able to work. When we give up control and stop focusing on the GOAL instead of GOD, that He shows us that our faithfulness is really what He desired to see in us all along!

Thus ends Day 2...let's not even talk about how many days it took for me to get this one done!

Web Ministry class

2010-07-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a course through the United Methodist Board of Global Ministry called "Web Ministry". It is interesting stuff! I hope to put my new knowledge to use in helping our church create more of a presence on the web. I have found some statements in the reading that I'm doing today that I'd like to keep track of, hence this blog post! :)

The title of this reading is "Defining Moments"

The word “communication” has its roots in “commune” or “common ground.”
Communication involves using tools to “push” information to people and/or “pull” people in by the information we share...With the Web, we are able to combine the “push” and “pull” of communication to achieve a dynamic experience for listeners and viewers...Our intent in communicating the gospel is to determine how the message we communicate should be focused for the people of our time...we are concerned with the question, “How can the gospel be communicated to make the message heard and seen, and then either rejected or accepted?”...The Christian gospel is a matter of decision … All that we who communicate the gospel can do is to make possible a genuine decision.”...But our objective should always be to present the gospel in ways so clear and self-evident that the recipient will have an Aha! experience and the good news will make perfect sense to his or her inner world...Because communication, and more specifically communication of the gospel, is a matter of participation, we who communicate the gospel must understand the others to whom we are communicating. We must find a common ground upon which to communicate...When we communicate the gospel, we seek to make vital connections that:

*
Tell the church's story.
*
Touch people's lives.
*
Support one another along the spiritual journey.
*
Reach out to those who are hurting, in need and suffering.
*
Put faith into action.
Whether you are ready for it or not, the Internet is the new mission field and the place to engage people in meaningful relationships with one another and with God.

So there's today's interesting tidbits! :)

When the Good News Gets Even Better

2010-07-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm doing it again, starting a new Bible study. Since I'm now DONE with studying for school, maybe I'll actually complete this one!

Have any of you done this study? I'd love someone to discuss this with, if so!

So today I begin!

Interesting thoughts:

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is called the "bride of God."...They, like each of us, have loved God and yet have disobeyed Him, often trusting in their own abilities rather than in His faithfulness and sovereignty. God's beloved bride sought other lovers, yet He continues, even to this day, to pursue them with His unfailing love.
But God had been strangely silent during the four hundred years from the end of the writing of the Old Testament until the beginning of the New Testament...At the right time, He wraps Himself in human skin and pitches His tent in the midst of humanity and lives among those He created, identifying with every human emotion and every human hurt. Never again would a man or woman be able to say,"God, you don't understand what it's like to be me."

Did you know Luke was the only gospel writer who was not a Jew? I didn't! He writes to the fellow Gentiles, specifically Greeks, who were consumed with the concept of the "ideal man."

On the sidebar of p. 11...

You may wonder how these men could have remembered exact conversations and teachings of Jesus 30-60 years after the fact....Every word is from the very breath of God. How can we know they were accurate? In John 14:26, Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will give them perfect recall. (He will "bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.")

Write a brief definition of the "gospel" as it is typically used today. ("We left our former church because the minister didn't preach the gospel.")

I wrote: gospel = teachings on life of Jesus

If the Word is a person and not simply doctrinal information, can we not properly conclude that the "gospel" is also a person?...We will never all agree on every point, but we can agree that the gospel IS this unique, God-man, Jesus Christ, fully and completely, and believe if He is lifted up as the centerpiece, the whole world will feel welcome to gather around Him, explore His free gift of life, and become His companion.

From the sidebar on p. 12: "...Doctrine is a tool that god uses to change our perception of reality, but only the person of Jesus can change teh heart. Everything was intended to revolve around this person. Life is a person (Col. 3:4); Truth is a person (John 14:6); Love is a person (1 John 4:16). A particular theology may draw some, but only the person of Jesus can draw every human being. If we gather around the centrality of Jesus, our theological differences will slowly dissipate because our desire will change from wanting to be right to wanting only Him."

Also from p. 12 sidebar: 5 women appear in Matthew's genealogy of Christ: Tamar (a Jew), Rahab (a Gentile prostitute), Ruth (a Moabite), Bathsheba (a temptress who brought down a king), and Mary (a simple peasant girl)
Matthew is telling us that a new age is coming; a time when Jews and Gentiles, men and women, saints and sinners will all be on equal footing with God. the Messiah will make no distinctions. This would have been revolutionary.

Finally finished with Day 1...only took me 3 days! LOL

Found a new Bible Study!

2010-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! It looks like this sweet lady posts something three times a week, so I'm gonna try to get in on it and participate! Maybe knowing that others are doing it at the same time will motivate me...I'm so bad about falling by the wayside when I'm not accountable! Here is the blog: On Topic Bible Study

So the word for the week for us to motivate upon is belong. We're encouraged to find a scripture containing the word for the week, too. I'll work on that in a few.

Some questions were posed that I'd like to respond to:
Most members are proud of the group / organization they belong to - what groups do you belong to and what brings you joy in belonging to this/these groups? Are you a member because of the perks?

I'm not really a member of any groups other than those that are church related anymore. Yes, I am brought joy in these groups--praising the Lord, sharing the faith with others, teaching children about the Lord--and I don't look for the glory in them, I want God to get all the glory! I certainly don't do it for recognition, I do it because it is something I feel called to do.

Can you finish this sentence: I enjoy belonging to God because _________!

...I know He loves me no matter what!

I'll be back to answer...baby needs some attention!

OK, back! Here is the Bible verse I found: Galatians 3:29
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I'll answer the above questions there underneath the actual question, so scroll back up to see my thoughts!

I AM Bible study: Lesson Twelve

2010-02-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

I am so bad. I started this Bible study literally years ago, and still haven't finished it! However, since I am currently reading my friend Lisa's first book, You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes, I decided today to go back and do some more of her I AM So You Don't Have to Be Bible study. I know I've said this before, but in case someone else happens upon this post, I will tell you again that Lisa and I went to high school together. We weren't necessarily 'friends', but we were on annual staff together which means that we did have one class together my sophomore/her senior year. She was someone that I was in awe of, to be honest. She was beautiful, had the perfect 80s hair down pat, and seemed to have a Devil may care attitude. We realized when I started visiting her blog that we had lived in the same town, and then it dawned upon me that I remembered her! I actually graduated with her sister Christi. Though we haven't seen each other in years and years, I am so very proud to call her my friend, and am extremely proud of the work that God has done in her! Her book is WONDERFUL, and I highly suggest it not only to preacher's wives, but to laypeople as well. As a preacher's kid, I can relate to much of what she is saying. We had some....interesting, shall we say?....experiences as a parsonage family, and I really need to write down stories as I remember them, cause they really are funny! Of course, I would never share incriminating evidence or names...but truly, there have been some things that, looking back, were totally unexpected and some that were very life-affirming. Though I have no great desire to go into full-time ministry myself, nor to be part of a parsonage family again, I now realize how much growing up as a part of my father's ministry shaped me, and prepared me for the types of ministry that God wanted ME to be in as an adult.

OK, enough said about that. Shew! Back to the Bible study!

Background reading for today's lesson, "A Face With a Name", comes from Exodus 33 and John 14.

These verses from The Message translation absolutely crack me up! verse 5-6:

"God said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You're one hard-headed people. I couldn't stand being with you for even a moment--I'd destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you."....

Somehow it makes me feel better to think that even in Biblical times, other people could do such silly things that God couldn't stand to be with them. So that makes me think I'm not the only person who does dumb things. Also, since I really didn't want to be in the same room with my sons last night, it makes me feel better that God felt/feels that way about His children, too! Maybe I'm not a terrible mommy after all!

Lisa's words strike me here:

"There is one thing God will always be and that is the One who fills the Universe with marvelous light. God's eternal, transcending glory is never compromised."

Amen and Amen!

and this:

"Many believers set themselves up for disappointment by becoming what James MacDonald calls 'Wonder Junkies'. They are so transfixed on the huge displays of God they can't cope during the days of small things."

Very true!

And now for the questions!

1. We discussed how we are God’s fame and He is ours. Have you ever been in a situation where you are applauded for your ministry and had to fight back the idol of pride? Ever been tempted to believe your own press? It’s okay to admit it! Your testimony will help others in their resolve!

Hmm...maybe??! I can't think of a time, but I am sure, being a prideful human, that it has taken place. Moreso, I think of times that my 'fame' brought shame to the Lord instead, and I had to come to terms with the pain that this brought to me. Times when my behavior and actions did not shine His light on my dad's ministry, times when my behavior and actions did not shine His light on my own ministry, and times that my behavior and actions show ME--the human, ugly, selfish me, not the person I strive to become in His eyes!

2. Did it ever occur to you in the 3-way drama of God, Job, and Satan that Satan was the only one outside the loop as far as Job’s reactions would be? Does this encourage you in resolving to make a fool of him when he attempts to use you to defame the Name?

No, honestly, it didn't! It brings me comfort to know that Satan was the only one in the dark in this! It does encourage me to make a fool of him. I can remind myself when I am feeling discouraged by him that God and I both know that we will make it through the rough times together and that the Lord and his Goodness will prevail!!

3. Are you in a situation now where you feel you are being overcome? Better yet, are you in a situation where you should have been overcome but are not?

Oh yes. I'm feeling very much overcome right now. I'm physically tired all the time with this pregnancy. I haven't admitted it out loud, but I believe that the fibromyalgia is rearing its ugly head, making things more difficult. The tears are threatening to overflow just writing this down. I want so much to defeat this syndrome that the Devil has placed up on me, but truly....I've known with the particular types of pain that I've been feeling over the past few weeks that I'm fighting THOSE pains again. I don't know why it feels like a weakness to admit it, but it does. I want to be stronger than the pain, but I can't be, at least not on my own. I feel like I get so little done that is productive and helpful. I just cleaned the toilet bowl, and had to sit back down because I was short of breath and my back hurt. I don't want to be a whiner, but this is HARD! I've tried to 'enjoy' this pregnancy, but honestly, I'm counting down the days. Yes, things won't be easy when he gets here--sleepless nights, relearning all those baby things that you think you'll never forget, but at least I will have a little more control back of my own body. I loved nursing Adam and didn't feel 'tied' to him with it. Right now I feel as though I am not my own.

Add to that the stinkin' situation with school....they changed the nature of this class we're taking right now, and we are the official 'guinea pigs' for this one. Given the snow we've had this winter, I'm nervous about getting things done for this class before the baby comes. I know that God is in control, and that does bring me peace. Now if only I could remember that ALL the time!!

4. Have you failed in a Satan-designed trial? Can you recognize God intends for this failure to refine and resolve you for next time? God is not out for your destruction but your perfection!

Interesting question. At first I want to say no, because if I'm still alive I haven't failed. But thinking more about it, yes I have. I think that the times that I have had to totally rely on Him and cling to Him have been Satan-designed, esp. those where I have suffered major depressive episodes. Though I don't wish to go through such trials again by ANY stretch, I know that they have helped to make me who I am today, and that through those trials, I have and can continue to show His glory!!

5. Can you describe yourself as a Wonders Junkie? Found yourself in spiritual highs and lows depending on whether you perceived God was doing wondrous things or not?

When I was younger and less mature, sure. I believe I've grown past that now, though. God is good ALL the time, even in the days when I struggle. When I think of how much worse it could be if He WASN'T there...oh man! Unfathomable! Scary! Thank you, Lord, for being here and in control!!

6. Have you ever been like Philip and had God right in your face and not recognized Him?

Oh yes. Most definitely!

7. Journal a brief prayer asking God for His Glory. Let it be the thing we all desire above all else…..

Lord, shine through me through it all. Show your Glory through this pregnancy and through me fighting this fibromyalgia. I know that YOU are in control, now let me show this to others through how I respond to difficulties! Thank you, Lord, for your many, many, many blessings!! Amen

Hagar Day 2: Why Should I?

2009-08-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

When studying Abraham, we encounter a complex relationship between the patriarch, his wife, and a legal concubine. Bear in mind that at this time there was no written Law or Ten Commandments denouncing polygamy....When God gave Moses the law, he forbade adultery. Adultery is defined as any sexual relationship outside marriage.

Trials have a way of bringing out either the best or the worst in us. That's because they have the uncanny ability to expose our hearts. ...What springs out of your mouth when things don't go your way?

1. Compare Sarah's response to unexpected consequences with those of Adam and Eve.

When things didn't go the way she had wished, she started complaining instead of looking at what she'd done wrong. When Adam and Eve did wrong, they hid instead of owning up. Both began blaming others.

2.a. How did Sarah bring God into the equation?

He told Abraham that she wished for the Lord to judge between he and Sarah.

b. Have you ever done the same thing? If so, when?

I can't think of a specific time, though one might come to mind later!

3. Explain how Abraham responded to the conflict.

He pretty much wiped his hands of it and said for Sarah to deal with it. In that way, he also judged Hagar by refusing to help her.

4. What was the outcome of Abraham's approach?

Sarah then treated Hagar abusively, and Hagar ran away.

5.a. Who did Hagar encounter as she "fled"?

An angel of the Lord approached Hagar.

b. Recount their conversation.

The angel asked her why she was there. Hagar explained why she was there, and the angel told her to go back and to submit to Sarah.

6. Describe the internal conflict that Hagar may have felt in response to the Lord's command.

Hagar didn't want to be mistreated by Sarah, but she also knew she needed to do what the angel told her to do. She didn't want to submit since she was bearing Abraham's child, but again, that was what she was told to do.

7. Sin caused Sarah to behave irrationally, from an untamed tongue to an uncontrolled temper. Place a check in the boxes below to note the ways you have behaved irrationally. Then ask God to check your heart and cleanse you from these sins.

CHECK: Gossip and backbiting
CHECK: Outburst of anger
CHECK: Cold shoulder
CHECK: Physical violence
CHECK: Overeating
CHECK: Overspending

8. Hagar bore the brunt of Sarah's wrath. Have you ever come out on the short end of the stick? If so, journal about a situation where you were blamed for something you did not do. How did it make you feel, and what did you do about it?

I don't know that this is exactly the same thing, but at work I once felt as though my 'team' was being punished for actually stating what we desired during the school day. It was very frustrating, and I agonized over how to get my point across. I only wanted the best for the children, but our suggestions weren't always taken as such. Over time and continued dedication, I feel like we all overcame the situation, though it wasn't always easy.

9. Hagar received a difficult request--return to a scornful woman and submit. Do you know somebody in a painful place? Rewrite the following verse into a prayer of comfort on that person's behalf.

Father God, I give you all the praise for the kindness and caring that exist in the world. Please give my friend comfort during this difficult time and help me to also offer comfort to her. Let me give her the love that You have given me, Heavenly Father. Though we feel real pain just as Christ felt, we also feel the comfort He brings. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV

Here is a fantastic quote by Joni Eareckson Tada:

You don't have to be alone in your hurt! Comfort is yours. Joy is an option. And it's all been made possible by your Savior. He went without comfort so that you might have it. He postponed joy so that you might share in it. He willingly chose isolation so that you might never be alone in your hurt and sorrow.

Hagar--Where Do I Fit In?

2009-07-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Day 1: What Were You Thinking?

God things come to those who wait: "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

The scripture basis for this lesson is Genesis 16:1-4.

1. "Now" what was happening in the lives of Abraham and Sarah?

They had waited for 10 more years for God to fulfill His promise to give them a son.

2. Describe the new character introduced in our study.
Hagar was Sarah's maidservant. She was from a foreign land, and was not given many rights in their society.

3. Who did Sarah blame for her infertility? Do you think she was justified? Share a Scripture to support your theory.

She blamed God for her infertility. I'm sure she was frustrated, but justified? I don't think so! I think a great scripture to support my theory is one presented preceding this lesson: Isaiah 40:31.

4. What do you learn about Sarah from the solution she offered?

She wasn't willing to wait on the Lord's timing and plan. She was willing to do anything, including having her husband sleep with another woman, to get what she wanted and felt she deserved. She did not trust the Lord to keep His promises.

5.a. How did Abraham respond to this plan?
He was all for it!

b. What insight into him does this give you?

He was human, like any man offered a woman to take to bed! LOL He, too, wasn't willing to wait and let God do what God said He would do.

6. Recount the outcome of this plan and how it affected Hagar.
She did become pregnant, and lost even more in doing so. She was no longer a maidservant, and was cast out of relating to Sarah and despised by her. She gained a son, but lost respect and friendship.

7. Hagar had no choice in becoming a maidservant. As believers, Christ asks us to become servants by choice. Jesus said,"If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).
a. List some ares where you come in first and some in which you are last.

I'm last in anything that involves sports! I'm first in singing, maybe...and ability to make friends.

b. Now rewrite Mark 9:35 into a personal prayer of humility.

Dear Lord, if I am to be first in your eyes, then I must place myself as last in everything else. If I place others before me and you at the top of my list, then I will be given Your glory in Heaven!

8. Sarah wanted the right thing but went about it the wrong way. Make a list of things you've done or witnessed that were done with good intentions but produced bad results.
Desire a husband---had too many relationships that I let go too far

Desire a job-----called people that I shouldn't have

Desire people be treated equally----overstepped my bounds verbally, hurt feelings.

Desire friends, attention-----gossiped

9. When Hagar got what Sarah wanted, she felt she had the upper hand. Later this got Hagar into a lot of trouble. Its easy to put people down when things are going our way. Journal about a time when this was true of you.

I can't honestly think of a time right now...I'll come back and write about this when one comes to mind!

The chapter ends with a quote by Paul Ehrich:
Before you can cure the diseases of the body, you must cure the diseases of the soul--greed, ignorance, prejudice, and intolerance.

Sarah Day 5: Giving and Taking

2009-07-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest gifts we can give is to help someone become a better person.

Have you ever noticed that if you continue in sin, God will force you to face it until you repent?

How wonderful to serve a God who forgives and chooses to forget.

Today's scripture reading: Genesis 20:14-18.

1. In what ways did Abimelech compensate Abraham for taking Sarah?
He sent with her sheep and cattle and servants, as well as 1,000 pieces of silver. He gave her his word that she was vindicated.

2. What was the silver intended to provide for Sarah?

Restoration, restitution for the pain that might have been caused her

3. How did she feel instead? How would you have felt in her shoes?

Sarah felt ashamed of her behavior. I would feel as though I was a child who had done wrong, even though I had been forgiven, the feelings of shame and guilt would still linger.

4. How did Abraham respond, and what was the result?

Abraham prayed and communicated with God. God healed Abimelech and his family and made them able to procreate again.

5. Why had God closed the women's wombs?

God had done so to encourage Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham.

6.a. We've seen how Sarah was restored to Abraham and even given more. Fill in the following chart to discover what God restores to His people.

Psalm 51:12: God restores the joy of our salvation and grants us a willing, sustaining spirit.

Isaiah 57:15-18: He revives the spirit of the lowly and revives the heart of the contrite. He will heal, guide, and comfort them.

Joel 2:25-26: He will repay you for the years you had suffered and will be given plenty of food to eat, and will not be shamed.
Matthew 17:11: Elijah will come and restore all things.

b. What divine restoration project does God have you involved in?
I'm not sure about this, other than I am available to help those who have struggled with addiction and falling away from God to bring the back to the Lord and his grace and forgiveness.

c. Which Scripture offers you the most comfort and why?

The affirmation given in Romans 8 that nothing can separate me from the love of God!

7.a. Sarah was rebuked by Abimelech's actions. Read Proverbs 9:8-9. What do you learn about being rebuked?

Do not rebuke those who mock you, but do rebuke those who are wise, and you will be loved.

b. How do you usually respond when you are rebuked?

I am usually ashamed and initially defensive, but then I try to make amends and admit my wrongs.

8. We saw Abraham pray for Abimelech and his family to be restored to health. One good acronym for structured prayer is CATS. Use this acronym to pray on behalf of someone who needs restoration.

Confession: Lord, I do not presume that I am worthy to come to you, as I am a sinner before you as well.

Adoration: You have blessed me so much, and given me far more than I deserve! Your greatness knows no bounds!
Thanksgiving: I thank you for bringing me out of the depths of sin and depression, and restoring my self-worth in your love! I thank you for giving me the opportunity to share Your grace, forgiveness, and Word with others who need to know what You can do for them!

Supplication: I bring before you those who are on my heart who need you to take away their addiction and the temptation that this brings. Take it from them, Lord, and make them want to stay in a relationship with you at all times!

Sarah Day 4: Watching and Waiting

2009-07-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

...we view our trials as (gloomy clouds). Instinctively we want to run from approaching shadows. But if we would look more closely through the eyes of faith, we'd see a host of angels coming with deliverance and hope. It's really true that with God every cloud has its silver lining.

Some of us never see God's miraculous provision, because we're too busy trying to fulfill our needs through the arm of flesh.

Did you know that the first time the term prophet is used in Scripture is when Abraham was in a season of moral failure?...In reality, there is no such thing as sinless perfection for leaders or laypersons.As Christians we aim to sin less and less. But when we fail, we can still find forgiveness....The truth is we should be looking for sin in our own hearts before doing exploratory surgery on others.

Today we are reading from Genesis 20:8-13.

1.a. What did Abimelech do next?

He confronted Abraham about what he had done.

b. How did others respond?

They were afraid, terrified!

2. How do you know that Abraham's deception was far reaching?

His decision to deceive them frightened others, not only Abimelech. This would affect everyone in the land where he was a deceptor. It would affect Abimelech's entire kingdom.

3.a. Rephrase Abimelech's final question to Abraham.

He basically asked him what he was thinking when he did such a thing as this.

b. Describe how this might have made Abraham feel.

It reminds me of what an adult, particularly a parent, might ask a teenager or tween when he/she has done something without much thought to the consequences. I'm sure it made him feel inferior and dumb.

4. What two excuses did Abraham give for his ploy?

First he said that he wasn't sure that there was no fear of God in the land and that they would kill him to get to Sarah. He then said that they had arranged that when traveling, Sarah would always refer to herself as Abraham's sister instead of his wife since they were, indeed, half siblings.

5. How did he rationalize his deception?

As I said before, he justified himself since they were indeed half-siblings.

6. a. Rephrase Abraham's instructions to Sarah.

He pretty much said Do me a favor, pretend that you aren't my wife when we travel, let's just say that you're my sister instead.

b. How would a request like this make you feel?

I'd honestly be wondering what he was going to try to get away with that he didn't want to claim to be married to me! I would feel as though he was ashamed of me.

7. The fear of the Lord affected a king and his kingdom as Abimelech sought to right the wrong he had committed. Fill in the following chart to discover the benefits of fearing God.

Psalm 111:10: fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and those who follow His teachings have good understanding.

Proverbs 10:27: The fear of the Lord expands your life.

Proverbs 14:26-27: The fear of the Lord builds up confidence and makes the world safe for your children. It is a spring of Living Water so that you don't drink from poisoned wells.

Proverbs 22:4: If you fear the Lord, the payoff will be plenty and honor and a satifying life.

8. Abimelech was aware that his actions as a ruler of the nation would impact his nation. Explain whether you believe that this principle is true. Use examples from history or current events to make your point.

I most definitely agree! I think that when the inhabitants of a nation realize that those who are supposed to be leading them are doing so in an immoral or dishonest manner, it hurts the nation as a whole. The confidence in their leader, and therefore in themselves as a nation, is diminished. They lose respect for their leader, and become more cynical. I believe that this happened when Bill Clinton lied to the American people in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. We lost faith in him and in government as a whole, and truly haven't totally recovered from it yet. It was only the start of a side of partisanship that has hurt the country as well.

9. Sarah was put in a difficult situation concerning whether to obey God or her husband. First Peter 3:1-6 sheds insight into her decision making. Read the text; then answer the following questions.

a. How are women encouraged to handle disobedient husbands (vv.1-2)?

We are to be an example to them by our life of holy beauty.

b. Compare and contrast inner and outer beauty (vv. 3-4)?

Inner beauty is being gentle, gracious, and a person in which God delights. The holy women of old were good, loyal wives in this manner. By contrast, outer beauty such as the styling of hair, jewelry, or clothing will not have such an effect on others.

c. How did "holy women" reveal that they trusted God (v.5)?

They did so by their gentle, gracious, and kind inner beauty, and by being good loyal wives to their husbands.

d. What things did Sarah do and not do to make herself a godly woman? (v.6)?

Sarah addressed Abraham as her dear husband, and took care of him. She was also unanxious and unintimidated. She did not revel in her outer beauty, but treated Abraham in a respectful manner in all her ways, as did her devotion to the Lord.

The lesson ends with a quote by John Ruskin:
The essence of lying is in deception, not in words: a lie may be told by silence, by equivocation, by the accent on a syllable, by a glance of the eye attaching a peculiar significance to a sentence.

Sarah Day 3: Sleeping and Dreaming

2009-07-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

...scientists believe decreased dopamine levels might mean certain people can't learn to do right after they've done wrong.

As believers, we know why people make the same mistakes again and again: sin.

The scripture for today's lesson comes from Genesis 20:1-7.

1. Look back to Genesis 17:1, 17:17, and 18:1, and recount Abraham's and Sarah's ages and place where they lived at this time.

In Gen. 17:1, Abraham was 99 years old, therefore Sarah is 89 years old. They were then living between Kadesh and Bered.

In Gen. 17:17, Abraham is 100 years old. Sarah is 90 years old. I believe they were still in the same location between Kadesh and Bered.

In Genesis 18:1, God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of mamre. I think that they were the same ages as in 17:17.

2. In today's text we see the transitional word And to bring us here. Describe where Abraham journeyed. How do you think the phrase,"to the South," might be interpreted in Scripture?

I think that here, and is used as a 'in addition to what has been said before' type of connection. The NIV uses the connecting word 'now' instead of 'and', and this indicates that some time has passed.
Abraham went South from where he had been, again to stop near Kadesh. A footnote that accompanies the Amplified Bible says that references to the south, north, east, etc. are ways that would have been familiarly used in Abraham's time. A sidenote with this study says that they might have had to have traveled south again because of famine.

3.a. What happened to Sarah?

Abraham again claimed her only as his sister, not his wife. The king of Gerar then claimed her and wanted to take her to bed with him, but God intervened with him in a dream so that he did not.

b. How were Sarah and Abraham complicit in allowing this to happen?

They knew that this had caused trouble in the past, but did not learn from their previous mistake.

c. Describe how God intervened to protect Sarah.

God supernaturally withheld him from sleeping with Sarah since he did not know she was a married woman. If he had not done so, he explained that he would have been a dead man. God came to him in a dream and explained these things to him.

4. How did Abimelech explain himself to God?

He defended himself by saying that he thought that Sarah was 'fair game', only Abraham's sister, not his wife. He claimed to be righteous since he didn't have all the proper information to make such a judgment against.

5. Explain why God wanted Abimelech to restore Sarah to Abraham.

God had promised that Sarah would bear a great nation for Abraham. He explained to Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet in order for Abimelech to see that he was an important man with a relationship to God.

6. What would the consequences be for Abimelech and his people if he did not send Sarah back to Abraham?

They would all be put to death if he did not return Sarah to Abraham.

7. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream. In the columns below list some of the ways God speaks to you. Beside each column, describe how you know it is God and not an imposter speaking to you.

God can communicate to me through song, scripture, others, and sometimes through my thoughts. The way I know it is Him is that it falls within His will and will not harm me or anyone else. If it makes me feel guilty, I know it is not the Lord speaking, but the imposter.

8. Sarah again conspired with Abraham to lie about their relationship as husband and wife. You might call lying Sarah's "besetting sin." Examine your heart for a pattern of sin that keeps repeating itself in your life. Then confess it to God, and ask Him to help cleanse you of it once and for all.

Father God, I know that I sometimes have the sin of putting my own selfish needs and desires over serving You and others. Please help me overcome this, Lord. I know what You desire me to do, and I always feel so much better once I do these things. Please create in me an overwhelming desire to do these things, Lord, instead of those that I have fallen into the habit and routine of doing instead.

9. In the book of Esther, King Ahasuerus asked Queen Vashti to do something against her conscience.

a. Read Esther 1:10-19, and recount what happened to this queen because of her refusal to obey her husband.

Queen Vashti was banished from King Xerses' presence permanently. Her position would be given to another woman who 'knew her place.'

b. Though Queen Vashti was not a believer, she is a good example of following conscience rather than the dictates of an ungodly husband. Read Acts 5:26-32, and talk about how one might respond to authority when asked to do something that goes against God's principles. Do you think this extends to the marriage relationship? Why or why not?

I believe that we answer to a higher calling and authority than that of our country. If we prayerfully ask God about whether or not something should be obeyed and feel in our heart of hearts that He says it should not, I believe we need to follow that more than the law of the land.
An example: the law of the land is that I am not to say anything about Christ or His Father in my classroom. However, I feel strongly that if I am answering the question of a child, I must answer truthfully and according to my faith. I have prayed and thought seriously about this, and feel as though if I were to lose my job for NOT denying Christ and my relationship with Him, I would still be in the right in God's eyes.

Whether or not this applies to the marriage relationship also must go along the lines of conscience. If the wife/husband has prayerfully sought God's counsel and believes that the given situation goes against the Lord's teachings and will for their family, then it might need to be an area of disagreement, and possibly for pastoral or other Christian counseling. Yes, the man is to be the head of the household of faith, but if he is leading the family away from the Lord, this is not to be the case, at least in my opinion and interpretation of the Word.

One reason why Judaism, and Christianity which sprang from it, were so much an advance on pagan religions is that they attached comparatively little importance to dreams...As Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, only God discloses the secrets of dreams...The message of the Bible is that God regards dreaming as a secondary mode of communication.

(Paul Johnson)

The closing quote by John Bunyan, is very thought-provoking:

Our heart oft-times wakes when we sleep; and God can speak to that, either by words, by Proverbs, by Signs and Similitudes, as well as if one was awake.

Sarah Day 2: Trusting and Obeying

2009-07-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

The first step toward forgiveness is to understand why we tell lies. Mark (Meadows, a sociology professor at San Diego's Union Institute,) says, "People lie for two reasons: to protect themselves or to protect others."....Abraham was afraid, but that didn't excuse his moral failure. It made it harder for Sarah to trust and obey him in the future.

We've seen that Abraham and Sarah were partners in their pilgrimage as well as in the promises of God. For the Lord to fulfill His covenant with Abraham to make him a great nation and bless his seed, Sarah had to be included in the deal. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango.

Heading in an unexpected direction caused Abraham to fear--and we know that fear is the opposite of faith. His lapse in faith put Sarah in a compromising situation. Sarah even agreed to a lie. Scripture is silent concerning how Sarah felt about the lie, but we know that God protected her while she was staying with Pharaoh.

But God can turn failures into bright futures. Remember,"God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28).

Today's scripture reading comes from Genesis 12:10-20.

1. Describe what happened "now."

A famine came upon the land where Abram and Sarai were living, so they journeyed to Egypt, where they could find food.

2. a. Explain what Abraham feared and how he handled it.

He was afraid that he would be harmed if they knew that beautiful Sarah was his wife. So he asked her to lie and claim to be his sister. That way, he wasn't harmed, and Pharaoh took Sarah into his home.

b. What does this teach you about him?

He didn't fully trust God to take care of them in Egypt. He put his own concerns about his safety over the desire to tell the truth, and therefore was not forthcoming to Pharoah, and therefore not forthcoming with God.

3. a. Recount what happened to Sarah.

Sarah was taken to Pharoah and lived with him in his household.

b. How might this have made her feel?

She might have felt that Abraham was more concerned with saving his own skin than taking care of her, even though she was supposed to be his beloved, and supposed to be one with him.

4. Contrast the lives of Abraham and Pharaoh during this season.

Pharaoh was rich and lived in splendor. Abraham was living on the road in a tent, in a caravan with smelly animals. Pharaoh had others at his beck and call. When Abraham entered Egypt, he only had Sarah and Lot, and those who they had acquired earlier. Though Abraham was married to Sarah, Pharaoh was the one who got to enjoy her beauty while in Egypt. Abraham was fearful for his life, but ended up faring well during this time. Pharaoh thought he had nothing to fear, but because of Sarah, ended up losing much within his household.

5.a. Who rectified the situation?

The Lord did through Pharaoh, when he cursed his household, which led Pharaoh to tell Abraham to take Sarah and leave the country.

b. What lesson can you learn for your life?

Things might seem to work out by telling lies and not trusting the Lord, but they would work out easier, and possibly quicker, with His plan and His help.

6. Put yourself in Sarah's place, and describe how you think this final outcome might have made her feel.

Sarah had to have mixed emotions. She had to have been fearful while with Pharaoh, but at the same time, may have felt betrayed by Abraham. She would be relieved to be back in his arms and happy that he had prospered while in Egypt, but may have been sorry to leave the splendor that she enjoyed while in Egypt.

7. True faith begins where human resources end. When food ran out, so did Abraham's faith. Journal about a time when one of your necessities dried up and how it affected your faith. What did God teach you, and how did you grow from the experience?

It has just now occurred to me how like Abraham's situation--and how I showed faith like Abraham--or the lack thereof to be honest, I was in the summer before I met Chris. I was employed, but the county I was working for did not pay over 12 months. They expected us to keep back enough paycheck to make it through the summer. Guess who didn't do that?? Yep, that would be me! Call me an inexperienced 20 something if you wish, but I still think that it was a ridiculous thing to propose to your employees! Nevertheless, that was the situation. Now add to this that I was being required to take classes toward becoming certified to teach a specific educational population, and that this county was offering me NOTHING in the way of assistance. Again, with my inexperience, that was probably part of the reason I didn't have anything saved for the summer, what with the cost of graduate level classes and books!

So I came upon summer with NO income, no place to stay in Charlottesville while taking classes, and no real way to pay for it. I did do one thing that the Lord prompted and applied for a loan through The United Methodist Church. But there is where my sense stopped. If I had trusted the Lord and paid UVA immediately what I owed them, I feel sure that the Lord would have better provided. But instead, I took matters into my own hands and used the money that had been loaned to me to pay such necessities as rent and food instead of for the classes. Then I had no money to pay for classes!

The situation worsened. I got hired in another county and had to go another month without a pay check. I just got deeper in debt, and didn't fully pay off what I owed to UVA. It took me several years to rectify the situation. If I had only trusted God, I'm sure it would have gone much better!

8. Fear and faith cannot coexist. One ultimately consumes the other. "Fear not" is a repetitive scriptural command. Place a check in the appropriate box th indicate the things that make you afraid.

YES Loneliness: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed" (Isaiah 41:10).

YES Weakness: "Fear not...I will help you" (Isaiah 41:14).

NO Insignificance: "Fear not...I have called you by your name" (Isaiah 43:1).

NO Enemies: "Be strong...do not fear nor be afraid of them" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

YES Embarrassment: "Fear not; for thou shall not be ashamed" (Isaiah 54:4).

NO Death: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul" (Matthew 10:28).

Journal a prayer asking God to give you faith to overcome your fear. Tell Him that you will walk in faith despite your feelings.

How strange, Lord, that I fear things such as being lonely or embarrassed, when I know you are with me at all times! Give me strength to face these fears, and give me your peace while I face them and more. Remind me that you are with me ALWAYS, even in these things that I fear!

9.a. We reaffirmed that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). List some of the ways you are choosing to walk by faith and not by sight.
Asking about my new job, and then asking for money to help pay for it
Applying for school
Asking about this job, and taking it, though it means some unknowns
Devoting time each day to exercise and do Bible study even when I may not feel like it
Devoting 2 hours a week to pray for strangers that are connected to me through Twitter only

b. What scriptural promises are you holding on to, waiting to see their fulfillment?

Honestly, none, because I see their fulfillment in my life each day! God has lead me through many rough times, and though on days like today when I am fighting pain and frustration, I know that He has not brought this upon me. He is giving me a way to seek Him through the pain, and to witness of His love and kindness through it all. He is laying before me EXACTLY what I need, and granting me what I need before I even have the words or forethought to ask! He is wonderful and mighty, all-knowing, and He is KING!

Too late Abraham learned that it's impossible to run from your problems, because oftentimes YOU turn out to be the problem. In Canaan he was afraid of famine. In Egypt he feared foul play. One bad choice led to another--fleeing opened the way to fibbing.

Today's lesson ends with a powerful quote from George Muller:

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

Sarah-Stand By Your Man

2009-07-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Day One: Leaving and Cleaving

As women we graduate from one relationship to another. We transition from being a daughter to becoming a wife. With this transition, our alliances also shift from father to husband. "Daddy's Little Girl" is transformed into her spouse's "better half." While one bond breaks, another forms into the tie that binds. Jesus said,"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate: (Matthew 19:5-6). In other words, you must stand by your man through thick and thin.

We learned through (Noah's wife's) life that anonymous does not mean inconsequential. Like many unsung heroes, she happily served behind the scenes as her husband and sons became renowned.

Sarah, Abraham's wife, is truly the matriarch of the faith. We'll see a complex woman who would at one moment exhibit a meek and quiet spirit and the next stand up to her husband when there was conflict in the home. As she walked through her life, she came to understand that the hand of God is more powerful than the wishes of man.

The scripture for today's lesson is Genesis 12:1-9.

1.a. List all that Abraham was asked to leave behind.

Abraham was asked to leave behind his country, his family, and his father's house.

b. How might that have made him feel?

I would think that it would make him feel uncertain, and unsure of what God wanted from him. He would definitely leave his place of security, where he understood the language and knew those around him. He may have wondered whether or not he was walking to his own death at the hand of those in another land.

c. What do you imagine Sarah felt about this?
I would think she might be wondering what she had gotten herself into by cleaving herself to Abraham! I'm sure this was unexpected, and she had to wonder if Abraham was going mad. Nevertheless, she followed him without argument, which shows her patience, faith, and loyalty to her marriage vows.

2. What phrase in God's instructions indicates that Abraham did not know exactly where he was going?

God tells him to leave it all for a land that "I will show you."

3. a. List the blessing that would follow Abraham's leap of faith.
Make you a great nation
Bless you
Make you famous
You'll be a blessing
Bless those who bless you
Curse those who curse you
All families will be blessed through you.

b. How might this promise have influenced him?

It had to be 'heady' to have this blessing made to you and to know that if he followed God's will, these things would happen! I'd say it would definitely impress upon him positively!

c. What might Sarah's reactions have been?

It had to make her feel good to know that these things could be done through her love! I know it had to make her happy to hear that she would have children as well.

4. List those who accompanied Abraham on this journey and what kind of supplies they might need.

Abraham left with Lot, Sarah, and all the possessions and people that they had gotten in Haran. They would have needed food, animals, tents, and other supplies for them to survive on their trip to the unknown place.

5. What places were included in their journey, and where did they finally set up camp?

They went through Sechem and the Oak of Moreh, Bethel, and finally set up camp between Bethel to the west and Ai to the East, and then Abraham traveled south to Negev.

6. Abraham did something twice. Underline the activity. Why do you think he did this?

He built two altars, to give God praise and glory for keeping them safe and leading them thus far, as well as for the promises He had made him. He also did this to show the Lord that he was keeping up 'his part of the bargain' and honoring Him in his travels.

7. Abraham and Sarah were asked to leave all that was familiar to them. Jesus asks the same of His followers. Rewrite the following passage into a personal prayer relinquishing all that you possess into God's hands. (Matthew 16:24-26)

Lord, I want to follow you, and let you be the One in charge of my life. If I am to do this, I rejoice in the troubles that I might face because they will show others how You are working in my life. I cannot do this alone, I must have You to show me the way. When I follow You, You will be revealed through me as I become the true person You desire me to be. Yes, I will lose myself, but I will gain myself in You!

8. Abraham would empty his arms only to be filled with the promises of God. So, too, as we deny all to follow the Lord, He fills our lives with great and precious promises. Read Galatians 3:26-29.

a. Who does God consider as members of His family, and how does this happen?

Anyone who has been baptized in the name of the Lord.

b. What divisions has Christ abolished?

God has abolished all divisions such as Jew or non-Jew, slave or free, or male or female.

c. What additional benefit does the believer experience in Christ?

We are all descendants of Abraham, and are heirs in his covenant promises!

9. This season in Abraham's life consisted of tents and altars. The tent was where he spent time with people, and the altar where he communed with God. In the columns below, list the places you lived and places you have worshipped. Then write about one memorable encounter you had in each of these places.

Worshipped:
Holston View: my true 'church home
Prospect: where I learned the love of those outside my family for me
Ft. Blackmore Camp: first experienced a love of nature
Vermont: where I accepted Christ into my life
Buffalo Mountain Camp: started learning about how BIG God is!
Trinity, Big Stone Gap: learned about love of friendship--and had my first kiss!
Jr. High Assembly: learned how I could learn from other Christians
McFarland: Learned about God's unconditional love
Sr. High Assembly: Learned to put my relationship into order--Jesus, Others, Yourself
Camp Lookout: selfless love
Emory UMC: love of community
Cherokee UMC: learned of Christ's love for me as an adult
Loudon UMC: learned about how people could love me without truly knowing me, but love me because I'm a part of the family of Christ

Lived:
Holston Terrace: the love of a family
Bloomingdale: how love can hurt, and that not everyone has been loved unconditionally as I have
in "Town": first experiences with romantic love
Mission Ridge Road: that my mother and I were more alike than I thought
Greenleaf: that God would help me if I only asked
MaWa: how to survive on my own
Brenda & Dale's: love of my nieces and nephews
Bonita Drive: that God would be there for me when no one else would or could
my cute little apartment: self-protection
Mom and Dad's house: my first home with my husband! That I need to care for ME
our home: the love of being a parent

Abraham might have been a baseball player who knew that you can't get to second base if you keep your foot on first. He willingly left his home and went where God told him. His beautiful wife Sarah left everything to go with him. There were some hits and misses on the journey, but God considered their pilgrimage a home run.

The lesson ends with a quote by Billy Graham:

Let your home be your parish, your little brood your congregation, your living room a sanctuary, and your knee a sacred altar.

Noah's Wife Day 5: Home Away from Home

2009-07-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

When God entered into a covenant relationship with Noah, his wife, their sons, and their wives, He promised to give the family protection from the coming flood. Thus, we see God's character in providing a godly remnant of committed followers...God is more than willing to give each of us a new beginning. Don't wait for a flood of judgment or a vast calamity in order to cry out for God's help.

Today's scripture focus is Genesis 7:1-7.

1. What instruction did God give Noah and his household and why?

He instructed Noah and his family to board the ship.

2. What was Noah told to do with the animals and why?

Noah was instructed to take 7 pairs of every clean animal, one pair of every unclean animal, and seven pairs of every kind of bird to ensure their survival on the earth.

3.a. After how many days would the rain begin?

The rain would start in 7 days.

b. Why do you think God chose to wait?

I think He did this not only to give Noah and his family time to board and get settled on the boat, but also to give those who could observe the ark to turn from their sinful ways.

4. Describe what would happen as a result of the floodwaters.

God said that He would destroy the earth and make a clean slate of everything He had created. It would rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

5. What do you learn about Noah in this passage?

Noah follows God's commands even when he might think they don't make much sense!

6. What do you learn about Noah's wife in this passage?

She trusted her husband's judgment and his understanding of what the Lord has instructed Him to do!

7. Noah and his family were invited to come into the ark for safety. Read the following verses, and describe some of the blessings of answering the invitation to "come." Talk about whether you have personally experienced these blessings.

Matthew 11:28: God will give us real rest when we are tired, burned out, and fed up. He will help us recharge and recover our life. YES I've experienced this promise from God!

Matthew 16:24: If we want to come with Jesus, we must let Him be the leader. We must give Him the change to lead and follow Him. If we embrace the chance to suffer for him, He will show us our true selves.
YES, I've experienced this as well...and forget to do it too often!

Matthew 25:34-36:The Lord has prepared His kingdom for us because we have cared for Jesus when we cared for others in need.
YES, I've experienced these blessings of Jesus when I have been in need1

Revelation 22:17:Jesus tells us to come, all who hear and thirst, who are hungry, who have needs.
YES, I have answered this call and felt this blessing!

8. We know God instructed Noah to bring clean animals on the ark, looking toward the time he would make sacrificial offerings. We can make an offering of prayer. With this in mind, rewrite Psalm 51:10-11 into a personal prayer asking God to cleanse you of sin.

Lord, please cleanse me of my sins and keep them far from me. Please forgive me, and stay with me even though I have sinned against you! Know that I am contrite and sorry, and stay with me through Your Spirit!

9.a. There is no record of Mrs. Noah's response to Noah's encounters with God or the journey to new life on the ark. Try to put yourself in her place. How do you think she might have felt as her husband spent 120 years building a boat based on instructions from God?

Part of her HAD to wonder if he'd lost his mind! But she was committed to him, and she has to be commended for that. While everyone around her must be whispering or laughing aloud at Noah, she stuck by him through it all! It had to have made her a bit nervous and anxious at times.

b. How do you suppose the world treated her family during this time?

Like I said above, they probably laughed and thought Noah had totally lost it, or at the very least whispered behind their backs. They had to wonder about Mrs. Noah's sanity for sticking beside him, too.

c. What do you think she might have thought, felt, or done as she sat on the boat with her family seven extra days, waiting for the rain to come?

I can imagine her wondering if the rain really was going to come, and praying to the Lord to calm her fears and wonderings. She had to feel at least a bit angry and resentful because I'm sure the animals were starting to smell and be noisy!

d. What feelings might she have endured as she watched the floods devastate the world she knew?

I would think it would have brought on mixed emotions. She probably felt relieved that what her husband had said was going to happen was taking place, so he hadn't totally lost his mind! But it had to sadden her that it had come to this. She was watching the devastation of her home and the death of everyone she had known except for her immediate family.

e. How do you relate to Mrs. Noah? (Perhaps you've followed a husband who was called by God, been mocked by the world for your faith, waited for a promise that was late in coming, or watched as others faced the consequences for sin.)

Other than growing up in a parsonage, I don't think I've had to deal with things such as this. As I grow older and see the wisdom that my husband possesses for education, I wonder if he is going to start to have a wanderlust to lead elsewhere. If he does, I will follow him, because I know it will be through God's leading. I also know that it was not his original intention to feel such, so that gives me another indication that it might be of the Lord. If so, I will gladly go with him, though it would mean leaving my home and loved ones, because it would be following God's plan and also going with my best friend!

Though we don't know her name, we do know the person (Mrs. Noah)...She was a woman of faith who was saved from judgment. She steadfastly continued the work God gave her. She was probably kind. After all, her sons and daughters-in-law consented to being cooped up in the ark with her. She must have been a hard worker. Think about caring for all of those animals! And she must have been humble. She didn't say,"Make sure you spell my name right when you put this in the Bible." Though we don't know her name, Jesus may have had Noah's wife in mind when he said,"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

The study ends with this great quote from Alexander Maclaren:

Meek endurance and meek obedience, the acceptance of his dealings, of whatever complexion they are and however they may tear and desolate our hearts, without murmuring, without sulking, without rebellion or resistance, is the deepest conception of the meekness which Christ pronounced blessed.

Noah's Life Day 4: All in the family

2009-07-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

That God saves some while submerging others demonstrates His ability to balance judgment with mercy...Noah, therefore, foreshadowed another judgment that will come upon the whole earth. This reckoning will be introduced at the return of Jesus Christ. At that time He will rescue believers from a planet that is once again utterly corrupt. However, instead of water, fire will consume the ungodly.

Today's scripture reading is Genesis 6:17-22.

1. Explain how God would judge the earth. Circle the words that describe the full extent of this destruction.

God declared that he would bring floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh...everything that is on the earth shall die.

2. By contrast, what were God's plans for Noah? Who else was included?

God made a covenant with Noah to go into the ark with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives. 2 of every sort of all living things should go with them into the ark--a male and a female of each animal.

3. Underline the word kind in the passage, and then list the kind of creatures that would also inhabit the ark.

All the birds of their kind, animals of their kind, and every creeping things of its kind, two of every kind should come into the ark.

4.a. How would Noah gather the animals?

The passage says that Noah should gather them. A sidenote in the study says that possibly God made all the animal pairs aware of when they needed to gather to make this easier.

b. What was his responsibility to them?

Noah was to keep them alive.

5. Besides building the ark, what further task was Noah assigned to ensure survival?

Noah was also to gather the food that he would need for the people and animals--of all food that is eaten.

6. If you were God, what kind of report card would you give Noah regarding his assignment and why?

I'd give him an A+ because he put forth his best effort to follow directions and do as God instructed!

7. God made a covenant with Noah and his sons. He also made a covenant with those who believe in His Son. Read Hebrews 9:13-28.

a. Contrast the blood of goats and calves with the precious blood of Christ (verses 13-14 and verses 19-28).

The goats and calves are sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean to sanctify them so they are outwardly clean. In contrast, Christ was sacrificed once and for all to take away the sins of many and will come again not as a sacrifice, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

b. Who are included in the new covenant and by what means (verse 15)?

Those that are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.

c. Describe what must occur for a testament to be "in force" (verses 16-18)?

If a will is in force, it can not take place while the person is living.

8. God caused the animals to cooperate with Noah as they gathered to the ark. Has God ever helped you do the impossible? Journal about a task He gave you to do and how He assisted in its fulfillment.

When I was working in a different job, I had to go for 2 weeks to Charlottesville for training. I was literally making NO money, so not only did I not have money to pay for the classes, I had no money to pay for housing and food. With God's help, I found someone to stay with by contacting a local Methodist church. It worked out beautifully!

9. We discovered that one of Noah's defining traits was complete obedience. Using the word OBEY as an acrostic, list some of the ways God is aking you to obey Him.

O: Observe His holy days, be Open to His will, fight against the Oppression of others, share His word and love with Others, keep my Options open so He can work through me

B: Be patient, Beautify His world, Behave in a way that He would find pleasing, Believe in His word, Bow in worship to Him regularly

E: give Him praise in Everything, Eat healthily to keep my body as His temple, Exercise for the same reason, Extol his great deeds, Enter His gates with thanksgiving

Y: teach his ways to Youth, Yearn to be in communion with Him, follow Him Year after Year, Yoke myself with others who believe in Him, say Yes when He calls

Just as Noah was a preacher of righteousness in his generation, we must evangelize the people of our time. Of course this is done through the way we live as well as the words we say....It's very likely that the only thing that comforted Noah as he witnessed his friends and neighbors drowning was the assurance that he had done everything he could to rescue them.

And with a quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the lesson closes:

Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God.

Noah's Wife Day 3: Houseboat

2009-07-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

In truth, a home should be a haven from the world around us. It's the place where we feel safe from pressures clamoring on the outside. Inside its four walls, we find acceptance from the people whose opinions truly matter. When our hearts are overwhelmed, like Dorothy, we may also lament,"There's no place like home."...Whether you live in a single story, a duplex, or a trilevel ark, it's not the house that makes a home. It's the people who dwell in it. You have to admire Mrs. Noah for going along for the ride.

We'll discover that the ark would be shaped in a way that was perfectly suited for floating rather than sailing. This is a beautiful illustration of God's sovereignty....Imagine the kind of trust that Noah and his family must have had as they climbed aboard and realized that there was no navigational system. But isn't that similar to our journey of faith? God wants us to sit back and allow Him to route our course.

Today's scripture is Genesis 6:11-16.

1. Underline the word earth in today's text, and describe the earth's condition in Noah's time.

The earth was filled with violence. It was corrupt.

2. Circle all the references to God in the text. How did God respond to the earth's condition?

God decided to destroy the earth, except for Noah and his family.

3. Reread the text, and explain how the earth had become corrupted.

It was filled with violence and corrupt because the persons who inhabited it were corrupt. The earth was also filled with violence through them.

4. Who did God include in His plans? Look back to yesterday's lesson, and explain why he was included.

God included Noah in His plans, because he was just and righteous, and walked with God.

5. Describe the means of deliverance from the coming destruction and who was intended to use it.

Noah was to build an ark for himself--no one else was included in these particular verses. God gave Noah specific measurements and directions for how to build this ark.

6. Highlight the word make in the text; then describe the details of the vessels construction.

God told Noah to make himself an ark of gopherwood with rooms in it. He explained exactly how to make it: the length should be 300 cubits and width 50 cubits, and height 30 cubits. He instructed Noah to make a window for the ark, and a door in its side. He should also make it with lower, second, and third decks.

7. What do you learn about God from Genesis 6:11-16, and why is this important for us now?

Though God was very disappointed with how humanity had turned out, He did not give up on us completely. He provided a way out for this creation of His, and described exactly how it could be redeemed. Because Noah followed God's instructions to the letter, we as a species were saved, as were each animal of the earth, sea, and sky.

8. The people in Noah's day were violent and corrupt. List some ways people today behave in the same ways.

People today are violent and are also not obeying God's laws. They are sexually immoral, their business practices are corrupt, and they care about no one but themselves.

9. According to Hebrews 11:7, Noah had a plan of salvation for his household. With this in mind, write about some ways you can lead your family to the Lord.

I can seek, listen to, and heed God's instructions in order to raise my family up in His ways. I can be in this world but not of it, and can prayerfully instruct my family in this manner of living as well.

Rather than being women who point a finger at the corruption, let's offer the only solution to the problem. We can point the way to the cross. Just as Noah was known as a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5), be known as one who spends her time loving the unlovely, sharing the gospel, and "redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16).

This lesson closes with a quote by William Bennett:

We have a real problem in this country when it comes to values. We have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to.

This is a scary thought!

Noah's Wife Day 2: Family Values

2009-07-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

After the fall, humanity experience an enormous population boom but continued on a rapid moral decline. The depravity reached such depths that God regretted creating humans... It seems contradictory to think that a perfect God would repent of anything. However, the true meaning of repent helps us to understand God's frame of mind...How tragic that God's crowning glory became His greatest regret. That we could be a disappointment to God is sobering, for God intended humans to be his greatest joy...

Today's scripture is from Genesis 6:5-10.

1. Describe what the Lord saw.

He saw humans who were only involved in wickedness and evil instead of being in a relationship with Him. Noah, however, was the exception!

2. How did the Lord feel about this?

He regretted creating humankind, and it hurt His heart that humans were so evil.

3. What did He decide to do about this and why?

He decided to destroy man and all the animals on earth, sea, and air, for he was sorry that he had made them.

4. Who caught the Lord's attention and why?

Noah caught the Lord's attention, because he was a just man who walked with God. He was 'perfect in his generations'--those who came after him were also righteous.

5.a. What four phrases describe Noah's character?

just, perfect, walked with God, found grace in the eyes of the Lord

b. Which of these phrases would you most like to describe you? Why?

I would most like people to describe me as walking with the Lord. If they did, this would mean that it was evident in the way that I live my life that I am a follower of Christ.

6. List Noah's sons. If you know the story of Noah and the flood, explain why they become important later.

Noah's sons were Shem, Ham, and Japeth. They would be responsible for repopulating the earth after the flood.

7. God's description of humanity's depravity is devastating. Read 1 Timothy 1:8-10 to discover some of the sins that antediluvians (people living before the flood) were engaged in. Using the word EVIL as an acronym, list some of the ways you see people sinning today.

E: Excess, not Exercising restraint, lack of Empathy, Eating too much, Extending themselves beyond their means, Extolling themselves as their own gods.

V: Violence, Victim mentality, Vetoing God's role in their life, Very selfish, Vanity, Vile language, Violating God's law, Violating children

I: Irresponsible, Irreverent, Ignoring God's law, Ignoring society's laws, self Importance, Implying to others that God isn't needed

L: Lazy, Lack of responsibility, Lack of empathy, Lacidasical in work, Lonely for God's love, Loveless, Living beyond their means, Lying

8. We've discovered that our sin caused God to grieve. Use Ephesians 4:29-31 as a template to write a personal prayer asking God to forgive you for the ways you have brought Him sorrow.

Lord, I'm so sorry for gossiping and not using my mouth and words only to lift others up, especially those I love and that I am charged to be a role model for. I have done this far too many times. I have been blessed by you in more ways than I can even recall, and I too often take you for granted. I have denied my need to spend time in Your word. I've put other things before spending time with You. I've used ugly speech, including cursing, more times than I should. In fact, I NEVER should! Please forgive me for this, Lord, and I desire your help to change my ways. Help me to not judge others and look down upon them. Help me to treat others with the grace and the unconditional love that You have shown me--over and over and over.

9. Noah's qualities foreshadowed the steps to salvation. In the space provided, talk about a time when you've walked in Noah's footsteps to faith:

I found grace in God's eyes when...(Ephesians 2:8)

...He gave me chances over and over, especially when I made poor choices. He forgave me before I even asked!

I knew I was justified when...(Romans 5:1)

...even when I was mad at Him and upset for Him 'letting' me be treated badly when I had made poor choices, but my faith in Him stood strong, and He led me to forgiveness.

I knew God saw me as perfect when...(James 1:4)

...I loved people despite their poor treatment of me.

I walk with God when...(Ephesians 4:1-3)

People take notice of the gifts that He has bestowed upon me with which I can serve Him!

One person's negativity can influence the atmosphere...sin is highly contagious.

And to end this lesson, a quote by Albert Einstein:

Evil is the real problem in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.

Week 2: Noah's Wife

2009-07-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Girls Behaving Badly
Quote from Lord Thomas Dewar:

The road to success is filled with women pushing their husbands along.

Mrs. Noah is mentioned 5 times in Genesis. She had to have been a righteous woman to have entered the ark. We can safely assume that she was also a godly mother and mentor.

Girls were behaving badly as they crossbred with men of suspicious backgrounds. As humanity spiraled out of control, God was compelled to intervene....While the rest of society was raunchy, they were righteous....Imagine how difficult it must have been for Mr. and Mrs. Noah to raise their children in a society bent on sin...We can learn much from their example as we teach our children to be in this world but not of it.

Today's Bible reading is Genesis 6:1-4.

1. The word now places us at a point in time. Read Genesis 5:30-32, and describe when this story takes place.

Noah was born when his father Lamech was 182 years old. By the time he was 500 years old he had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth. The Message interpretation adds that Lamech said that having Noah would give them a break from the hard work of farming the ground that God cursed.

2.a. What does the text say about "the sons of God"?

It says that "the sons of God" saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and took them as wives.

b. What is your reaction to this account of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men"?

This is a bit confusing to me. Were these people that God created in addition to the original creation of Adam and Eve? Where did they come from? Were they created in sin when Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden?
According to some commentary, (both in my devotion book and in what I'm looking up online) says that angels, possibly fallen angels, marrying human women. From these marriages could have come the giants to which are referred. Another interpretation is simply that godly men joined in an unequally yoked marriage with ungodly women.

It is distressing that it was the ungodly women who seemed to corrupt the godly men, but at the same time, the men chose them of their own free will....

This intrigues me, and is something I'm going to look into further!

3. What did the Lord decree and why?

The Lord decreed that men/people would not continue to live forever. He would limit their life span to 120 years. As to why--thanks again to the side notes, God was going to strive with, as opposed to judge, men for 120 years. That would give Noah time to build the ark and for sinners to repent before the flood.

4. Describe the giants--what they were like and how they came into being.

The giants were there around the same time and after the sons of God and daughters of men married. The humans saw them as men of renown, though they were not of God.

5. Read Numbers 13:32-33, and describe the inhabitants of the land of Canaan many centuries later.

The inhabitants were described as giants who made them look like grasshoppers. They were huge!

6. What does the presence of these "giants" tell you about the world in which Noah and his wife lived?

They certainly weren't the only people around, and seemed to be different in that they were living a righteous life instead of a sinful one. This refutes the thought that I have always had that the world was populated a little bit at a time strictly through the lineage of Adam and Eve. This speaks more like other people were also around, but their specific stories weren't told. However, reading some of the commentary online, it also could be that these were the offspring of different persons mentioned thus far in the Bible, too.

7.a. We've looked back as far as Noah's father and sons. Let's climb a little higher in his family tree. Read Genesis 5:21-29. What repeated phrase describes Enoch's (Noah's great-grandfather) unusual departure?

Enoch walked with God. In The Message, it says that he walked steadily with God

b. What record does Methuselah (Noah's grandfather) hold, and how old was Methuselah when he died?

Methuselah was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, mentioned man in the Bible. He was 969 years old when he died.

c. Why did Lamech (Noah's father) give Noah his name?

He named him Noah, meaning this one will give us a break from farming the ground God cursed according to The Message. In the NIV, it says that "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed."

8. God's Spirit strove with the population in Noah's day, hoping they would repent and be saved from teh coming judgement. Isaiah said,"Woe to him who strives with his Maker!" (Isaiah 45:9)
a. Describe a situation in which you argued with God.

That's 'easy' to answer--the first thing that comes to mind is when the Lord was telling me to step back from assisting with the youth. I didn't want to do so, for several reasons: I knew Brenda and Dale needed the help and that they would want us to continue working with them, I felt guilty for stepping back, and didn't know who would pick up the slack. God kept telling me, though. I was unhappy working with them. It was a burden instead of a joy. I wasn't giving them what they needed because it wasn't my niche at that point in my life. It took me quite some time to vocalize this, however. God kept at me until I did!

b. How did the argument end?

God won out! He kept at me until I saw that His way was the only way I was going to get any peace. The peace that He gives is far better than anything I could say as to why my way was better!

c. What did I learn?

God isn't going to give up. He's going to keep at me until I do what He knows I need to do. Sometimes He needs us to trust Him enough to let go, even though all our human senses say it is the wrong thing to do, or even though it is difficult.

9. Today we've seen various theories regarding the giants. The fact is that all of us face giants of one sort or another. Journal a prayer asking God to help you conquer any "giant" that you face.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I've faced giants for years now, with Your help. Whether it be depression, anxiety, or the most recent 'heading' of fibromyalgia, I know that You are bigger than anything that satan can throw at this earthly body. If I trust in You and listen to the cues you give me, I know I will walk through any fire that comes my way. I am so blessed by you every day, Lord, in all my abilities and gifts that you've given me. Thank you especially today for my wonderful husband and our sons. You are so good to me!!

As you observe our society, it's logical to assume that God will not strive with us much longer. We will all face a day of reckoning. The Bible has thrown you a lifeline--take hold of it before it's too late.

This ends with a quote by Billy Graham:

If God doesn't judge America for its immorality, then He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.

Please overlook: Technorati stuff

2009-07-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

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Day 5: East of Eden

2009-07-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Partaking of forbidden fruit not only changes us, but it also leads to a change of location. Prodigals inevitably find themselves leaving Eden behind.

Had Adam and Eve refused to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would have remained unrobed and unembarrassed. But once their eyes were opened, they saw themselves differently--what once appeared normal was now perceived as naughty....Honestly, none of us has any reason to be proud of our wardrobe even if it's full of designer labels. Instead, our clothing can serve as a reminder of sin and a warning to avoid disobeying God's commands.

Scripture reading today was from Genesis 3:20-24.

1. What do you learn about the first couple's relationship based on the name Adam gave his wife?
It tells me that he held her up in high esteem as the mother of all living.

2. What clothing did God provide for the couple, and how does this compare to the clothing they chose?

God provided clothing made from animal hides. Adam and Eve chose plants to cover themselves. This represents that in their sin, the couple harmed other living creatures as well as themselves. When Adam and Eve chose clothing, they did so in a way that would not be permanently damaging to anything living.

3. God used the pronoun "Us" to refer to Himself. What does this tell you about His character?

This, I'm not sure about! Is He referring to the angels in Heaven? Who made up the angels, if they were not humans who had passed on to that realm? Did he create angels before Adam and Eve to keep himself company? I'm gonna have to look up commentary on this!

I read a sidenote in the Bible study that answers my question! It says that it points to the Trinity. Though the Trinity is not explicitly stated in the Old Testament, it is implied.

4. Which aspect of the curse did God repeat and why?

He repeated the part about Adam working to till the earth from whence he came. I assume that He repeated this to again restate the change that had to take place...that Adam would no longer get his food without hard work.

5. How did God ensure that the first couple would never be able to eat from the Tree of Life?

He banished them from the Garden, and set cherubim as guards east of Eden. He also placed a flaming sword that turned in all directions so that they might not be able to reach the Tree.

6. Why do you think God prevented the first couple from partaking of the Tree of Life?

It was the major part of their punishment. Before they sinned, they would have been able to live forever in communion with the Lord. But when they ate of the Tree of Life, they were cursed to die. If they were still able to eat the fruit, they would be able to live forever, and this was not to be so.

7. We've seen that Adam's wife was known by three different names, the last of which was Eve. List some of the names or nicknames that you have been given. Who gave them to you and what do they mean?

Christine: child of Christ
Christi: shortened form of my given name
Chris: what my family shortened my name even further to--as did close friends before I married a Chris!
Mouse: a boyfriend of Suzy's called me this, after he saw me in my Chris Mouse pajamas. Then I called myself that in 5th grade just as a nickname, too!
PK: short for Preacher's Kid. The Williams brothers called me that when we lived in Big Stone Gap, and then again when we reconnected at Emory & Henry. In fact, they've referred to me as PK on Facebook recently!
Big Stone: a fella in high school called me that after I said that I thought that he was someone calling from Big Stone on the phone one time!
Gidget: Kevin Stone called me that....I don't really remember why!
Barney: Mike Stansbury called me this in Concert Choir...again, I don't remember exactly why!
Musketeer: my pledge name in college, given to me because I was the third Copeland sister to become a K Phi
Diti: Brenda and Suzy's children called me this before they could pronounce Christi. Ked actually was the first one! Maria still calls me Diti sometimes!
Mrs. Stapleton: my 'school name', given to me by students.
Mommy: given to me by my sons when I gave birth to them.

8. The couple literally clothed themselves in fig leaves, while God dressed them in tunics of skin, offering the first blood sacrifice. Paul uses the analogy of "putting on" clothing to show that we can wear spiritual attributes much as we would wear beautiful garments. Below, list some of your favorite attire and how it makes you feel physically; then read Colossians 3:12, and list the characteristics you'd like to wear spiritually.

From my closet: From God's Word:
pajamas: make me comfy kindness makes others comfy
fancy dress: makes me feel beautiful peace of Christ makes me look beautiful in Him
Slinky brand outfit: feels smooth even tempered, because it acts in a smooth way
tank tops: feels cool humility is acting in a cool instead of hot way

9. God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, and an angel prevented them from ever returning. Journal about a time you had to leave someplace. How did it make you feel? Where did you go?

As a PK, I had to leave several places! The hardest was leaving Big Stone Gap. I as well established, had friends and a 'position', and was comfortable in my little cocoon. Moving to Rossville felt very naked and exposed in a way. But I realized after struggles that God was with me and would make me feel comfortable and loved no matter where I was. He gave me my loving family to be with me and care about me no matter where I lived.

Day 4: Judgement Pronounced

2009-07-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Because God is omniscient, He was completely aware that there was something wrong in the Garden of Eden.

omniscient: definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary.com: 1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight 2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge

You might say that when God sought the disobedient couple in the garden, He was prepared to hold a trial....First, he pursued him as an officer of the court to bring them to justice. Next, He questioned the about their behavior as a prosecuting attorney would do. Now we'll see Him address them and Satan, their co-defendant, as the divine Judge, pronouncing His sentence on them. As the One who created all three of the defendants, God had every right to judge them.

1. Describe how God cursed the Serpent physically.

He told the snake that it would always be on its belly, and it would eat the dust of the earth. He also said that it would be cursed beyond all cattle and more than any beast of the field.

2.a. How did He curse the Serpent spiritually?

There would be war between the woman and the snake, and between the offspring of the serpent and the woman.

b. How do you think this speaks prophetically of Satan's battle with Jesus?

Jesus and Satan always battle against each other, for generations. They battle over the souls of people.

3.a. Next God pronounced His judgment on the woman. How did He punish her concerning childbirth?

He told her that her pain during childbirth would be multiplied.

b. What did He pronounce concerning her marriage?

He decreed that she will want to please her husband and that he would always lord that desire over her.

4.a. God next turned His attention to Adam. Explain why He pronounced a judgment on Adam.

He judged Adam because he listened to his wife and ate from the tree that he was commanded not to eat from.

b. How did God judge Adam concerning his work?

He told Adam that the very ground would be cursed because of him, and that getting food from the ground would be as painful to him as childbirth would be to Eve. He told Adam that he would have to work in pain his entire life, fighting against thorns and weeds that the ground sprouted to get food from the earth.

c. What would the ultimate punishment be for eating from the tree?

That he would return to the ground, dead and buried, and eventually turn into dust, just as he started life.

5.a. What key phrase did God use to remind Adam of his status as a created being?

He told Adam that out of dust he was created and to dust he would return.

b. How would this make you feel if God talked to you in this manner?

It would make me feel about as low as the dust to which He is referring!

6.a. God put enmity between the seed of the woman (Christ) and Satan. Read Galatians 3:16. What is one interpretation of who the seed represents?

According to this verse, it is seed singular, referring to Christ, instead of seeds plural, referring to many people.

b. Based on what you know of history and Scripture, how did Satan "bruise" the heel of the seed of the woman?

Satan brought sin into the world, which led, ultimately, to the crucifixion of Christ...where his feet were nailed to the cross.

c. Paul says, "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead" (2 Timothy 2:8). How do you think this fulfills the prophecy of the seed of woman (Eve) bruising or crushing Satan's head?

Satan could no longer hurt people, for Christ died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead!

7. God's punishment for Eve's disobedience was that there would be pain in childbearing and implied pain in child rearing. Yet Scripture considers motherhood a high calling.

(I've never thought about it like that! I am called to be a mother, and God considers that important!)

a. Read the following passages and draw a line to connect them with how mothers are to be treated.

Exodus 20:12-----Honor your mother

Exodus 21:15-17--Do not physically or verbally abuse her

Proverbs 1:8-----Follow your mother's instructions

Proverbs 23:22---Help your mother in her old age

Proverbs 23:25---Make your mother proud

b. Talk about how you've either experienced some of the pain involved in being a mom, or how you have treated your mom.

Amazingly, I remember more of the pain I've caused my mom---and still feel bad for it---than she seems to remember or keep account of. Isn't that how unconditional love is, though? I caused her much pain and worry when I ran away, when I attempted to take my own life, when I was skipping school...when I lied to her, when I behaved in ways that I knew she would not approve, when I did not greet her with the respect and regard that she deserved. Just the other day, she was commenting that she was glad that my sisters and I didn't 'lose our minds' temporarily and do increasingly foolish things. While I think how I must have added grey hair to her head, she looks upon me as a blessing. SHE is a true blessing to me, and I have learned a great deal from her! I will gladly care for her in her old age!

Warren Wiersbe said,"This submission isn't identified as a part of a curse or as a mandate for husbands to have sovereign power over their wives. The New Testament makes it clear that husbands and wives who love each other and are filled with the Spirit will be mutually submissive (Ephesians 5:18ff; 1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

God reestablished relational order not to put women down but to promote harmony in the home. Don't be deceived when the world tells you submission is slavery--you are showing the world a picture of salvation through Christ: "Just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:24).

Day 3: Hiding Out

2009-07-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

At this point the first couple knew only good, not evil. But after one bite, they became intimately acquainted with evil. If Satan had said,"For God knows that when you eat of it...you will be like me, knowing good and evil," he would have been telling the whole truth. Too late they became aware that God's word was good and that the Serpents word was evil; they saw the goodness of God's image deformed by the wickedness of sin; and they felt the closeness of God's presence replace with a fearful sense of dread. Sadly, there are some things that once done can never be undone. Thankfully, God still pursues people by name, calling out,"Where are you?"

Today's lesson is based upon Genesis 3:7-13.

1.a. Based on their actions, what type of insight did Adam and Eve develop?

They realized that they were naked.

b. How do you think this experience differed from Satan's promise in verse 5?

Satan didn't describe this action as having any negative connotations. He didn't describe such things as guilt that they would experience. They found out that knowing good and evil comes with good and bad consequences.

2. What did Adam and Eve hear, and how did they respond to the source of this sound?

They heard God in the garden, and became afraid--knowing what they had done--and hid.

Why did Adam and Eve hide from God? Most commentators agree that sin develops guilt, and guilt leads to fear. For the first time in their lives they were afraid of God. In a futile attempt they sought to hide from an all-knowing God. Fellowship was broken. Communion was replaced with confusion.

3. How did God respond to Adam's absence? What does this tell you about His character?

God came looking for Adam and called for him. This tells me that even if I don't come to Him, He is going to actively seek me!

4.a. Describe Adam's emotional state.

Adam is afraid! He knows what he has done is wrong, so he feels guilty. He might even feel angry at Eve for giving him the fruit. He is afraid of what God will do/say, too.

b. Why do you think he felt this way?

He knows he went against God's command, and that this was wrong.

5. Underline the word naked, which is repeated three times in this text. Define what you think it means in this story.

It means literal nakedness in the physical form, but it can also mean laid bare with all our weaknesses and sins exposed.

6.a. Who did Adam blame, and who did Eve blame?

Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent.

b. Explain their reasons for blaming someone else.

Like all of us, they didn't want to be responsible for their own sinful behavior.

7. What do you think motivates us as humans to become blame shifters? How do you think we could break this pattern?

We want the attention to be off us, and want to have someone else to be responsible for what we do. It doesn't feel 'good' to take the blame. With practice and God's help, we can humble ourselves and say that yes, we are wrong.

8. Eve's and Adam's eyes were opened so that they developed a conscience. As Christian women, our conscience and spiritual discernment enable us to fight against the works of the flesh. Read the following passage, and describe which fruit(s) of the Spirit can conquer which works of the flesh. (Example: love conquers hatred.)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:19-23.

Love conquers hatred, joy conquers outbursts of wrath, kindness conquers dissensions, goodness conquers jealousies, faithfulness conquers adultery, gentleness conquers murders, self-control conquers fornication, lewdness, uncleanness, drunkenness, and revelries.

9. We've seen the downward spiral Adam's and Eve's sin caused: They were afraid, they became ashamed, and they hid themselves. Use these three sentences to describe a time you fell into the same downward cycle.

I felt afraid when...
I was discovered somewhere that I wasn't sure I should be.

I was ashamed when...
Others knew I was where I wasn't comfortable being alone.

I tried to hide by...
Covering up my cleavage, which made it look like I had nothing on, and made it worse.

10.a. We know that the first couple tried to shift the blame for their sin. Adam accused Eve, and Eve blamed the Serpent. Psalm 51 records David's confession of sin with Bathsheba after being rebuked by the prophet Nathan. Read the psalm, and describe the view of God that David expresses.

David views God as forgiving even though He doesn't have to be.

b. What does David request?

to be washed clean of his sin and be able to start anew.

c. Ultimately who has he sinned against?

God

d. What does God require of the sinner?

He requires confession and a change in behavior, and a desire to improve and walk with Him.

e. If there's something you've been trying to hide or shift the blame about, confess it to God right now an experience the relief felt by King David and others through the ages.

The day's lesson ends with a quote from Angelus Silesius:
Silence, O sinner, stop! Accuse not Eve and Adam.
Without that incident, its you who would have done it.

Day 2: Innocence Lost

2009-07-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to note that Adam gave his wife this endearing name (Eve) after the fall. He could have called her "Temptress" or "She-devil." Instead he prophesied concerning her future rather than pronouncing judgment on her past...From this point on, people are born in sin (with a tainted bloodline) and born to sin (possessing a wicked nature.)Before being too harsh with Eve, try walking in her bare feet. She didn't have a Bible, a pastor, a mother, or a friend to instruct her. God had not warned her to avoid talking snakes.

Today's lesson is based on Genesis 3:1-6.

1. Describe the Serpent in your own words.

The Serpent was Satan in disguise. It must not have been scary--of course, Eve had never felt fear--but it must not have been something uncommon or unappealing to see, as Eve did not flee from it.

2. Explain who initiated the conversation, and recount what was said.

The Serpent initiated the conversation. He asked Eve if God had forbade them to eat from any tree of the garden. Eve answered that God had given them permission to eat from any tree EXCEPT the one in the middle of the garden. She explained that if they ate from that tree or even touched it, they would die. The serpent then told her that they would NOT die, but that their eyes would be opened and they would be like God.

3. Compare the woman's response with God's original command given in Genesis 2:16-17.

The original command was not to eat from the tree, or they would die. Eve went farther than the original command and added that they were also not to touch the tree.

a. To whom was that command given?

the man

b. What phrase did Eve omit?

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

c. What phrase did Eve insert?

She added that were not even to touch the tree

d. What does this tell you about Eve's view of God?

She thinks that she can change the commands of God to fit her will. She views God as there to give her what she wants.

4. List four things the Serpent promised would happen if Eve ate of the fruit.

--your eyes will be opened
--you will be like God
--you will know good
--you will know evil

5. What three things motivated Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit?

She saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes, and she desired to be made wise.

6.a. What final action did Eve make?

She then gave it to her husband

b. Why do you think she did it?

She wanted to share the good fruit and the wisdom with Adam.

7. There is a difference between asking God questions and questioning God. In the appropriate columns list some of the times you've asked God sincere questions as well as the times you've questioned God's sovereignty.

I looked up the meaning of sovereignty just to be sure what it meant: surpreme excellence.
ASKED GOD QUESTIONED GOD
to lead me to a Godly husband to make a particular man love me
for someone to be healed as God saw fit to heal a person's physical body only
to help me fight temptation asking why someone died

8. Because our battle with the Enemy begins in the mind, God has given us many safeguards. Fill in the following chart to discover how to fortify your thought life. Explain what you think each instruction means.

Romans 12:2: fix your attention on God, and He will change you from the inside out. Recognize what he is wanting and be quick to do it.

Ephesians 4:23: Be willing to change your attitude for the better
Philippians 4:6-7 Pray instead of worrying. Petition God instead of worrying about them. A peace that everything will come together will then cover you, and Christ will displace worry at the center of your life.

Colossians 3:2: Think about the Lord instead of things happening here on earth.

1 Peter 1:13: Ready your mind for the gift that is coming when Jesus arrives.

9.a. We learned that Eve spread her sin to Adam. Read 1 Timothy 2:11-14. Why do you think Paul cited the order of creation here?

I think he was reminding us that men should be in charge since they were created first.

b. Explain who was deceived and how this led to the fall. Who do you think bears the greater burden for the fall and why?

Eve was deceived, and rationalized her actions, then drew Adam into this deception. I think Eve does bear the greater burden, for she not only disobeyed herself, but also coerced Adam into disobedience.

The sin that Eve ultimately committed was covetousness--she wanted what she couldn't have.

Today's lesson ends with this quote from Max Lucado:
The snake pulled back the curtain to the throne room and invited Eve to take a seat. Put on the crown. Pick up the scepter. Put on the cape. See how it feels to have power. See how it feels to have a name. See how it feels to be in control! Eve swallowed the hook. The temptation to be like God eclipsed her view of God.

New Bible Study: Live Relationally

2009-07-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be starting a new Bible study, which is part of a series of studies, the Fresh Life Bible Study Series. This one focuses on Lessons from the Women of Genesis. The first thing that hit me was under the heading of "How to get the most out of this study".

Did you know that abundant life doesn't just add years to your life, but it also adds life to your years?

The section goes on to say that Bible study is vital because God's Word has the power to do His work in our lives. It is the catalyst that revives our hearts, renew our minds, and restores our souls. This makes life worth living!

As I said before, this study focuses on the women of Genesis, who were

often out of sight, but never out of God's plan.

In these lessons, we'll see the firsts of lots of things: the first temptation with Eve, the first matriarch in Sarah, the beginning of the Arabs through Hagar, the first recorded rape in Scripture with Dinah, the first recorded instance of prostitution with Tamar, and the first instance of sexual harassment against Joseph with Potiphar's wife. I'm very excited to learn from these and others!

The first lesson starts at the beginning....with Eve! The Biblical reference is Genesis 2:18-3:24.

Although the Bible does not describe her, there is no doubt that she was the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Why? She was God's masterpiece!...She was the fist wife, the first mother, and the first woman to encounter evil incarnate.

Day 1: Paradise Found

Though God created both humans and animals, this does not mean that they are on equal footing. People are made in God's image, setting us apart from animals in a profound way. We possess a soul. The soul refers to a person's inner life. It is teh center of our emotions and personality.

Whereas animals act instinctively, humans should behave transcendently. I had to look this word up! According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, this means exceeding usual limits; extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience; being beyond the limits of ordinary experience. The study then says that We are God's special creating endowed with the gift of "soul power."

I like that! So when the kids don't behave as though they are thinking about the feelings of others, I can remind them that we have "soul power" and are above such behavior! Awesome!

1. Explain the problem and solution God first spoke about in this passage.

It was not good that Man was alone, so God decided to make him a comparable helper.

2. Describe in detail the task God assigned to Adam.

God gave Adam the task of naming each animal of the sea, sky, and land.

3. Compare and contrast Adam with the rest of the living beings.

Adam had the ability to speak and to name the animals and was to be their caretaker, whereas the other animals were not able to take care of Adam. They were all created by God, and were all living.

4. In your own words, describe how God created woman.

God put Adam into a deep sleep and took a rib from him with which to create Adam.

5a. When Adam met his mate, he made a proclamation. What do you think "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" signified for Adam?

This signifies that whereas the other animals were created separately from Adam, this creation was made FROM Adam, and began as part of him.

b. What did he call his mate and why?

He called her Woman because she was taken out of man.

6. Here we find the first mention of marriage in Scripture. Explain God's intent for marriage.

God intended man and wife to become one flesh in marriage. Each should leave his/her own household and become joined together.

7a. What else do you learn about the man and wife in this passage?

He created both man and woman out of his image, and made us godlike. The sidebar information refers to woman as being dust double-refined. We were created to be lifetime partners.

b. Why do you think this is relevant?

We are meant to stay together forever and help each other, not to be at odds. Both man and woman are godlike, which tells me that God has feminine characteristics as well as masculine.

8a. God declared that man needs companionship. Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, and explain some of the reasons why it is better to have a mate to come alongside you.

Partners in marriage can share both the work and the rewards of that work. If one falls down, the other can help him/her up. They will keep each other warm at night. Alone, persons are unprotected, but together the worst can be faced. A cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken.

b. Read the sidebar concerning "Threefold Strength", and talk about how you have experienced God's supernatural strength in your life and/or marriage.

There have been times that, if God had not been part of our marriage, it would have been easy to throw in the towel. One time in particular comes to mind, when I was dealing with depression, had a newborn and a preschooler, working full-time, and I felt very alone. If God had not been with us, it would have been easy to blame it all on Chris and say that he wasn't helping out enough. With God's help, we got through it and are stronger for it!

9. Many women today struggle with the way they look, think, and feel. but when God made Eve from Adam's rib, this was not His intent. When He made you, He made you into the person you are too. With this in mind, journal Psalm 139:13-14 into a personal psalm praising god for making you just as you are.

Lord, you formed my insides--even though they don't always seem to cooperate--and you formed me in my mother's body. I will give you praise, for I am marvelously made! You make all things that are wonderful!

10. Before the fall, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. It's probably difficult to imagine being unashamed about our looks, actions, or thoughts. But Jesus came to free us from condemnation (Romans 8:1). Read the following scriptures, and talk about how we can stand either ashamed or unashamed before God.

Psalm 119:5-6 If my actions are consistent in reflecting God's commands, then I would not be ashamed when I compare my life to what you decree.

Isaiah 41:11 Anyone who had it in for you will end up coming to nothing.

Isaiah 49:23 Kings and queens will treat you as their own child and will treat you as they are your servants, and you will know that I am the Lord.

Jeremiah 8:9 The wise will be confused and bewildered, because they rejected the Word of the Lord...therefore, they have no wisdom!

The day's lesson ends with this quote from Matthew Henry: The woman was formed out of man--not out of his head to rule over him; not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him; but out of his side to be his equal, from beneath his arm to be protected, and from near his heart to be loved.

This reminds us that we are to be partners again....with love and support, to be one.

I AM Study: Lesson Twelve

2009-04-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our church is having a revival. And a REVIVAL it is!!! Great things are happening! God is moving, and with His help, we'll bring Him glory and more followers!

I have an exam tomorrow. But instead of looking over my notes for the test (it is open book/open note), I'm spending time in His word. I know that spending time with Him will pay off much more than any other studying I can do.

I haven't dedicated enough time to the Lord's Word recently. I am feeling the effects of that. I am determined to get back to Him!!

Here are some of Lisa's words that struck me as I reflected upon them, and want to carry them in my heart.

More than anything, God wants us to seek relationship over provision, intimacy over the miraculous, the intangible over the material.

1. We discussed how we are God's fame and He is ours. Have you ever been in a situation where you are applauded for your ministry and had to fight back the idol of pride? Ever been tempted to believe your own press? It's okay to admit it! Your testimony will help others in their resolve!
Oh, yes. I am guilty of recently. God has used me to minister to children, and in doing so, has given me compliments from adults. I have been giving God glory with my lips but not in my heart. It is He who gives me the words, the patience, the desire, the ability to speak to these children. He has given me the love. I am only His vessel, and am blessed to be able to see Him work in them!!

2. Did it ever occur to you in the 3-way drama of God, Job, and Satan that Satan was the only one outside the loop as far as Job's reactions would be? Does this encourage you in resolving to make a fool of him when he attempts to use you to defame the Name?
Nope!! It never did! I'll admit, also, that I haven't studied Job as I should. Oh, yes, I wish to make a fool of him. I want people to know that I am The Lord's and that He is my light and sufficient grace! I want the devil to tremble in fear of the great things I can do for the Lord!

3. Are you in a situation now where you feel you are being overcome? Better yet, are you in a situation where you should have been overcome but are not?
I am feeling God's call and his nudging, and I am trying to put him on the backburner. I cannot. He is not going to be put behind me. I need to keep my eyes on Him as I do what I am doing. I cannot do it with my power, but with His, I can do so much!!

4.Have you failed in a Satan-designed trial? Can you recognize God intends for this failure to refine and resolve you for next time? God is not out for your destruction but your perfection!
Yes, I sure have. When I was not living my life in a way that was pleasing to Him, I was set for fail. It took me many years to forgive myself for that time in my life, though God forgave me and forgot about it long ago!!

5. Can you describe yourself as a Wonders Junkie? Found yourself in spiritual highs and lows depending on whether you perceived God was doing wondrous things or not?
No, not really....though I see Him in small things EVERYWHERE when I am looking for Him!

6. Have you ever been like Philip and had God right in your face and not recognized Him?
I'm not sure. This is one I will have to ponder.

7. Journal a brief prayer asking God for His Glory. Let it be the thing we all desire above all else.....
Fill my cup, Lord!! I am here and want to follow You. Where You lead me, I will follow....though I am fearful that I will have to leave my comfort zone, I will follow You. I want to give You the Glory, for YOU are the Famous One!

Lord, thank you for Sally, our dog

2009-03-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

She has been a member of our family for over 11 years now. She has been a source of comfort, friendship, protection, and love for not just my little family, but also for our neighborhood. She has been our champion and our friend. Now she is wearing out....her body is fighting against her. We're not sure what exactly she is fighting against, but we so don't want her to suffer. She is such a trooper....she has crawled across the yard to lay in the sun. She's crawled across the floor to try to crawl into her pen....she's tried to rise to greet her loved ones over and over. It breaks my heart to see her like this, but I'm glad that we've had a chance to love on her and say goodbye. As hard as it is, I have had to slow down and appreciate many things today....the warm sunshine, the blue sky, a loyal pet, my healthy loud children, neighbors who love us and EVERY member of our family--so many blessings!! God is so good to us. Though I've been very stressed lately and have allowed the Devil to bring me down, I've also been clinging to the cross desperately. He never fails. Through our darkest, roughest times, He is holding us and helping us to love those around us. What assurance it is to hear my 8 year old say that it is okay for Sally to go on to Heaven, because we'll see her again there. Blessed assurance, Jesus is Mine!! Oh, what a foretaste of Glory Divine! Thank you, Lord, for blessing us and trusting us with taking care of Sally. She has been so special to us. Don't let her suffer Lord. Show us what we need to do for her. If she is in pain, help us let her go. Help the boys to understand. Help Chris to not feel like there is something else that could have been done. Help me let the tears flow. Hold us all, Lord. Hold us close to You.

I've made a step toward commitment

2009-02-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

...a commitment to lay ministry. I have contacted our District Superintendent, and he has described the steps that I need to take to be trained. I'm not making any quick moves right now since I am in school and such, but it is a STEP! I have felt God's call in this direction for a while now, but a situation at a church that my family used to serve prompted me to move forward.

Please pray for me as I begin this new adventure!

Resolutions

2009-01-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today at church our sermon was on Resolutions. I want to start keeping track of the notes I make during the sermons, so here goes!

Ken went over 5 things we need to resolve to do this year.

1. Resolve to forget about past failures
Confess your sins before God and then forget them as He does! Jesus took our sins with Him when He died on the cross for us
Scripture reference: Phillipians 3:13-14

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2. Give up your grudges
Ken gave an example of writing down grudges and regrets from the past year and burning them
Scripture reference: Colossians 3:13

13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

3. Restore relationships
Say,"I'm sorry!"
Restitution = asking for forgiveness

4. Commit to turn from transgressions
As the John Wesley hymn Love Divine All Loves Excelling, ask God to take away our bent to sinning
Scripture reference: Romans 6:1-3

1-3So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

5. Resolve to trust in the Lord
We've not traveled this road before! The only certainty in our lives is that God is with us!
Scripture reference: Proverbs 3:5

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

Thank you for reading! Please don't forget to comment! :-)

Romans 5:1

2008-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

I've just listened to 2 podcasts from Bible Study Podcasts on the above verse. I really like the guy who does these podcasts. I stumbled upon them on iTunes. Last night I listened to a podcast on Romans 5:19, and decided to back up and listen to the whole series on Romans 5.

Here are some thoughts I had while listening that I want to remember:

We can't be righteous on our own.We can only find peace by putting our trust in God.

Our words are external evidence of God in our lives....are they always?? We need to be aware of what we say, because people may be turned on/off to Christianity because of our words and actions.

Our works are not what saves us, but they are evidence of our justification.

If we reject God's peace offering(i.e.:,Jesus), we are saying we want to continue the war within us.

He Is My Messiah

2008-12-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

Is He? Is He truly YOUR Messiah? I hadn't thought much about this exact phrasing until recently. In fact, I took offense once when someone was arguing about what MY God had done for someone else. I guess I took it, at the time, to mean more like the person was referring to Him only being God to me, not to them. But I look at it a little differently now, from a different perspective. He IS my God, whether or not others accept Him. He is Messiah to me....He came to deliver ME from sin, and loves ME unconditionally. Even if He were not going to save anyone but me, He still would have come to Earth and died on the cross for MY sake. That is some overwhelming and powerful love! And to think that He is capable of loving each one of His children in this manner....just wow! Even those who might irritate me, who I might not see tons of worth in, to Him, they are each as precious as me and on equal footing with me. Humbling, isn't it? And to think He celebrates just as much when someone who has lived a sinful life comes to Him as He did when I professed my faith in Him.....that is some mighty love!

If you are a parent, think of how much you love your children. You don't love each one more than the other, but it is different kind of love you have for each. And though you may wonder when you have a second child how in the world you can love him/her as much as you do your first, your heart has a fantastic capacity to increase your love. You can love many people in many different ways. That is how God is....we were created in His image! Isn't that just awesome and wonderous?? Amazing!!

Though I have had some news brought about lately that brings some uncertainty in my schooling, I am so blessed. I have a healthy and happy family who love each other, we have steady jobs, we have income each month, we have jobs we love, we have a home and more than we need to provide for our needs. He is ever so gracious to us, and continues to shower us with His blessings even when we fail to show him our gratefulness. I know that He has a plan to prosper me and not to harm me. I know that He has my interests and desires at heart, but they may not be completed on my timetable, but on His. Though this is difficult, I can withstand it knowing that He is with me. On Friday when I was so distraught, I kept asking him to just hold me and wrap His loving arms around me. He did. He brought me rest, and with it, some of His peace. How blessed I am with this knowledge, and once again the sadness came to me for those who don't know Him and don't know His comfort. It makes going on in the face of uncertainty and adversity much, much easier!!

My prayer for each of you today, whoever and wherever you are, is that YOU know HIM as YOUR Messiah. He is greater and can do more than we can even imagine!!

A question posted in an online study....

2008-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

Meditate on the title "Most High." What does it mean to you? How do you or will you incorporate it in your worship?

To me, the title Most High means that God is above all--above all governments, all the planets, all the stars, all that we as humans know and can even begin to perceive. It amazes me to think that at the same time that God is the Most High, he is also totally attainable by us! He is High but He has made himself humble for us. He has done this even though He would NEVER have to, but because He desires a relationship with us! Isn't that just awe-inspiring??

I need to certainly put Him above my own selfish needs and desires since He IS the Most High. Since He has humbled himself, how much more I need to show Him my love, allegiance, and appreciation by worshiping Him in ALL I do and say and even think! My life should be a constant act of worship and praise!

Please lift me up in prayers!

2008-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared on here about the irritating and debilitating rash I have been dealing for months. If you want/need to know more, please leave it in comments or email me. The important part is that I covet your prayers! Yesterday, I found out that nothing had showed up as an allergen in skin tests. I could have cried in front of the doctor, I was so torn up. I came home and cried and cried and cried. My eyes were still swollen when I got up this morning, and I had stopped crying hours before I went to sleep.

I had my pity party last night, complete with panic attack on the way to Chris' Mamaw's house, where I made him bring me back home. I just could not face trying to converse and act like everything was okay when it WASN'T. I would have upset Mamaw, too, and I hated to do that. So I stayed here, watched Miss Congeniality and worked through some work-related emails, and fell asleep early. I know that Chris was worried about me. In 10 years of marriage, he had never seen me in such a state.

To answer some questions, this is not a hivey rash, it is more of a flat, dotty rash. I have been fighting this since mid-July. I have been told it was shingles (and took a round of Valtrex, I might add), taken one shot of steroids, taken two rounds of oral steroids, had a skin biopsy, been told I was allergic to Prilosec and then also all other class of acid blockers as well. ALL to come back to the fact I broke out AGAIN. It has been very trying, especially as I deal with my husband, almost 5 year old and 7 year old, church issues, starting back to full time first grade teaching, starting into a graduate program, and dealing with issues at work. So do ya see why I was pretty down last night??

But after some alone time and some intense prayer (read: begging the Lord), I feel much better today. I have put my big girl panties on and am dealing with it. Not that I'm not still discouraged, but I'm claiming healing in Jesus' name. I am asking everyone that I know to pray, and if I flare up again, I'm going to ask my dad to pray a prayer of healing over me. This is quite bold for a United Methodist born and bred girl to say all this, cause it just isn't usually our way, but I know that the Lord has Power over all, and I know He doesn't want me to suffer. If I have to start coming off my medications, then suffer it will be. I really fear for my mental health if it comes to that.

Will you please join me in this? Will you please pray that the Lord will take this rash from me, and that it will never flare again? I would so appreciate it, and will sing His praises when it happens!

You may read these same words on my other blog and if you frequent the same sites I do, may see it there too. Please forgive me for not restating this at every site. I thank you for your prayers again, and know that Jesus will be the conqueror in this!!

A line from a song that I want to remember....

2008-10-08T18:16:00.001-07:00

"Jesus, I'm empty without you
And you're everything I need
Come with your grace
Come fill a space in me."

I AM study: Lesson Eleven

2008-10-02T16:08:00.001-07:00

1. When is the last time you encountered a Fist Shaker? This may be a stranger to you or as close as a loved one in your own home. Does anything in our description help you to understand their animosity towards God? Are you able to have more compassion towards them?

Yes, I work with one. Any time anyone tries to discuss the Lord with him, he just turns off his usually very kind heart. I do have compassion toward him and pray for him to come to know the Lord, and for the Lord to melt the ice that has formed around his heart.

2. Does anything about Rahab's redemption strike a nerve? This may be a question you would like to ponder privately. Sexual sin and/or victimization can be an area where Satan has an enormous stronghold because it can hold so many painful and shameful memories. If Rahab teaches us anything, please know God can redeem any life and any situation, no matter how heinous it seems, and plant you unashamedly 'in the midst of Israel'. Rahab deserved death according to Mosaic Law, however she was shown nothing but lovingkindness by the God and nation of Israel.

I've long said that Rahab is the woman in the Bible that I can most relate to. I do not share specific similarities, but I do share the feeling that though I have made some not so great decisions in my life, the Lord forgives me and I can still be used for the good of His kingdom!

3. Is there an area of your life in which you feel you have come full circle? Where you've come to a place where everything and nothing are the same? (I'm thinking Lord of the Rings when Frodo goes back to the Shire after his long adventure. You have no clue what I just said if you are not an LOTR nerd so just ignore this if it doesn't make sense! :)

Ummm, not really..but I might as I ponder it! If I do, I'll be back to edit!

4. When you were born again, did you gain a new appreciation for your surroundings as Rahab did when she received the Promise along with the Promised Land? Has some old place, object, or relationship been redeemed by now serving a 'high and holy purpose'?
Yes, in a way. I can see the good in relationships, and why people were in my life when they were!

5. Believers can still be Fist Shakers. Do you have circumstances in your life in which you find yourself shaking your fist at God? Something He has asked you to endure, asked you to do, seemingly taken away from you? Can you see how shaking your fist is keeping you from your Promise? (I'm not talking eternal security here - Only abundant living.)

I've been guilty over the past few months of shaking my fist. This rash has really become trying to me. It is very hard to be a patient and calm teacher when all I feel like doing is laying down on an icepack or scratching the skin off my body. I pray that we are coming closer to a resolution to this, and have been asking friends for prayer that this is the case!

The Way of Cain Study--Week 2

2008-08-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm way behind. Having to actually go to work does that to a person! I'm taking advantage of some relaxing time to try to catch back up.

First focus is on 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Here it is in The Message translation:

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

I found it very interesting that the author goes into the Greek and Hebrew origins of this passage and the wording that was used. This sentence especially struck a cord: Scripture, in essence, is the very breath of God! We cannot live without breathing, in the same sense, our lives will not run as smoothly without seeking God's breath through reading His word!

Next focus in scripture is Proverbs 13:21. I like the New King James Version wording of this one:

Evil pursues sinners,
But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

Oooh, which one am I? Steppin' on my toes, there!
How much easier is it to sit and complain, to accept and pursue the victim mentality, than it is to go and sow the Seed of faith? How much harder it is to trust in the Lord and move forward!

Next Scripture focus is John 5:1-14. I've linked this one to Bible Gateway so you can read The Message translation of this if you wish.
Jesus is asking the same of us as he did the sick man: Do you want to get well?

This shouldn't be something that we have to think over, but I'll admit there have been times that I relished my 'sick' self and made no real move to get better. I'm very thankful that my Fibromyalgia type issues haven't reared their ugly head like they did this time last year. And I give God the glory for this! I need to share this blessing with more people, I know!!

Something else comes to mind that has changed in me in the past year: I was looking for some spiritual food this time last year, and I wanted someone to feed ME. In the past year, I've actively pursued more ways to be fed myself instead of sitting around and waiting for it. I've searched for ways to spend time with Him, and have been very blessed for it! Thank you, Lord, for your guidance in this!

Now on to the subject of the day. Sorry for the side trip, there!

GLUTTONY

Next Scriptural reference that touched me: Proverbs 16:20. Again, in The Message translation:

It pays to take life seriously, things work out when you trust in God.

What I want to remember from the author:
Gluttony is excessiveness in any area....it is lust, which simply means 'I must have it now'. Addictions happen because of a lack of self restraint. It is rooted in discontentment.

Next Scriptural reference: Phillipians 4:13: (The Message)

Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Something else the author brings us to remember: Every bad decision we make is merely an earthly attempt to fill a heavenly need.

Something to look up: knowing the works of flesh along with the Fruits of the Spirit so we can discern between our selfish nature and God's Spirit within us. Scripture reference is Galatians 5:19-23.

Our discontent can only be filled by being in agreement with God. Amos 3:3 says,

"Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren't going to the same place?"

Assigned reading: Matthew 25:1-13.
In your own words, describe what the spirit of Cain is. Afterwards, look at list next to Galatians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:5-9. What do you discover?

Locate and share the Proverbs related to being self-controlled and disciplined.

PASSAGE QUESTIONS

1. How did the virgins fail to prepare for the coming Bridegroom?
2. Five virgins were described as sensible (depending on version) and the other, foolish. Which one typically describes your preparation methods?
3. Describe the state of mind each group possessed. Now describe the PRODUCT of each group’s labor. Notice the latter part of verse 10: ‘Those who were ready (had diligently prepared) went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.’

PERSONAL EXAMINATION

1. How did you describe ‘the spirit of Cain’? What did you find as you compared it to Galatians 5:19-21 - the works of the flesh?
2. When your spirit is troubled, what (or whom) do you lean on for comfort and fulfillment?
3. What areas in your life do you lack self-restraint? In what ways can you apply self-restraint by the power of His Spirit in your role as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker or complete stranger?
4. Are you agreeing with God presently? Why or why not?
5. Have you confessed any lack of self-restraint to the Father? Now repent and ask God for ‘right desires’ and the strength to choose well that you may hold your head high as HE desires and has in fact, ordained for you!
6. In what ways can ‘being prepared’ crucify your desires to fulfill your old nature (Galatians 5:24)?
7. What does discipline look like to you? Do you remember the phrase from week 1?: ‘Discipline yourselves OR be disciplined’. What preparations have you made for skillful and successful living?
8. Proverbs 25:28 says: “Like a city breached, without walls, is a person who lacks self-control.” Has a personal lack of self-restraint rendered you and your family helpless, unprotected and an easy target for the Adversary?
9. Perhaps you have found yourself much like me at one point - with the victim mentality as opposed to the Victor mentality of Christ. What good seeds of self-restraint is He telling you to presently and actively sow?
10. Do you notice the direct correlation between gluttony and outbursts of anger? Notice that all SIN is the self-destructive seed sown to the flesh and contrary to the Spirit Who gives Life-Abundant. Won't you thank the LORD today for saving you into the Ark of His Kingdom by Christ and ask for 'deliverance from yourself'?
11. Would those closest to you commend or condemn your life as a Believer in Christ?

Memory Verse: Hebrews 13:5:

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you."

Again, please visit Women of the Word for the complete study! I don't even begin to do it justice!
I'll be back with answers to the questions here later on! Have a blessed week!

I hate being an adult sometimes

2008-08-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

and the main time I do is when I have to go to a funeral. I don't understand the whys. I don't get it. I don't know understand the WHY of a 44 year old dying on his kitchen floor, nor the WHY of why when the rescue squad responded, they didn't enter the house with a stretcher, aspirin, nitroglycerin, nothing. I can't begin to grasp the lost of a husband, or of a father, or even of a stepfather. I don't know how to help other than to hug them and love them and pray for them.

I'm talking about the sudden death by heart attack of a coworker's husband. Tammie's daughter Nicole got home and found him on the floor and called her grandmother and called 911. They did everything that they possibly could for him, but he did not make it. I hadn't thought about this until Tammie's sister mentioned it to me today....the thought that he was laying there, knowing what was happening to him, and not being able to stop it. It breaks my heart.

Their daughter Emily just entered fourth grade. She has had anxiety issues for years....clowns, firefighters, loud noises. She was so excited week before last because they were going to stay in a cabin in Pigeon Forge and go to Dollywood. She commented that she'd never been there before because she'd always been scared to go. And now.....she just lost her daddy.

Emily was holding together pretty well. She was not in the chapel, but was in the foyer sitting. When I left, one of her friends was there with her. Nicole hugged me and started sobbing, and then told me how worried she was about Emily. Tammie is still in shock, but said she is ready to come back to school because she doesn't want to sit at the house anymore. My heart just breaks for them.

And then this makes me think about my own parents' mortality, and how much I am NOT ready to lose my Daddy. And I'm 35! To lose him unexpectedly at 10....I can't even begin to imagine. I can't fathom it, and I am so, so sorry that she has to deal with this. I worry about Nicole having been there trying to help him as he died.

I just don't know. I hurt for them. And I just don't know what else to say.

I AM study: Lesson 10: Keeping it in the Family

2008-08-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever experienced trials that were best dealt with "in the family" for either your reputation's sake or God's? You may still choose to leave them there, but you are welcome to share if you are comfortable.
Yes, and no. As a pastor's child, even if things were dealt with privately, sometimes others had to know about them. As an adult, I have had people ask me if decisions I made negatively affected my father's ministry. If they did, I never knew about it. I'm sure somebody somewhere didn't like the way we dealt with things, but at the time, I think those people who knew us well knew that God's hand was very actively healing our family from hurts and was preparing us for LIVING.

2. Have you ever found yourself in a bizarre circumstance and later were able to walk someone through the same/similar situation? Did you recognize the hand of God in it?
Oh, yes! And I truly believe that this is one reason why I am here on this Earth today, to share my testimony with others and hold them up when they don't feel like walking on their own!

3. I was in my late twenties before I ever let myself believe God was for me instead of waiting to smack me upside the head every time I made a mistake. Do you truly believe God is on your side?
Yes. God is definitely on my side! Even through the roughest times I have had, I knew that God was hurting with me, not causing the hurt. He is SO good to me!

4. If God has ever had you in the Holy Spirit Chokehold (and who hasn't He?), how have you reacted to God's chastisement? Were you bitter? Brokenhearted? Grateful?
Oh, definitely grateful. I am so grateful that He cares enough about me to reach out and grab me!

5. Write a brief prayer of Thanksgiving for God's longsuffering.
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for your unconditional love. I know that my hard headedness must get frustrating at times, but I know that you love me anyway. Thank you for blessing me over and over, even when I don't acknowledge your many blessings as I should! I love you, Father!

Study answers

2008-08-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

PASSAGE QUESTIONS

1. What did the prophet reveal to King Rehoboam and how did the people respond? He revealed that the people had not been faithful to God’s word, so now he was going to abandon them to Shishak.
2. What did the LORD’s discipline consist of? He did not destroy them because they were repentant; he did make them Shishak’s subjects.
3. What was the extremely important Kingdom lesson that ADONAI wanted to impart to the people of Israel (vs. 8)? He wanted them to learn the difference between serving Him and serving human kings.
4. Take note that bondage is not total destruction; rather, it is the rod that God uses to help us identify that we are on the wrong path!
5. What Scriptures relating to being humble and obedient come to your mind? Hmmmm, none right away!

PERSONAL EXAMINATION

1. Do you feel inwardly that you suffer from a restless and wandering spirit? At times. Right now, no, but I have felt that way in times past.
2. Do you find yourself mostly living in a state of discontentment often looking for the ‘next thing’ to bring you joy and fulfillment? Identify these things by journaling them. I do look forward to things, but I think that I do live in the present pretty well, too!
3. Does joy and fulfillment presently pervade your spirit? Yes, other than with this stinkin’ rash!
4. Are many of your relationships troubled? No, I do not have very many troubled relationships.
5. Does jealousy over another's accomplishments or possessions rule your spirit? There are moments, but not regularly!
6. Are you frequently late and unprepared for each day? Umm, sometimes late, but usually pretty well prepared!
7. Is your home out of order? Unfortunately, yes!
8. Ask our Heavenly Father to help you identify what is acceptable and what is not in your life. He will not only help you identify these areas, but He will give you a conquering faith (1 John 5:3-5) that you may HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!

1 John 5:3-5
“The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome. Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.”

9. What are some ways the LORD might be calling you to actively sow good seed for a future and bountiful harvest (2 Corinthians 9:10)? “This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. “
I think God is calling Chris and me to continue to work with the children's programming in the church.

Want to join in on a study?

2008-08-04T07:50:00.001-07:00

I'm doing a study at a blog called Women of the World on The Way of Cain.

We read Ezekiel 16:49 in several different Bible translations. How revealing to know that Sodom's chief sin was one of PRIDE. And what does pride mean, other than God, my plans are better than yours? And this was a result of making poor choices.

Looking back at Genesis 4:7, God rebukes Cain for, as The Message calls it, pouting. Hmmmm, I've not ever done THAT, have I?! LOL This is the first mention of sin in the Bible, which I find interesting. Sin wasn't mentioned in the Garden of Eden, where we often think about Eve being the first to sin.

"The writer then goes on to talk about how it is not only enough to KNOW the Word of God, but it must be SOWN as well. We talked about this in Sunday School yesterday, about how just saying that we are believers in Christ is not the be all, end all. We must then go forward and share His word with others!

Next Biblical reference that spoke to me: Proverbs 4:25-27.

Discipline is not easy, but it is the way that will lead to the life God desires for us. See Hebrews 12:4-11. Oh my....that means that I'm gonna have to discipline myself to put God first....and that may mean--gasp--getting up earlier to read my Bible! EEK! Pray for me, readers!

Here's another one that I need to hear: Micah 6:8:

"But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously--take God seriously."

Now for this week's assignment! We need to surf through the Proverbs and take note of Scriptures dealing with Pride, Humility, and the need for discipline and preparation.

We also need to read 2 Chronicles 12.

Here are this week's questions. I'm not going to answer them just yet, but I am putting them here so I can reflect upon them.

PASSAGE QUESTIONS

1. What did the prophet reveal to King Rehoboam and how did the people respond?
2. What did the LORD’s discipline consist of?
3. What was the extremely important Kingdom lesson that ADONAI wanted to impart to the people of Israel (vs. 8)?
4. Take note that bondage is not total destruction; rather, it is the rod that God uses to help us identify that we are on the wrong path!
5. What Scriptures relating to being humble and obedient come to your mind?

PERSONAL EXAMINATION

1. Do you feel inwardly that you suffer from a restless and wandering spirit?
2. Do you find yourself mostly living in a state of discontentment often looking for the ‘next thing’ to bring you joy and fulfillment? Identify these things by journaling them.
3. Does joy and fulfillment presently pervade your spirit?
4. Are many of your relationships troubled?
5. Does jealousy over another's accomplishments or possessions rule your spirit?
6. Are you frequently late and unprepared for each day?
7. Is your home out of order?
8. Ask our Heavenly Father to help you identify what is acceptable and what is not in your life. He will not only help you identify these areas, but He will give you a conquering faith (1 John 5:3-5) that you may HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!
9. What are some ways the LORD might be calling you to actively sow good seed for a future and bountiful harvest (2 Corinthians 9:10)?

ADDITIONAL TRUTHS FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOVE

1. Discipline apart from lovingkindness is legalism (unpleasant).
2. Lovingkindness apart from discipline is laziness (unproductive).
3. Kingdom Life (the Spirit-filled and Spirit-led life) is meant to be both pleasurable (Psalm 16:11) and productive!
4. Notice that to even be able to enjoy the good that results from our work is THE GIFT OF GOD. - Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:12-13,22
5. NOT WALKING in the very pre-ordained purposes for our everyday will lead to a restless/wandering spirit as Cain had - never quite finding what his spirit yearned for, REST (Matthew 11:28-30).
6. WEEK 1 FOCAL PASSAGE: 2 Chronicles 12 - Rehoboam was not completely destroyed due to his pride. But after the people humbled themselves at the prophet Sh'ma'yah's warning, the LORD gave them over to slavery (He granted them a measure of deliverance - verse 8) SO THAT THEY WOULD COME TO APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SERVING HIM and serving earthly kingdoms! His discipline is meant to teach us something. (Hebrews 12:11). Are we receiving His discipline as one who trusts Him fully? (Proverbs 1:23)
7. The land of Nod (wandering) is where we as Christians often walk, not fulfilling the very purposes and receiving the freedom God has ordained for us (see Genesis 4:9-16).
8. We begin to walk in freedom only as we PREPARE our hearts to seek Him with our whole hearts each day. While that may sound so simple, King Rehoboam fell into the spirit and Way of Cain because he did not PREPARE his heart to seek the LORD. (Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 16:1).
9. Cain had nothing good and acceptable to give to the LORD because he had not prepared his field and tended the land God had given him. Have you ever seen an unkempt field - thorny, bug infested and growth-stunted?
10. Though the LORD spoke a liberating word over him (Genesis 4:7), thus giving him another chance at success, Cain did not respond to that discipline. His jealousy over his brother's success drove him to murder.

And last but not least, this week's memory verse!

The discerning person focuses on wisdom there before him, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. ~ Proverbs 17:24

I'll be back later in the week to answer and comment more! If you'd like to join me, please visit the above blog since I haven't included everything here!

OK, here's the situation....

2008-07-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

my parents went away for a weeks' vacation

LOL Remember that Fresh Prince song?!

Now, for real....I may have mentioned somewhere on the internet that I have shingles. If you missed my whining about it, look around, I'm sure you'll find some! I am not in pain, which is fantastic. What is not fantastic is A) that the shingles are on my rear and B)they itch like no other. I mean, all. the. time. The only real relief I get is by keeping the rash iced and therefore numb.

So there has been some feeling sorry for myself happening in this body o' mine over the past 10 or so days. And then I found this today when catching up on emails I hadn't been able to get to while out of town.

"Blessed is the man who preserves under trial, because when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him." --James 1:12

Praise be to You, God. I am blessed in so many ways and I want to
stay focused on that. Forgive me for feeling sorry for myself and
forgetting that joy in You is a real source of strength. I want to
sing your praises at all times!

No matter what you do - there will always be someone who has more
money or a better lifestyle than you. At the same time, there will
always be someone who doesn't have the blessings you do. Find joy
in God's love and remember to count your blessings.

God IS good. ALL THE TIME. Keep reminding me Lord!! Keep at me!!

Internet Cafe Devotion--Rain Down

2008-07-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

Please go read the devotion here! It is an awesome story of how so much more can be in store for us than WE have planned, because God has the ULTIMATE plan!

Reflection questions:
Storms in life are inevitable. What storms are you in the middle of today?

Ahh, what an appropriate day to ask! I have had a rash for a few days, and since we are leaving town tomorrow, thought it might be a good idea to get it checked out. Turns out it is SHINGLES! It is not hurting as much as it is itching like the blue blazes! Itching to the point of bringing tears of frustration. I SO thought that after I took this GRE today, things were going to be easier for a week or two, then this was thrown in there. So yeah, I've pouted and felt sorry for myself, and then I got back up and hit the Bible to try to get myself back on track.

Are you at peace that God's perfect plan is at work in the middle of these storm?
Yes, I'm sure it is. It is just one more reminder to slow down, relax, and let Him have control. There is nothing I can do about this, just like much in life, so I might as well enjoy the scenery, so to speak!

How can we "prepare" our heart for those unexpected "pop~up" showers?
By doing exactly what I'm doing now...spending time with Him in His word. The more time I spend with Him, the less upsetting and out of control these experiences will be.

I know this storm is minor compared to many. However, it is situations like this that often get us worked into a tizzy. I thank the Lord that He gently reminded me to take refuge in Him instead of taking pity on myself! He is so good!

I Am study: I AM Your Fame

2008-07-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

The title of this chapter reminds me of one of my favorite Chris Tomlin songs, "Famous One". And that reminds me of the t-shirt that he sold on tour several years ago that had a star covered with the words "I am not famous". That has definitely been a conversation starter!

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself on how often your conversation is seasoned with the works of the Lord on your behalf? If you speak very little of Him, is there a reason you know of? If you speak often, how do people respond?
I'd say that I'm around a 6. It depends on where I am. Like right now, I'm not out and about as much, so other than with my kids, I don't have the opportunity to discuss Him as often. When I'm working, He comes up much more often. There are only a few people that I have ever discussed Him with that reacted negatively, one of them being a janitor at work. I'm still praying for him and working on him, as are many others on our faculty.

2. Have you experienced a Set Up for a Show Up when you were uncertain whether the situation was the chastisement of the Lord or a temptation of Satan?
Maybe....God definitely was shown to be the stronger in the situation, but I'm still not sure if I was not tempted by Satan. My intuition told me NOT to get into the situation, and I didn't listen. Hence the maybe!

3. Have you ever or are you now experiencing any Job trials where you can still not identify any wrong-doing on your part?
No, thanks be to God! And I pray that I do not have to go through any!

4. Apply this principle: How can my response make my God famous? Will obedience result in my sanctification and God's Glory?
Right now, it can be that I am following God's lead on going back to school. There are quite a few times that I have felt almost sick with apprehension, but I am certain of God's hand in how I came to have this opportunity. It is not going to be easy at all but with His help, I can do it!

5. Does the origin of our affliction matter in view of the fame God can gain from it? No, I don't think so. God can gain fame from ANY situation if we choose to give Him the glory!

Draw Me Close

2008-07-13T06:45:00.002-07:00

I'm very saddened by the loss of a 17 year old boy who I watched go through the school where I teach. This song is one of my favorites and helps me focus on the Lord!

Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I'm your friend
You are my desire No one else will do
Cause nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Help me find the way
Bring me back to you

You’re all I want
You’re all I've ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know you are near

Let me tell you about another of my favorites!

2008-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Melissa at Mel's World offers a devotion each Sunday, but right now, she is leading a mini-study called "Soak Up the Psalms". She's highlighted specific Psalms that bring her comfort, help her give praise, and pretty much are her favorites!

If you have a moment, go check her out, and tell her that Christi sent ya!

Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman

2008-07-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

This is another Bible study that I found here!

What does chayil actually mean? It is more than simply virtuous, according to this study. This word also means capable and intelligent (Amplified Bible) while Strong's Hebrew Dictionary says that this word would describe someone who possesses a certain strength, might, and power.

I don't know about you, but I would love to be described with these terms!

And as I read on, boy does it hit home! As a Proverbs 31 woman, I need to be one who spends time with the Lord getting ready for the daily tasks that I am given, just like Mary, sister of Martha, at the feet of Jesus. I'm doing fantastically with this during the summer when I have lots of time at my disposal, but when I'm working and we're running every night?? I'll readily admit that my time with the Lord falls by the wayside.

This statement sums it up well:

Sometimes, it is easy to be so busy running around doing things for God, that you forget all He really wants is your heart.

God wants our hearts, not just our time spent doing. He needs us to spend time with him UNDISTRACTED. Oooh, that is a hard one for me!! When I spend time with the Lord without being distracted by other things, He can give me all I need to do my daily tasks. But if I don't give Him my undivided attention, is all of His message going to get through? Certainly not!

Discussion questions:
1. Does understanding the true meaning of "chayil" change the way that you see God's plan for you as a woman?
Not so much my plan but definitely my worth as a wife and mother. Our society is SO bad to make us think we can do it all...be great at work, a fantastic wife, and a doting mother. But that is not easy to do! I can do well at being a wife and mother when I don't have my job to distract me, but we gotta pay the bills, don't we?! Here is the thing that is so true but so easy to forget: when I let go of my time with God, I'm entering my day without a safety net. Without a map. Without that calm reassurance that He is with me. Why, oh why, are we so willing to drop this to the side and not see IT as the most important part of the day?!

Ok, I'm off on a tangent here!

2. Do you ever fall into the trap of striving for the world's idea of a Strong Woman? Why or why not? If so, how can you safeguard yourself from doing this?
Hee hee, I got ahead of myself didn't I? Yes, I do! See #1!

3. Do you feel that the example God gives you in Proverb 31 is attainable? Why or why not?
Yes and no...I'm not ever gonna be the most domestic thing ever, but you know what? Chris and God both love me for who I am. I don't need to try to be someone I'm not. I need to do my best at what I am, for God created this in ME!

4. What are a few ways that you personally could make more time to be like Mary and sit at Jesus' feet?
I need to take some of the time I spend doing 'me' things...surfing the net, watching tv, and spend it with the Lord--and truly, this will benefit me so much more! It may mean that I have to get up a little earlier or give up a few things that I like to do, but I need to do it! If my priorities are straight and I give God the time He deserves, it will make the rest of the pieces of the puzzle fit so much better!

I AM study lesson 8: Instrument of Wonders

2008-07-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

Time for lesson 8! I so love this study, and God has worked it out that I have also been reading Christian fiction about the people who were instrumental in Moses' life lately. I first read about Aaron in The Priest, a novella written by Francine Rivers. Then I read Miriam's Healing: Footprints from the Bible by Cynthia Davis. Now I'm getting ready to read Zipporah, Wife of Moses by Marek Halter.

I LOVE reading Biblical based fiction because it makes the stories so much more real to me. For naysayers who think it some sort of sacrilege to read these (as my grandmother did), here are my thoughts: could God not have ordained these persons to write these books just as he ordained people to write the books that are included in the Bible? Sure, they may not be 100% true, but I am sure that these authors did plenty of research into this, and also prayed without ceasing while they wrote each word.

OK. Off my soapbox. Can you tell I've had to debate this subject before?!

Back to the study!

This scripture really struck me as I was reading today's lesson: Hebrews 12: 12-13:
So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! (Message translation)

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to 'go back' to a place of shame or ridicule? How did that make you feel?

Two thoughts come to mind when I read this. First, the rough situation at a church where I worked that I have referred to several times during this study. I did not HAVE to go back to the place, but I chose to. Since I knew that I had not done the things of which they had accused me, I felt that I needed to go back there with my head held high. If people wanted to talk, so be it. That was between them and God. I was not going to live my life in fear of entering that church again. Was it hard? Sure! The first two times were VERY hard and I cried. The second time was probably more painful than the first since I had also then split up from a guy who attended church there and that I thought I would marry. So I had a double-edged sword that time. BUT I also had the support of my college roomie, who drove an hour there to make sure I was NOT alone. (I wasn't alone anyway, I was with my entire choir! But you know what I mean.) Just cause that is the kind of friend she is. I've been back several times since then, and though it still hurts a part of me each time I do it, I can do it much easier now. And truly, the people who know me, who REALLY know who I am on the inside, know that I have nothing of which I am ashamed. I made some bad decisions, yes, but I was young. And though they did make life harder, those decisions have helped shape me into who I am today.

The other thought is where I have chosen not once, but TWICE, to eat crow and admit I was wrong when caught gossiping about someone. My tongue can be my worst enemy, gals! I have a hard time reigning it in at times! And both times I could have easily and indignantly denied it or treated the other person as though they were wrong. It was not easy to admit that yes, I had spoken out of turn and that I was wrong. The second time was particularly hard because I had to face the person at church. It was REALLY hard for quite some time. I would feel guilty each time I saw her, and she would barely speak to me. Thankfully, God has worked with His grace through this situation, and has remedied it. I am sure it would have taken longer and been more painful had I not admitted my wrongdoing. And I pray that I keep my tongue in control and do not repeat the experience!

2. Is there any circumstance in your life that still has you running for cover? Share if you feel comfortable.
I can honestly say that there isn't. Up until about 4 years ago, I had one friendship that had ended badly where I no longer communicated with the person. We have since reconciled. It is not back to where it was and since we live hours apart, it may never be. But I know in my heart that I have given the relationship every chance I could, and that is all I wanted.

3. When is the last time you felt like an overcomer?
Um about 3 seconds ago when I answered that last question! LOL No, really, I can say of myself (and you ladies know I'm saying this honestly and not to brag!) that I have an overcoming spirit. I have overcome some seriously hard obstacles. I do not deserve the credit though. It is the Lord's doing, every bit of it. I could not and would not be here today had it not been for His love and grace. And that is something that a day barely passes without me thinking.

4. If you have not yet taken the serpent by the tail, are you willing to stop running, take hold and trust God to transform it into a tool for wonders?
I'm tryin' my best! My latest challenge is following through with the schooling opportunity that God has given me. I am dragging my feet a bit with it, but God keeps on me about it!

5. I would like for you to write down this statement based on 1 John 2:14 somewhere you will see it often this week: "I am strong, the Word of God abides in me, and I have overcome the evil one." Memorize it. Say it over and over until you believe it. Will you do this?? Most of the time, there are no right or wrong answers, but on this one, I'm expecting a 'yes'!
LOL YES, I'll do this, Lisa!

Women's Bible Study: Discover Your True Purpose in God

2008-06-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

I found this study here!

Here are some things that struck me while reading:

When you slow down, it allows God to use His Word to show you who you were really created to be. Not only as a woman, but as His woman.

Lesson One: The Creation of Woman: Why Did God Bother?

It is amazing to think that, in the entire story of creation, this is the only time that God says "It is not good."

(Genesis 2:18)

1. How does it feel to know that you were God's answer to His problem?
I had never looked at it in such a light! It DOES feel good to think that we women were created to solve a problem! And funnily enough to me, it was a problem that MAN couldn't solve alone!

2. Are there times in your life when you have felt like being a woman was more of a problem than an answer? Why or why not?
Yes, there have been times. Sometimes it feels as though my husband could run this household just as efficiently without me.

Lesson 2: The Helpmeet Dilemma

I am not sure if you can relate, but in the past, whenever I have heard the words help meet, I always felt so secondary.

Like God’s afterthought.

"Is that all I am," I wondered, "Someone's help meet? And what in the world is a help meet anyways?"

But, to an all knowing God, there is no such thing as an afterthought.

God has called you so much more than just a helper. Just like Eve, God created you because there was a serious problem. And, He uniquely designed you to fix it.

1. Has the term 'help meet" ever bothered you? Why or why not?
Not really. I like the idea of helping, so it wasn't ever something derogatory in my mind.

2. What changes about the way you see yourself when you meditate on the idea of being an ezer?
I really like that...that we women were needed to help in a time of great danger!

3. God has made each of us for a very specific reason. Have you given any thought to your God ordained destiny?
Yes, I sure have! I really feel as though I was called to be a teacher, so I am doing what God ordained me to do!

4. Did you read something in the Creation of Woman Bible Study Lessons that touched you? Write it down and reflect on it throughout the course.
I really like thinking that God created us not as an afterthought but as something to be a great help to man. I like that he saw that we would be the solution to the problem!

'I AM' study: Who am I?

2008-06-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

1. How would you answer the questions, "Who Am I?"
Hmmm, I would answer probably with who I am related to more than what this body and soul contains. I'd answer Bob's daughter, Brenda and Suzy's sister, Chris's wife, Paul Darnis's daughter in law, Isaac and/or Adam's mom....I guess by saying that, I base my worth quite a bit by my relationships. Who am I? I'm a wife, a mom, a teacher, a Christian, someone who is loyal and loves deeply, I'm a reader, a writer, a dancer, a singer....

2. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt inadequate because of your lack of a 'tagline'?
Sure! I feel that way quite a bit. I can't think of a specific time right off hand, but yes...I totally get that!!

3. Do you have skills or position that you believe God could use mightily if only He would?
Yes, I think so. I have organizational and leadership skills, and I most certainly have the ability to teach children to read. I can relate well to children and youth. I can sing, and I have been told that I have skills at leading studies.

4. Have you ever lost a position or station in life you believe could have 'helped God out' with something He has asked you to do? If you haven't lost out, do you perhaps feel you have to gain this in order to be useful to the Kingdom?
Oh certainly! And though it was difficult at the time, it has helped me become who I am today. If I had continued down the path I was going, I do not think I would have been heading into the vocation that God really called me to be in!

5. How are you with your dialogue vs. doubt conversations with God? Which does God hear most from you?
More doubt than He should! The time that comes to mind is when God was telling me that I needed to step back from working with our church youth. I fought him on it. I argued that my sister and fellow youth leader, needed me! I argued about no one being there to step up and help. But when I finally did it, I felt such peace! And I know it was God's will. It was not easy, but it was the right thing to do.

6. Do you believe God's Wonders become more wonderful if they originate in the ordinary? Any Scripture references come to mind?
Oh, yes! Seeing the wonder in things that we see and overlook each day is like turning on a lightbulb, or seeing things in color for the first time! I can't think of any scripture reference right off hand, but if I do, I'll add it later!

Girlfriends in God

2008-06-28T15:13:00.001-07:00

Yep, 2 in one day! This is to powerful not to share! Please go read here, cause friends, it is powerful and SO, SO true!!

Here are just some snippets that really struck me as true:

Many of us feel worthless. Why? We’ve felt ignored, invisible, insignificant, useless, undesired, ugly, unloved, or forgotten. We girls are emotional, broken in many ways. Great portions of our identity and of our personal value are wrapped into combustible packages of emotion…how we feel about this or that. The truth is, our worth has nothing to do with our feelings.

What I do know is this: because of Jesus Christ, I’m a woman of highest worth. Not because of anything else.

Hear this, friend: feelings of worthlessness are from Satan himself. It burns me up that the enemy has such a strong grip on God’s daughters in this area. We need to associate the word worthless with the word lie. That’s exactly what it is, a big, fat lie!

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

You are precious and highly valuable in the eyes of the One who sees. And you never, never, never have to worry about being on anyone's bargain rack again.

Are you held captive by feelings of worthlessness? Spend a few moments in prayer and ask God to reveal truth to your heart about how He sees you.

Praise the Lord, I am not currently!! The times that I feel worthless are when I am struggling with depression. Thankfully, that is not the case currently!

Print or write out this verse: “I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16, NASB). Set it to memory and allow it to serve as a reminder that you are precious to God.

HomeWord Devotional

2008-06-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

The devotional is posted here if you wish to read!

1. Think about your day yesterday. What can you give God thanks for?

Oh, lots of things! I can give God thanks for a beautiful day and a tad bit of rain. For the swimming party we had to end up a great week of Vacation Bible School. For a nap and for leftover vegetable beef soup. For not having to show everyone myself in my bathing suit, in other words, for Chris getting into the pool with Adam instead of me! For Chris finding his wallet. For not losing our bathing suits when they fell out of our bags. For the fact that even though we DID leave bathing suits in the hotel in Alabama, it was only bathing suits that can be replaced. For a good nights' sleep. For friends who I often don't get time to chat with, and good conversation.

2. What situations or tasks will you face in your life today? Pray and ask God for help in these things.
Honestly, the day is mostly over, and it has been a good one. For the rest of the day, I will face bath time and lots of laundry I need to do, and picking up the house. I need to also find something for children's church--but I just had an inspiration of how to extend what we've discussed at VBS!

Further reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:18; James 1:17

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (The Message)
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

James 1:16-18 (The Message)
So, my dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes from Heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

CWO's Internet Cafe is hosting an awesome giveaway!

2008-06-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

All this pictured above is put together to enhance your quiet time with the Lord! And who doesn't need this? I really would like to have this, but I'll be glad for it to go to anyone who puts it to good use!

I'll tell ya, I didn't get my 'quiet time' with the Lord in while on the cruise. And I really missed it! So I'm trying to get back on track now. Join me in my attempt to spend more time with God this summer!

Here is the giveaway! Go check it out!

I AM so you don't have to be--Lesson Six

2008-06-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

1. How current is your God? Is he up to date on all your issues or do you have old hurts you still hold behind your back?

God is up to date on my issues. There are some things that I still can't say out loud, but He understands my groanings even when I cannot verbalize the fears and concerns that are on my heart.

2. Has the enemy ever told you there are situations that are 'old news' that are better left stuffed down? Or perhaps because they were so long ago they can't possibly be affecting you now?

Yes, there have been times that I have listened to him when he tried to tell me that it was NOT my depression cropping back up, or when my self esteem issues came back to haunt me, especially in the middle of the night. The enemy will use my insomniac tendencies to root in and bother me, so I am thankful that I now have a perscription to take to combat this!

3. In the matter of established authority, does God truly reign in your life? Where are you when He calls your name?
YES, He does reign in my life! There have been times though, that I wasn't ready to answer Him when He called, or tried to give Him reasons that I couldn't do what He was asking. Sometimes His call to just TRUST was hard to do, but when I did, I was so glad that I did!!

4. Do you ever feel God has forgotten you in your 'west side of the wilderness'?
There are two times in particular that come to mind. I mentioned in our last lesson that I had a hard time over hurts related to a job in a church. That was a very lonely time when I felt very much as though I was left alone in the west side of the wilderness. Another time was when I was struggling to decide whether or not to step down as a youth worker in our church. I was feeling as though I was doing the job alone, and didn't see a way out of the situation. But when I trusted God and was still and quiet enough to hear Him, His message was clear and rung true!

5. Have you ever experienced a time of cleansing where God has illuminated and rejuvenated you? If not, do you find you are in need of this now?
Yes, I have had experiences like that! Most recently, I was rejuvenated when I went to a spiritual enrichment experience with my mom after a difficult week at school. God spoke to me in many ways!

I AM So You Don't Have to Be--Lesson Five

2008-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

1. Have you ever found yourself 'in faith' yet bewildered or demoralized?
Oh yes! There was a time when I had worked as a summer youth intern at a church where Dad served when I was a child. I made some not-so-wise decisions that summer. But I was also very hurt when some people who I thought knew me made assumptions about me and my morality. It hurt tremendously, and was a contributing factor to a depressive episode. I tried to resolve within myself the pain that I was feeling, but in the end, simply clinging to the Lord was the only thing to get me through!

2. Do you consider yourself content? Would you describe it as Decidedly Content or Dreamily Content?
Yes, I consider myself content. I think I lean toward dreamily content, but with a touch of decidedly content thrown in. The decidedly content part is how I feel in relation to my health--I will be content with the body God has given me, and will do my best to BE more healthy, but not let frustrations with my body bring me down!

3. If you are not content, are there circumstances that keep you from this feeling?
I think I covered that! ;)

4. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you looked back on a period of your Christian walk and believed a great opportunity passed you by?
No, I can honestly say I haven't. I'm sure that there are people that I could have influenced better or more, but I think that the circumstances that I have come through have led me to become a better follower of Christ today.

5. Do you ever believe your faith was stronger in an earlier time in your Christianity and find yourself floundering now?
I think my faith is being challenged in a different way now than ever before, but I do not believe it has ever been stronger. Could I spend more time in study and prayer? Sure! And I'm working on that. But my faith, and the knowledge of God's presence in my life, is sure and true.

6. Can you recognize that this season may be one of great preparation instead of a period of "I Was"? Looking back on the situation to which I refer in #1--yes, I can see that now. And though I hate the way that things 'went down' then, I know that if I had been walking closer with God at the time, circumstances would have been much different. Yes, the experience has made me stronger and showed me how I need to be focused on pleasing HIM instead of other men/women.

Please visit my friend Lisa's site to get started on your own journey through this study!

Music

2008-05-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

I had a very unique experience yesterday. I got to be part of a choir, for just a moment, made up of singers who had attended Emory & Henry and had been part of the Concert Choir sometime within the past 50 years. There were more than 200 voices strong. I was brought to tears several times as I listened to them from the congregation. I did not sing for the entire service because I decided not to go up for the entire weekend of rehearsals for several reasons. However, I did sneak up and join in for the Lutkin Benediction and 7 Fold Amen.

It was also a special experience because it may be one of the last, if not the last time that I will see "Doc", our former director. He is suffering from a form of dementia, and I could see the effects of it in him. That broke my heart, in itself. I watched him direct and tried to memorize it--his expressions, his motions, how his emotion would show in his entire being. I have discussed, and even heard a sermon about why this man and this choir means so much to those who have been in its ranks.
It isn't easy to describe to someone who hasn't 'been there'. I guess it must be something akin to playing on a championship team with a superior coach (not that I have any point of reference there, folks!). But maybe that is what it feels like. It is a kinship and a team related feeling to work together to bring forth the best sound possible. And what makes it even better is that you are doing so for the glory of the Lord.

Yes, Doc is just a human being. But when he is directing, he is also an instrumentalist, and we were his instrument. He tried so hard to finely tune us to raise our voices On High. I don't know how else to describe it. I tried to describe my experience in Austria with the choir in this post--maybe it'll make more sense!

And then, in addition, to have the emotions that come with going 'home' to Emory, a place where I lived for 4 years and did a great amount of living, loving, and growing up.....I was simply overwhelmed. God was certainly in the chapel, and I'm pretty certain that He was pleased!

It was also very good and comforting to me to be in a honest-to-goodness UNITED METHODIST service. I won't go into a diatribe on that, I'll just say that I don't get to experience the ritual that I have grown up with and love so much each Sunday as I'd like. This, too, added to the rush of emotions I was feeling.

I don't know....maybe this isn't making any sense to anyone but me, but I wanted to get it down and be able to remember what I felt yesterday. I also wanted to add some
hymns and scripture that was in the service. If you don't wanna read all that, feel free to skip, but please do leave me a comment! (hint, hint!)

When in Our Music God is Glorified

Psalm 98:4-9 (Message)
Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!

Round up and orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.

Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to King God.

Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,
With everything living on Earth joining in.

Let ocean breakers call out "Encore!"
And mountains harmonize the finale--

A tribute to God when He comes,
When He comes to set the earth right.

He'll straighten out the whole world,
He'll put the world right, and everyone in it.

Colossians 3:12-17

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ--the Message--have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

I don't know what to call this!

2008-05-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday morning. My hubby and I had a discussion that upset me, not because of what he said but because it is true and there is no way for me to fix it. It is just something that has happened and we're just going to have to deal with it the best we can. It's financial....so that is stressful of course. I know that we will make it, though it is going to be tight for a while longer. It doesn't help that gas and grocery prices have gone through the roof, of course. But God has taken care of us in the past and He will continue to. I will lick my wounds and get over it. But it hurts right now.

Anyway, I decided that while the boys are playing with the neighbors and hubby is off helping his brother with something, I'd do a Bible study. I KNOW that I'll feel better if I will spend more time in His word. I do feel better, doing this and sitting outside. Here in a few, I'm going to hang clothes on the line...that'll save a penny or two!

Here is some scripture I found that makes a TON of sense to me, given how I've been feeling with how certain aspects of my life are going right now. I feel very out of control. The things that I feel that way about ARE out of my personal control, but God IS in control!

James 1: 5-8: "If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get His help, and won't be condescended when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought." (The Message Translation)

and this! 1 Samuel 17:37: "God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine."

God will deliver me from this time of frustration and uncertainty!!

and what about this?? Isaiah 41:10: "Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear, for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

Who wouldn't feel more secure reading this??

One more...I Peter 5:6-7:"So be content with WHO YOU ARE, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; He'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you."

I feel better now, how about you?

I know you have a plan!

2008-04-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

I am trying so hard to not get bogged down in letting the worries of this world overwhelming me. I know that You have greater plans for me than I can even fathom. I need to work on being a good steward with what we been blessed, and keep moving in a positive direction. I have all my physical needs met, and my family is healthy. That is much more than many can say. I have a job that I love and friends that mean the world to me. I am blessed in so many ways. I am trying to uplift my husband and follow the words of Your servants. Please continue to guide me, and remind me to trust You. I know that if I continue to seek your guidance, I cannot go wrong! Thank you so much for all You do Lord, and for saving me, and for loving me unconditionally!

I love you, Lord! Amen.

Are we headed to a commitment?

2008-04-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Isaac is my 7 year old. Our church does not have programs on Wednesday evenings for kids, so when he was invited to Royal Ambassadors at a neighboring church, that was great! He absolutely loves it! He gets really upset if he has to miss it, and it isn't that he wants to be there with his friends, cause he isn't really good buddies with anyone that is there each week. He told me last week that one of the adults there had asked him about having been baptised, so I knew that they were discussing such subjects.

He was in the car with me the other night when L. called and told me that her mother had made a commitment to Christ, and he heard how excited I was! He asked me if he would have to do that someday, and I told him no, that he didn't HAVE to, but I prayed that he would decide to. So this is something that has been on his mind to ask more questions.

So tonight, a couple and their children from the church where he attends R.A.s stopped by. They said that they heard that he had recently been saved, and I was kind of surprised by that! So they backed up and said that maybe it wasn't that he had made a commitment but that he was asking questions about it and wanting to know more about it.

We talked on the front porch for a while. I was probably not a nice hostess, and now I'm embarassed cause I didn't have them come in! But honestly, I am used to GOING on the visits with my dad (a retired United Methodist minister) not being the one visited! I don't really know what the protocol is! Oh, well, at least I teach with C. so I can explain it to her!

So when we came inside I told Isaac that if he was wanting to talk about making a commitment to have Christ as his personal Savior, that his dad and I would be glad to answer any questions he had and talk to him about it. I asked him if he understood what that meant, and he said that he just wanted to learn more about it and about Jesus. So I think he's not quite ready to step forward with a commitment just yet, but he is definitely getting interested. I'm going to talk to my dad about what to say and such, so that I can know the right things to say!

Please pray for us as he starts to make these decisions!

We had our first night of D.U.C.K.S!

2008-02-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

and it went super well! D.U.C.K.S. stands for Disciples Under Christ the Kings Service, and is our newly formed group for children grades 3 through 5. We had a group for this age last year, but the lady who was leading it never meant to do it ALL the time, so she kind of backed out this year, and I can't say I blame her! Chris was really feeling convicted for he and I to lead it, and honestly, I resisted. Then one night I kept thinking about "THEY" need to do something about this, "THEY" need to do something about that, and I realized that *I* wasn't doing my part. So I stepped up and with Chris, answered the call to help out in our children's ministry in this area.

Chris has taken the lead in this, with me being his support, which is a nice change for us! We had 4 boys last night, and they all told their families that they had a good time, and they want more people to come. And I just felt so full of joy last night afterwards! I know it was because we had done what the Lord was leading us to do, and I just FELT His favor on me! It is an awesome feeling!! I can't wait to see what God is going to do with this group and am honored that He wants us to be involved!

We're not much to look at!

2008-02-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Chris gave me a new Bible today, a bright pink Message! I am SO stinkin' thrilled with it!!

So even though my eyelids are practically propped up with toothpicks, I HAD to have a small devotion, so I scurried over to The Upper Room to read today's devotion.

THIS is why I love, love, love this translation and am so excited that I have my very own and don't have to rely on Bible Gateway to read it!

Listen to this:

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power within us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at.

(2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

Isn't that just fabulous! I love the language! It is just like talking to your best friend, and isn't that how it should be reading our Best Friend's Word?!

And doesn't that just make you feel so much better about your bad hair days and your days when you just look plain 'ol frumpy?! We're not SUPPOSED to be beautiful, we are carrying His message, and we don't want to distract others from Him! If they look only to us, they might miss it! Well, praise the Lord, this TOO was part of His wonderful, perfect plan! I know I feel much better now about not always looking pulled together. That is fine, cause I'm not distracting that way.

Isn't that just the coolest thing in the world?!

I've moved!

2008-02-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

I did have this blog at wordpress because I won a custom blog header, but then I stopped hearing from the person, so I just decided to move it here. So here you will find my Bible study-related thoughts, etc. Enjoy!

Thank you, Lord!

2008-01-27T18:06:00.000-08:00

Oh Lord,

Thank you so much for answering this prayer. It has plagued me for over a year. It has bothered me, and bothered my family, and festered. The Devil has used this in so many ways to further his plans. I have such relief, Lord, and I lay before you prostrate in thanksgiving for giving me an answer. I am continuing to come to you, Lord, for guidance in how best to handle this. Thank you, Lord! Thank you so much! I give YOU all the praise and glory, and I truly want to use this to better your kingdom and to improve things that can be improved!