Life continues to give me lessons. It's a shame that I have to relearn them sometimes.
I used to get up before dawn and spend time with God...reading the Bible, thinking, praying, listening. It was quiet and uninterrupted time and truly helped me put God first...put God "before the Dawn".
I don't know what led me away from that time. I guess it was changes in life. I didn't need to wake before the children because I would never have a time alone if I didn't. I, in fact, felt like I needed the extra sleep since my job needed more energy now and my children seemed to keep me up later as they got older. And yet, there was no other time as focused as that morning time seemed to be.
As I sit here today at 11:00...right in the middle of breakfast cooking, movies playing, laundry chores.... I realize once again....you have to be prepared before the chaos starts. That's the key....I'll say it again....You have to be PREPARED before the chaos starts. You cannot become grounded once the ground starts moving. You cannot get a handle on the issues, when you are in the middle of the issues. I have trouble "seeing through" the activity, to find God, if I haven't put Him beside me before the activity starts.
I encourage you to prepare yourself as well. I ask for prayers that I may find the energy to renew that old habit of getting up before the dawn of a new day. I encourage you to study and learn and pray and build habits that will sustain you when the chaos of life hits. Build your foundation before the storms hit. Renew your energies each night and your focus each day!
Bad Hair Day
Here's one for my archives--dedicated to new parents or teachers
Discipline can be compared to the way you style your hair. Are you "in-control" or do you just want it to be manageable? Neither seems right or wrong until you have "a bad hair" day. A person who controls their hair with curlers, spritz, foam, hair dryer, hair straighteners and mousse can really be thrown when this side refuses to lie down. Think now of the manager who brushes their hair, only to find one side with a wave-so that is the hair's choice today--something to be dealt with-the manager then tries all the optionsl--the barett, the raid, the hairband, the panytail, etc.and finds the plan that will work for today--sometime by the way-both resort to the hat! But in the long run, or the short run, consider which one maintains their sanity over the small issues-the controller or the manager?
So the next time you have a "bad hair day" with the kids, consider how much "mousse" you "usse"! Do you manage the situation and try all the options or do you try to control the situation?
Taking management a bit further is the training aspect. Remember, the days of wearing wings in your hair and when you first got them cut you had to "train" them to go back, otherwise they hung straight down by your face! It's the same with kids in a new situation, they need good training in the beginning, but once they know what to do--just like the bangs or the wings=--they will (on most days) fall right into place on manageable days! But keep that bag of baretttes and hair bands ready...
Discipline can be compared to the way you style your hair. Are you "in-control" or do you just want it to be manageable? Neither seems right or wrong until you have "a bad hair" day. A person who controls their hair with curlers, spritz, foam, hair dryer, hair straighteners and mousse can really be thrown when this side refuses to lie down. Think now of the manager who brushes their hair, only to find one side with a wave-so that is the hair's choice today--something to be dealt with-the manager then tries all the optionsl--the barett, the raid, the hairband, the panytail, etc.and finds the plan that will work for today--sometime by the way-both resort to the hat! But in the long run, or the short run, consider which one maintains their sanity over the small issues-the controller or the manager?
So the next time you have a "bad hair day" with the kids, consider how much "mousse" you "usse"! Do you manage the situation and try all the options or do you try to control the situation?
Taking management a bit further is the training aspect. Remember, the days of wearing wings in your hair and when you first got them cut you had to "train" them to go back, otherwise they hung straight down by your face! It's the same with kids in a new situation, they need good training in the beginning, but once they know what to do--just like the bangs or the wings=--they will (on most days) fall right into place on manageable days! But keep that bag of baretttes and hair bands ready...
Visions of Peace Introduction
We know that negative feelings can separate us from others and God’s peace. When we react to these feelings we feel shame, regret, or sinful. These are more negative feelings. And thus begins a downward spiral.
Time to Vote
Just a note, since it's time to vote
Something to consider---
Rules and laws really only work for those with the same belief system.
Our country was founded by men with Christian beliefs. The laws work along-side Christian tenents. So, it's no wonder that we sometimes disagree and that we have different viewpoints about what should be law and what shouldn't.
Something to consider---
Rules and laws really only work for those with the same belief system.
Our country was founded by men with Christian beliefs. The laws work along-side Christian tenents. So, it's no wonder that we sometimes disagree and that we have different viewpoints about what should be law and what shouldn't.
Ezekial Helps
Confused by Ezekial? Here are some links and some extra information.
Who were the 12 Tribes of Israel? (excerpts from The Jewish Library website)
TRIBES, THE TWELVE,
the traditional division of Israel into 12 tribes: Reuben, Simeon (Levi),
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim, and
Manasseh. Biblical tradition holds that the 12 tribes of Israel are descended
from the sons and grandsons of Jacob (Gen. 29–30; 35:16–18; 48:5–6). The tribes
are collectively called Israel because of their origin in the patriarch
Jacob-Israel.
Modern scholarship does not generally accept the biblical
notion that the 12 tribes are simply divisions of a larger unit which developed
naturally from patriarchal roots. This simplistic scheme, it is felt, actually
stems from later genealogical speculations which attempted to explain the
history of the tribes in terms of familial relationships. The alliance of the
12 tribes is believed to have grown from the organization of independent
tribes, or groups of tribes, forced together for historical reasons.
The number 12 is neither fictitious nor the result of an actual
genealogical development in patriarchal history. It is an institutionalized and
conventionalized figure which is found among other tribes as well, such as the
sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13–16), the sons of Nahor (Gen. 22:20–24), of Joktan
(Gen. 10:26–30 – so LXX), and Esau (Gen. 36:10–13). Similar organizational
patterns built about groups of 12, or even six, tribes, are known from Asia
Minor, Greece, and Italy. In Greece, such groupings were called amphictyony (ʿ Αμφικτυονία),
from ʾ αμφικτίζω, meaning "to dwell
about," that is, about a central sanctuary. Each tribe was assigned a
prearranged turn in the provision and maintenance of the shrine. The
amphictyonic members would make pilgrimages to the common religious center on
festive occasions.The exact measure of correspondence between the amphictyony
of the Hellenic world and the duodecimal structure of the tribes of Israel may
be the subject of scholarly controversy, but there can be little doubt that
this pattern of 12 attributed to the Hebrew tribes is very real and
historically rooted. Thus, if one tribe were to withdraw from the union or to
be absorbed into another, the number 12 would be preserved, either by splitting
one of the remaining tribes into two or by accepting a new tribe into the
union. When, for example, the tribe of Levi is considered among the 12 tribes,
the Joseph tribes are counted as one (Gen. 35:22–26; 46:8–25; 49:1–27).
However, when Levi is not mentioned, the Joseph tribes are counted separately
as Manasseh and Ephraim (Num. 26:4–51). For the same duodecimal considerations,
Simeon is counted as a tribe even after having been absorbed into Judah (Josh.
19:1), and Manasseh, even after having split in two, is considered one. Among
the six Leah tribes, Gad, although the son of Zilpah, is counted as one of them
when Levi is missing (Num. 1:20–42; 26:5–50).
Leadership role moved from Reuben because he was oldest to Ephraim (subtribe of Joseph) because Joshua came from Ephraim; and later to Judah
Simeon was absorbed by Judah. Joseph was split into Ephraim and Manasseh.
From Genesis:
Rueben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah-sons of Leah-later lived in
outskirts-did not fight with Deborah, provided no judges
Dan, Naphtali-sons of Bil-hah (Rachel’s servant)
Gad, Asher-sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant)
Issachar, Zebulun-son of Leah
Dinah-daughter of Leah
Joseph, Benjamin-sons of Rachel
Helpful links to visualize the temple described:
SHOUT
Yesterday's reading talked alot about shouting the news and it made me think......When was the last time I shouted? When was the last time I heard someone shout?
We shout (yell) to each other at my house when we need each other. We shout (cheer) at ballgames. My 12-year-old does alot of the shouting--and his noise IS sometimes just out of the joy of life. I've howled at the moon (a great feeling, if you've never tried it). I've screamed to relieve great stress when I just couldn't take it. But shouting in joy......hmmm, not my natural response.
Maybe when I was younger. Visions of teenage girls squealing over something exciting. Young men giving the fist pump and the explosive "YES!" when things go their way. Is this something we give up as we grow older?
Shouting in Bible times was a way to get the news out. No microphones, no cell phones, no e-mails. So, perhaps shouting in today's world takes on those forms. Perhaps this blog in itself is my form of shouting.
So, today, I'm going to shout out and tell you......
I LOVE MY GOD! I LOVE TO WATCH HIM AT WORK IN PEOPLE'S LIVES! I LOVE HOW HE SPEAKS TO ME THROUGH HIS WORD AND MAKES WORDS THAT WERE WRITTEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO APPLY TO MY LIFE TODAY! I LOVE HOW HE PUTS PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME TO KEEP ME IN HIS WILL! I LOVE THAT HE LOVES ME--THE ONE THAT HAS ALL POWER AND STRENGTH STILL LOOKS DOWN AT LITTLE OL' ME AND SMILES! YEA, GOD!! I DO LOVE YOU!!
We shout (yell) to each other at my house when we need each other. We shout (cheer) at ballgames. My 12-year-old does alot of the shouting--and his noise IS sometimes just out of the joy of life. I've howled at the moon (a great feeling, if you've never tried it). I've screamed to relieve great stress when I just couldn't take it. But shouting in joy......hmmm, not my natural response.
Maybe when I was younger. Visions of teenage girls squealing over something exciting. Young men giving the fist pump and the explosive "YES!" when things go their way. Is this something we give up as we grow older?
Shouting in Bible times was a way to get the news out. No microphones, no cell phones, no e-mails. So, perhaps shouting in today's world takes on those forms. Perhaps this blog in itself is my form of shouting.
So, today, I'm going to shout out and tell you......
I LOVE MY GOD! I LOVE TO WATCH HIM AT WORK IN PEOPLE'S LIVES! I LOVE HOW HE SPEAKS TO ME THROUGH HIS WORD AND MAKES WORDS THAT WERE WRITTEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO APPLY TO MY LIFE TODAY! I LOVE HOW HE PUTS PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME TO KEEP ME IN HIS WILL! I LOVE THAT HE LOVES ME--THE ONE THAT HAS ALL POWER AND STRENGTH STILL LOOKS DOWN AT LITTLE OL' ME AND SMILES! YEA, GOD!! I DO LOVE YOU!!
Parenting Lessons from Isaiah
Who would have thought that we would find parenting lessons in Isaiah? But in Isaiah 28-30 there are some great parenting jewels. And that should make sense because God is the ultimate parent.
Here are some of the jewels that popped out at me--especially since I'm raising teenagers and am around their friends all the time. If I can somehow hold on to these truths, I hope I can steer these bright, young people in the right directions.
Here are some of the jewels that popped out at me--especially since I'm raising teenagers and am around their friends all the time. If I can somehow hold on to these truths, I hope I can steer these bright, young people in the right directions.
Traveling Can Bring Scriptures to Life
Traveling in Ireland really brought some of the scriptures that we are reading to life.
Lessons from Hummingbirds
I hope you are not a hummingbird. I know it's been a long time since I "filled the feeder"!
Don't you love summer!
Traveling!!!
Been out and about!!
And yet I've noticed.....
People are really alike no matter where you are. We enjoy being acknowledged as a person. We open up to genuine interest. Whether serving or being served, we all have a story to tell.
I've watched a mom and dad sit up a little straighter when commented to about the good behavior of their children in a restaurant. I've listened to a young person who was making a big change in her life and moving to a new country and watched her gain confidence as she spoke. I've met people who, no matter their economic status or work situation, worry about and are proud of the same things I am--their loved ones.
We are so much more alike than different. And yet we often want to see the differences. We want to think that we are not this or that. We want to know that we are doing it better that others, that we are smarter than others. But really, the fun of life is in the things that connect us. Who will you connect with today? And with who will you see no common ground?
Been out and about!!
And yet I've noticed.....
People are really alike no matter where you are. We enjoy being acknowledged as a person. We open up to genuine interest. Whether serving or being served, we all have a story to tell.
I've watched a mom and dad sit up a little straighter when commented to about the good behavior of their children in a restaurant. I've listened to a young person who was making a big change in her life and moving to a new country and watched her gain confidence as she spoke. I've met people who, no matter their economic status or work situation, worry about and are proud of the same things I am--their loved ones.
We are so much more alike than different. And yet we often want to see the differences. We want to think that we are not this or that. We want to know that we are doing it better that others, that we are smarter than others. But really, the fun of life is in the things that connect us. Who will you connect with today? And with who will you see no common ground?
Went away for a little while, but I'm back!
Life as a mother and a teacher goes crazy in May. End of the school year presentations, exams, reports, and celebrations take up every minute of every day. Throw in a couple of graduation ceremonies and parties and you have one stressed out schedule. So, without meaning to, I went away for a little while, but I'm back now. So, with a small apology, and a deep breath, I hope to jump back in with some more inspirational words......just as soon as my head stops spinning and I get inspired again!!! Stay tuned! and keep reading with me! Proverbs is quite enlightening and very "motherly advice" filled!!
Return my call or I'll have to tell your mother
Printed with permission
How technology is short-circuiting real communication.
Subtitle: Have some guts and return my call… Or else I’ll
have to call your mother!
As a Peace Corps Volunteer I lived in a town with no
telephone. Everyone else freaked
out, “What, no telephone, how can we get in touch with
you?”… I kind of liked it. If someone
wanted to reach me, the best way to do it was to send the
message with someone who
would be coming to my town. All the Volunteers around me
were in the same lack of
communication situation. Once I sent a message to the next
closest Volunteer. I gave it to
the boat driver who traveled back and forth to her town and
asked him to give it to her.
In the next several days I didn’t receive a message back
from her. I began to worry. Maybe
something was wrong with her. Or maybe she never got the
message. Maybe she wasn’t
in her town. There were so many maybes to our communication
system, that the best way
to solve it, was to send her another message…. Which I did,
and shortly after that I got a
response back. She had been out of town.
Now twelve years later I live in a life that is utterly
connected. I have a cell phone. I
Facebook, email, text. I don’t twitter or Pinterest, but I
could if I wanted. Although I have
more confidence that my messages get to the people I am
sending them, the likelihood that
I will get a response is even lower.
Consider this situation: I will be teaching in another city
this summer. I need a place to
stay, so I arranged to sublet an apartment from Ms. X, the same
college student who sublet her
apartment to us last year. She Facebook messaged me May 1st,
“The apartment is definitely
yours for the month of July (until August 3rd).” I called to
arrange the details with her. I
left messages on her voice mail. I sent her messages on
Facebook. I got no response from
her until May 23rd, when she left me a voice mail (while I
was doing yoga) to tell me that
she had rented half of the apartment to another student. She
wondered, “Was I OK with
that?” I called her back that evening; since she didn’t
answer I left her a message saying
that I would consider it. She didn’t call back. I called her
again a few days later; no answer,
so I left a message emphasizing that I was counting on
subletting her place for the summer.
Several days passed and she still didn’t call me back. I was
stressed. I couldn’t sleep. I began
to investigate other sublet options and found none.
I explained the situation to my father. He said, “You want
me to call her mother.” Heck, I
thought, that ain’t a bad idea, since clearly she is not
going to answer my calls or return any
messages. My dad called her mother. Within two hours I got a
response from her.
Now you probably don’t even have to wonder: How is it that
she answers the phone when
her mother calls but not when I call? One word and two
letters for you: Caller ID. A lovely
invention that allows us to screen our calls, to block out
people who we don’t want to talk
to. An invention that allows us to control who is in and who
is out with no override button.
What would have happened if this sublet fiasco had occurred
in the years before caller
ID (which wasn’t that long ago)? Ms. X would have had to
pick up the phone to hear
who was calling and then she might have had to have an
awkward conversation with me.
Instead, she dodged me in the hopes that I would go away.
But she didn’t realize that I would play the mother card.
That same evening Ms. X sent
me a message on Facebook. She said that since she hadn’t
heard from me and that I didn’t
answer when she called me, she assumed that I didn’t want
the apartment. I don’t believe
it. These are not the jungles of Panama; the message didn’t
fall in the water; the phone line
didn’t break under the weight of a fallen tree.
I am not trying to get all high-and-mighty here. I, too, frequently
have the urge to dodge
people I don’t want to talk to. Especially now that I am
dating. Just this last month, I went
on a date with a guy. By the end of the date he had
committed a definite dating faux pas,
and it was clear to me that we should not go on another
date. When he texted the next day
to ask how I was, I really, really felt like ignoring him
because if I communicated with him
I might actually have to explain to him what I thought about
him—not a pleasant idea. But
a guy friend of mine counseled me, “Don’t do it. At least
send him a short answer.” And he
was right. I texted the guy a few word answer, and with my
terseness he must have realized
I was no longer interested (he also had been on the same
date so he would have been a part
of the same vibes). He didn’t text again.
A part of being human is living in communication with other
humans. And a part of living
with others is having conversations that you don’t want to
have. We do not live in the
jungle where communication is handled primarily
face-to-face. Modern technology allows
us to connect to people in so many different ways. It also
allows us to disconnect with
people in so many different ways. One way we can make our
society more connected is
by actually communicating with each other. When the caller
ID turns up someone you
would rather not talk with, think again. Commit to yourself
that you will answer the call
even if it means that you have to say something that will be
awkward and make you feel
uncomfortable. And
if you are a mother or father, teach your children have those hard conversations, as well.
And if you decide to screen your calls and
ignore the messages, be careful----
be very, very careful---they might just call your mother.
Reading the Bible in a Year-April 28
Yes, I'm still here!!! I'm glad you are too! Thanks to one of our readers who spoke to me and encouraged me to log back on!! I didn't realize how long it had been!
Do you have a month that is hard for you? That is my April. Anniversaries of birth, death, and weddings all pile together for a roller-coaster ride through emotions and activities. Not to mention, the busy-ness at work during this month!!!
And our readings have not been easy narrative, have they? He begat and he begat and he begat........a whole list of people and jobs that covered generations of history! Why? Why is this so important? Why would these scrolls get chosen to be in such an important book not only once, but repetitive times? Didn't we just read these names in previous books?
Well, geneology has become very important to alot of people today, so I guess it was the same then. Not to mention, that many times your job back then was tied into your geneology so you had to prove that you had the right to be there! And many of these names are recorded to lead up to the geneology of Jesus! That's really what it all wraps around quite often. These people were truly the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, of God! And we still are descendants (although some of us have been adopted!) of these people. So I guess it is important to all of us.
Plus, how cool would that be to have your name recorded in an important book like the Bible!! I mean, my name is recorded in a few places that I sometimes pull out to share with people--yours too I bet.....Our family bible has a place to record births and deaths. My yearbook from high school records "the marks I made on history". I remember getting excited the first time the phone book came out with my name (not my parent's). And who hasn't "googled" their own name to see where it has come up in print? But there is even a more important book where your name is recorded once you believe that God is truly your father.....check out Malachi 3:16-18! Yeah--guess God is into scrapbooking!!
Think about that for a while. What pictures and memorabilia would be beside your name in the Book of Remembrance? Would you be proud to see your pages? Would lots of stuff have to be left out?
God.. thanks for loving us enough to want to collect events from our lives and put those things in a book! I can't wait to sit down with you and look through it one day! Help me to give you lots of chances to collect stuff for that book 'cause I want that to be a long visit!!
Do you have a month that is hard for you? That is my April. Anniversaries of birth, death, and weddings all pile together for a roller-coaster ride through emotions and activities. Not to mention, the busy-ness at work during this month!!!
And our readings have not been easy narrative, have they? He begat and he begat and he begat........a whole list of people and jobs that covered generations of history! Why? Why is this so important? Why would these scrolls get chosen to be in such an important book not only once, but repetitive times? Didn't we just read these names in previous books?
Well, geneology has become very important to alot of people today, so I guess it was the same then. Not to mention, that many times your job back then was tied into your geneology so you had to prove that you had the right to be there! And many of these names are recorded to lead up to the geneology of Jesus! That's really what it all wraps around quite often. These people were truly the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, of God! And we still are descendants (although some of us have been adopted!) of these people. So I guess it is important to all of us.
Plus, how cool would that be to have your name recorded in an important book like the Bible!! I mean, my name is recorded in a few places that I sometimes pull out to share with people--yours too I bet.....Our family bible has a place to record births and deaths. My yearbook from high school records "the marks I made on history". I remember getting excited the first time the phone book came out with my name (not my parent's). And who hasn't "googled" their own name to see where it has come up in print? But there is even a more important book where your name is recorded once you believe that God is truly your father.....check out Malachi 3:16-18! Yeah--guess God is into scrapbooking!!
Think about that for a while. What pictures and memorabilia would be beside your name in the Book of Remembrance? Would you be proud to see your pages? Would lots of stuff have to be left out?
God.. thanks for loving us enough to want to collect events from our lives and put those things in a book! I can't wait to sit down with you and look through it one day! Help me to give you lots of chances to collect stuff for that book 'cause I want that to be a long visit!!
Reading the Bible in One Year-April 9
Click here for a timeline to use as you read through 1Kings and 2Kings. It helps keep the kings and prophets straight!
 | To view a video of the temple click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Click the picture to connect to the original website describing Solomon's Temple. |
 |
| Click the picture to learn more about Baal, one of the gods that got so many kings in trouble! |
 |
| Click here to learn more about the Annals of the Kings mentioned often in the books of 1Kings and 2Kings |
Reading the Bible in One Year-March 25
I love the first book of Samuel! These people are so real!!! This could so be a weekly TV show! Saul acting nice then plotting behind David's back! How many people do you know like that? And Abigail having to fix the problems her husband's bad attitude creates! Yep, seen that in real life too! And did you get upset when Jonathan died like I did? I so wanted David to be able to at least be there! But no--Jonathan died serving a dad that he had disagreements with all through his life because that is what was expected of him! What an honorable guy! He would have been a great friend to have, wouldn't he? I hope there is someone in all of our lives like Jonathan! I know my nephew, of the same name, is alot like him! A man of honor---a true friend---compelled to do the right thing!
And can you believe the people still honored Saul's body after he had been so hot and cold! He obviously did not lead them well in their spiritual lives. After his death, they didn't even know they could trust in God, so they fled! After all that work of Moses and Joshua and such! A serious of bad leaders can sure undermine a country, can't it? Sounds very political, doesn't it? Again, I chuckle at the timing of my thoughts and my readings! Sometimes, we have to be careful what we wish or pray for! The people begged for a king and look at what they ended up with!! Fleeing their own country!
But every good movie has a sequel--so I'm ready for Samuel 2! Let's hope David becomes king and does a better job! Although, if he doesn't mess up some where I'll be surprised--plus it will probably be a boring sequel!!
God--thank you for teaching us in such an entertaining way! Help me not get so lost in the story that I miss the lessons!
And can you believe the people still honored Saul's body after he had been so hot and cold! He obviously did not lead them well in their spiritual lives. After his death, they didn't even know they could trust in God, so they fled! After all that work of Moses and Joshua and such! A serious of bad leaders can sure undermine a country, can't it? Sounds very political, doesn't it? Again, I chuckle at the timing of my thoughts and my readings! Sometimes, we have to be careful what we wish or pray for! The people begged for a king and look at what they ended up with!! Fleeing their own country!
But every good movie has a sequel--so I'm ready for Samuel 2! Let's hope David becomes king and does a better job! Although, if he doesn't mess up some where I'll be surprised--plus it will probably be a boring sequel!!
God--thank you for teaching us in such an entertaining way! Help me not get so lost in the story that I miss the lessons!
Reading the Bible in One Year-March 18
Birthdays! Spring Break! Whew! I had lots of catching up to do!
Battles! Marriages! Killings! Rapes! Whew! Who ever thought the Bible was boring?
So what's up for these poor women? Just throw 'em out to the sex perverts! Gotta be married and have babies to be worth anything to these men! Boy, it was a different world from ours! But I still look for the messages! Like how to influence others by hanging in there. By knowing the laws enough to use them in your favor. Naomi really knew how to fix the situation once she got out of her funk. I love that she was able to "rise above" again even though I know how sad and lonely she must have been.
And women could have power--look at Deborah and how she influenced many leaders into battle and beyond. She knew the law and used it for Israel's favor. Jael was no wimp either! She knew how to use the opportunities that were given to her. According to the law, her house should have been a safe house, but....
And all the trouble seems to have been caused by straying away from God and His laws. How much easier would life be if we could all just learn that lesson? Know His laws and live within them. In fact, use them for your favor. That is what the leaders of Israel did. Funny that all the kings and judges were worshiping some kind of god. Makes you wonder if those worshiping in a different way have "a bible" that tells the stories differently. They were praying to their gods to save them, too! Like in war today! I'm glad I'm not in charge and have to decide who deserves to win!
I loved Jotham's story of which tree should be in charge. It seemed all the trees had important jobs and were too busy doing important things to be king, until the thorn bush was asked. The thorn bush wasn't doing anything important and got all puffed up at being asked. He even pushed it to the limit saying if they didn't make him king he would retaliate. Funny thoughts come to mind with our presidential election being around the corner. I wonder which candidate used to be a thorn bush and which candidates were actually busy doing important works!
And I don't won't to go before mentioning Samson. Quite the character! Again, it seems his life would have been easier if he had walked a little closer to God--if He had been a true Nazirite and followed the law a little closer. He didn't seem like the sharpest crayon in the box, did he? How many times did he give in to women? How many times did his wife ask him the same question? But in the end, when he called out to God, when he broke the pattern, God responded and loved him.
I guess that is the main lesson after all---no matter how much we mess up, God really does love us. No matter how dumb we act, God really does love us. No matter how much we complain and disobey Him, God really does love us. No matter how often we break His law and stray from His guidance, He really does love us. I guess that is why the bible has stories where the characters say the same thing over and over again--"Samson, tell me how you can be captured?"and do the same things over and over again--"and they destroyed every man, woman, and child in the village and took their idols and worshiped them", and "they destroyed all the idols and vowed to worship God alone. And they had forty years of peace." Because that is probably the way God hears us--saying the same thing over and over again, and making the same mistakes over and over again--but He really still loves us! It's amazing, isn't it? Just when I want to judge the Israelites, I see how like them I am!
So, thank you, God! I am so grateful that you really love us! over and over again! AMEN!
Battles! Marriages! Killings! Rapes! Whew! Who ever thought the Bible was boring?
So what's up for these poor women? Just throw 'em out to the sex perverts! Gotta be married and have babies to be worth anything to these men! Boy, it was a different world from ours! But I still look for the messages! Like how to influence others by hanging in there. By knowing the laws enough to use them in your favor. Naomi really knew how to fix the situation once she got out of her funk. I love that she was able to "rise above" again even though I know how sad and lonely she must have been.
And women could have power--look at Deborah and how she influenced many leaders into battle and beyond. She knew the law and used it for Israel's favor. Jael was no wimp either! She knew how to use the opportunities that were given to her. According to the law, her house should have been a safe house, but....
And all the trouble seems to have been caused by straying away from God and His laws. How much easier would life be if we could all just learn that lesson? Know His laws and live within them. In fact, use them for your favor. That is what the leaders of Israel did. Funny that all the kings and judges were worshiping some kind of god. Makes you wonder if those worshiping in a different way have "a bible" that tells the stories differently. They were praying to their gods to save them, too! Like in war today! I'm glad I'm not in charge and have to decide who deserves to win!
I loved Jotham's story of which tree should be in charge. It seemed all the trees had important jobs and were too busy doing important things to be king, until the thorn bush was asked. The thorn bush wasn't doing anything important and got all puffed up at being asked. He even pushed it to the limit saying if they didn't make him king he would retaliate. Funny thoughts come to mind with our presidential election being around the corner. I wonder which candidate used to be a thorn bush and which candidates were actually busy doing important works!
And I don't won't to go before mentioning Samson. Quite the character! Again, it seems his life would have been easier if he had walked a little closer to God--if He had been a true Nazirite and followed the law a little closer. He didn't seem like the sharpest crayon in the box, did he? How many times did he give in to women? How many times did his wife ask him the same question? But in the end, when he called out to God, when he broke the pattern, God responded and loved him.
I guess that is the main lesson after all---no matter how much we mess up, God really does love us. No matter how dumb we act, God really does love us. No matter how much we complain and disobey Him, God really does love us. No matter how often we break His law and stray from His guidance, He really does love us. I guess that is why the bible has stories where the characters say the same thing over and over again--"Samson, tell me how you can be captured?"and do the same things over and over again--"and they destroyed every man, woman, and child in the village and took their idols and worshiped them", and "they destroyed all the idols and vowed to worship God alone. And they had forty years of peace." Because that is probably the way God hears us--saying the same thing over and over again, and making the same mistakes over and over again--but He really still loves us! It's amazing, isn't it? Just when I want to judge the Israelites, I see how like them I am!
So, thank you, God! I am so grateful that you really love us! over and over again! AMEN!
Reading the Bible in One Year-March 11
So what about that Joshua! I've written thoughts about him before. Like the persistence he had to have to just walk around the walls of Jericho instead of fighting. He was a warrior after all. But sometimes we are called to just be a presence, not necessarily do much. And sometimes we are called to obey, even if the task seems beneath our talent. Because sometimes the events in our lives are not happening for us to learn as much as those around us and the Israelites certainly needed to be reminded over and over again about obedience! Joshua was reminded over and over to be strong and courageous, but I bet his real inward battle was about just following the will of God against his own instinct.
And then there was "the map maker's dream" section. I guess the details were as important about who lives where as the tabernacle directions were. Seriously, you could draw a pretty clear map of the distribution of the land to the tribes just using Joshua's book. I felt like I had gone into the real estate office to look up a plat of land!! And they seemed to have thought of everything! One amazing thing--that they just drew lots for some of it! I guess that's where we get the idea of drawing straws to see who gets what. If it works for a whole community, I guess it would work for almost anything.
I was also interested in the 6 cities of refuge. It was great that those were given to the Levites, the priests. It reminded me of the way cities in Medieval times were centered and controlled by the church. The book, Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett gave me great insight and context for this situation and I wondered if the Israelite cities of refuge took this form without of course the emphasis on the grand cathedral building because this would take away from the temple's importance. Something very clearly established when the monument was built across the Jordan and a war was almost caused!
Also of great interest to me was the way the city of Hebron was always highlighted. In the version I was reading it was always called by both its old name and the new name Hebron. And it was designated again and again as a city of refuge. Very comforting to me since we have come to worship at Hebron Presbyterian Church and it has become a refuge in many ways to our family. It is a very quiet spot in a very busy world in which we can hear the voice of God and He provided us with this connection at a just the right time. I wonder if you need a spot like that in your life?
Dear God--thank you for your detailed plans for your people. Thank you that I can say that I am one of those people who you have planned for. I pray for refuge for all your children in this world that can be so overwhelming. Amen
I was also interested in the 6 cities of refuge. It was great that those were given to the Levites, the priests. It reminded me of the way cities in Medieval times were centered and controlled by the church. The book, Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett gave me great insight and context for this situation and I wondered if the Israelite cities of refuge took this form without of course the emphasis on the grand cathedral building because this would take away from the temple's importance. Something very clearly established when the monument was built across the Jordan and a war was almost caused!
Also of great interest to me was the way the city of Hebron was always highlighted. In the version I was reading it was always called by both its old name and the new name Hebron. And it was designated again and again as a city of refuge. Very comforting to me since we have come to worship at Hebron Presbyterian Church and it has become a refuge in many ways to our family. It is a very quiet spot in a very busy world in which we can hear the voice of God and He provided us with this connection at a just the right time. I wonder if you need a spot like that in your life?
Dear God--thank you for your detailed plans for your people. Thank you that I can say that I am one of those people who you have planned for. I pray for refuge for all your children in this world that can be so overwhelming. Amen
Reading the Bible in a Year--Feb. 22
Happy Mardi Gras!!!
As we enter the Lenton season--my mind travels through the past readings to the number 40! What's up with this number? For Noah--it rained for 40 days! For Moses--he was on the mountain for 40 days--twice! For the Israelites--they wandered in the desert for 40 years! For Jonah--40 days in Ninevah! For Jesus--40 days of temptation in the desert! For the apostles--40 days with Jesus after the resurrection and before the ascention! For Rick Warren-- it is 40 Days of Purpose! For Alex and Stephen Kendrick--it is a 40 day Love Dare. On one website it is explained as a number of trial, testing, or probation.
For Christians everywhere, beginning tomorrow--it is a 40 day wait for the miracle of Easter. This period of time might be seen as one of trial, testing, or probation. Many people decide to "give-up" something for Lent--put something or themselves "on probation". The purpose of this is a symbolic trial or test--a time in which one stops doing something that they will truly miss in hopes that they will be reminded of the trials and tribulations that Jesus went through. Or that when they begin to miss the thing that they are giving up, it will remind them to think of Jesus and what He gave up to come down to earth and experience life as a human. Some people do it in hopes of having more time to spend reading the Word or praying by replacing the activity that they usually do with these activities instead. By doing this, one can sometimes add a healthier activity to their lives.
So what are you going to give up? One of my family is going to fast in some way, one has given up video games in the past, I have given up chocolate before and will probably try that again! I would love to hear about some new and creative ideas as well! But whatever we all decide--let's not give up our Bible readings!!
God--thanks for standing beside us during these 40 days! Help each thought move us closer to you so that this Easter season will be one of the most meaningful and the events of the season will be very real in our hearts and minds.
As we enter the Lenton season--my mind travels through the past readings to the number 40! What's up with this number? For Noah--it rained for 40 days! For Moses--he was on the mountain for 40 days--twice! For the Israelites--they wandered in the desert for 40 years! For Jonah--40 days in Ninevah! For Jesus--40 days of temptation in the desert! For the apostles--40 days with Jesus after the resurrection and before the ascention! For Rick Warren-- it is 40 Days of Purpose! For Alex and Stephen Kendrick--it is a 40 day Love Dare. On one website it is explained as a number of trial, testing, or probation.
For Christians everywhere, beginning tomorrow--it is a 40 day wait for the miracle of Easter. This period of time might be seen as one of trial, testing, or probation. Many people decide to "give-up" something for Lent--put something or themselves "on probation". The purpose of this is a symbolic trial or test--a time in which one stops doing something that they will truly miss in hopes that they will be reminded of the trials and tribulations that Jesus went through. Or that when they begin to miss the thing that they are giving up, it will remind them to think of Jesus and what He gave up to come down to earth and experience life as a human. Some people do it in hopes of having more time to spend reading the Word or praying by replacing the activity that they usually do with these activities instead. By doing this, one can sometimes add a healthier activity to their lives.
So what are you going to give up? One of my family is going to fast in some way, one has given up video games in the past, I have given up chocolate before and will probably try that again! I would love to hear about some new and creative ideas as well! But whatever we all decide--let's not give up our Bible readings!!
God--thanks for standing beside us during these 40 days! Help each thought move us closer to you so that this Easter season will be one of the most meaningful and the events of the season will be very real in our hearts and minds.
Reading the Bible in One Year-Feb. 15
I just love how organized God is! He really thought of everything when he planned this "adventure" for the Hebrew people. I got an e-mail today that really puts it all into perspective! Thanks, Lee!
from e-mail, original author unknown
A new way to think about how Moses fed everyone...
Read and feel comforted.
Amazing Data on Moses
Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day,
two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!?!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood
to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains,
each a mile long, just for one day.
And just think, they were forty years in transit.
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes,
it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!
And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights o get through.
So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.
But then, there is another problem...
each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long.
Think of it! This much space for camping.
Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left Egypt ? I think not!
You see, Moses believed in God. God took care of these things for him.
from e-mail, original author unknown
A new way to think about how Moses fed everyone...
Read and feel comforted.
Amazing Data on Moses
Moses and the people were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?
They had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.
According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day,
two freight trains, each at least a mile long, would be required!?!
Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, so they would have to have firewood
to use in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains,
each a mile long, just for one day.
And just think, they were forty years in transit.
And Oh yes! They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes,
it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day and a freight train with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!
And then another thing!
They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights o get through.
So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast to get over in one night.
But then, there is another problem...
each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long.
Think of it! This much space for camping.
Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left Egypt ? I think not!
You see, Moses believed in God. God took care of these things for him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)