Weekly Bible Reading Update

I am still caught up on my reading, but I wanted to share my Proverbs reading from April 25th.

Proverbs 14:3-4 A fool's proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keeps him safe. Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.

I kept reading that portion of scripture over and over and I think it is very clever. How could I change the last part of the passage to fit my life - "Without children......." You finish it.

Thanks Suzi for keeping me accountable to reading the One Year Bible. It is weird, but this helps me out. Now how can you help me to start exercising/running? I need some accountability there. AND Suzi - thank you so much for the box of books. I was able to read all day Saturday, since Kirk was gone to the Men's Retreat. Not really all day, but all the spare and some not-so-spare moments. I think I was reading while the children were in the tub. I have really been enjoying "A Proper Pursuit" by Lynn Austin.

An update on my cake dilemma. I did make a cake from a box and frosting from the can, but I added by own touches and it tasted delicious and looked pretty good if I must say so myself. No one knew that it wasn't home-made and I am not telling.

So I Have Some Problems

My first problem is that my middle child got an used stuffed animal dog awhile back that he has fallen in love with and has named, "Goggles." I was going to get rid of it, but after he named it I just couldn't. Well, my youngest has now also fallen in love with it. My 3 year old will go days without noticing the puppy. During that time my 2 year old loves it. He loves to sleep with it and it is all really sweet, until my 3 year old wants it back. Then we have a problem. Whose puppy is it? - my 3 year olds - but he doesn't always care about it. Who likes to sleep with it? - my two year old. Who really loves it more? What should I do? - Maybe threaten to cut it in half like the story of King Solomon from the Bible. Any ideas?

My next problem has to do with my 5, almost 6, going on 16 year old daughter. About a year and a half ago she had bangs as her hairstyle. She decided that she wanted to grow them out like her friend. So for the past year we have been going through the awkward stages of growing out bangs. Now she is convinced that she likes to have her hair in her face like the big girls do. If you don't know what I mean, they have their long bangs swept down half in their face and into their eyes. My daughter and I have been through this many times, but this morning she thought that she could go to school like this. Her dad asked her if she even had brushed her hair and made her go get a brush. She was not happy about this at all. I think that if we can't convince her about this hair issue, that I am just going to cut her bangs short again. Isn't she too young to care so much about what her hair looks like?

My last problem has to do with a cake that I am suppose to be making for our Pastor's going- away party. It is all suppose to be really fancy and we are suppose to make home-made two-layer cakes. I have been practicing 3 different cakes (really 2) but I am not happy with them and now I have to have a cake for THIS SUNDAY. My husband is going away on a retreat and taking the car - the only way that I can get around, unless I walk. Well, today in desperation I went and bought a mix and ready made frosting. So unless someone has a great recipe for a two layer cake - I am making cake from the package. Something I really didn't want to do. (Sigh).

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I believe that I am finally caught up. Yes! The April 21st reading, Psalm 89:15, "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord."

Sweet Blessings

I don't know if this is true for your neck of the woods, but it is true for mine - Spring is here. It has been for a few weeks, and I truly enjoy it. What I enjoy most is the sun waking me up. Since the sun is rising earlier, I am getting up earlier and reading my scripture reading for the day. I love doing that in the quiet part of the morning. (BTW, I read Psalm 84:1-12 today and it was awesome).

Another blessing happened this morning. I watched while Kirk taught my two oldest kids "Cut the Pickle." You put your two index fingers together at the tips and you say "Cut the pickle." They slice the pickle with their finger and then you say, "tickle,tickle" while tickling them. What fun that was for them. Even when they knew what would happen, they wanted more. The funniest was that my son would step away from Kirk, try to reach back to cut the pickle and then turn to run away. He never could, he was not fast enough.

My third blessing was last night and it came in the form of a 2 month old baby. I was watching her and her 5 year old sister while their mother went and sang with the Praise Band at church. What sweetness it was to put a baby to sleep and hold her in my lap. I love the smell and the feel of a little baby. Of course at first I was so nervous since it has been 2 years since I have had a little one and I was afraid that one of my boys would hurt her, but all went well. My youngest did come and watch me hold the baby. All I needed to do was have him see the baby and hug him and then he was off playing again. What sweetness! The last blessing is that I received confirmation that I do not need another baby. After the two girls left the house and I put my kids to bed, I looked around at the tornado that hit my house. Babies are too much work! At least at the moment, I don't want another baby. Ask me again tomorrow, I might change my mind. Today, however, I am enjoying my many blessings.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

I got this YouTube video from my father-in-law. I think that this is just another piece of evidence that Oprah, even though she is very good person, is not a Christian. She believes in god, but not God.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Weekly Bible Reading Update

I hope by next week I am completely caught up. I had been reading Mansfield Park, by Jane Austin. I liked that story, but it was hard reading for me. Sometimes reading another book distracts me from the more important reading of Scripture. I won't pick up another book until I am caught up - I think that I said that a couple weeks ago and I didn't do that. I am weak. I am now to April 10th in my One Year Bible. One of my favorite verses - Joshua 1:9

This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Weekly Bible Reading Update

Am I ever going to catch up?

April 1st Reading Selection. I really got something out of the Psalm 73 passage.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others,
I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Nonsensical

non·sen·si·cal (nn-sns-kl)

adj.

1. Lacking intelligible meaning: a nonsensical jumble of words.

2. Foolish; absurd: nonsensical ideas.

You might already know that I am enjoying reading a few of Jane Austin's books. Jane Austin, an author in the early 1880's, wrote books such as Emma and Pride and Prejudice. From reading these books and watching the movies that are based on the books, I have fallen in love with the word, nonsensical. Don't you just love the way it comes out of your mouth. Nonsensical. I love it.

It also reminds me of types of love. The ancient Greeks had it right - they had many different words for different types of love. Agape - Christian love, Eros - lustful love, Philo - brotherly love and a couple more that I can't think of. I may be wrong about the meaning or the spelling, but hopefully the point is still there. There are types of love, at least we attribute love to a lot of different feelings. There is a crush, you know when you are in love with someone, but they have no idea. (I am very familiar with that type of love.) There is love that you feel for family and friends, a deep friendship love. Then there is the love that you feel for family and friends that is more superficial - I have to love you because you are related to me or have done things for me. There is the infatuated love - the love of a boyfriend/girlfriend who can do no wrong. Like looking through "rose-colored glasses." There is the lustful love, the love that is all about sex. There is the kind of love that you should have for all human beings - brotherly love/Christian love. And there is the unconditional love, the love that is going to love even though I am frustrated with you love.

Last night I finished reading "Emma" for the first time. Jane Austin used that word again - nonsensical. It was so true in talking about the foolish things that people do when they are first in love. The foolish promises that they keep and the foolish things that they say at the beginning of love. During the night, my youngest wasn't sleeping well because he kept coughing. Even after I got him to go to sleep again, I just laid there thinking about nonsensical love. I stopped thinking about Jane Austin and I started thinking about Jesus' Disciples. Their love was nonsensical.

Then Jesus said to Simon, " Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed Him. Luke 5:10b-11

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting in his tax booth. " "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him." Luke 5:27-28

To many it is foolish to leave everything to follow Jesus, it is nonsensical, but that is exactly what Jesus asks us to do.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, " If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul." Matthew 16:24-26

Maybe it is time to be a little more nonsensical in love with Jesus.

Kirk's Mexico Trip

Kirk and his youth group left at 11:00 PM Easter Sunday to drive to Mexico for Spring Break. They work with AMOR Ministries building a house for a Mexican family. They built it in 4 days! Kirk was so sick. He was sick with a cough the day before they left and he is still sick with it 10 days later. I think that he is getting better.

March 22nd, Scripture Reading

"So Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him." Luke 5:28NLT I am still in awe of the fact that these men got up, left everything to follow Jesus. What a man this Jesus was and still is.