Bah, Humbug!

Read Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:5 and Luke 16:13-15
Paul says greed is a form of idolatry. According to Jesus, idolaters do three things with their idols. They love them, trust them and obey them. “Trusters of Money” feel they have control of their lives and are safe and secure because of their money. What level of trust comes from money?

 Greed and money.  As I was thinking about today's devotion, the first person (or character) that came to mind is Ebenezer Scrooge.  Perhaps because Christmas is right around the corner, or I can visibly see "A Muppet Christmas Carol" from where I sit as I type...I simply cannot think of anyone who so loved money as much as Scrooge.  And because of his love and trust of money, everything else in his life doesn't matter.  To him, money means he is safe, secure, feared by others.  He doesn't need anyone else because his money takes care of him.  He has no friends, no joy, no sympathy for others.  We learn from the story that he wasn't always this way - as a young boy he was interested in business, but money hadn't taken over his life quite yet.  More importantly, we learn from the story that even the sourest of characters, even Ebenezer Scrooge can be saved and realize that money isn't everything, and certainly we can't always trust it to make us happy and fulfilled.  

So, take this time and use this devotion as a way to reflect on certain areas of your life where you are a "Scrooge" with your money.  Is there an unhealthy level of trust that you have in it? Are you serving money (as your master) instead of the One that you really should be serving? 

$$$ Influences

Read Luke 12:15, 34
This scripture explains that when we spend our money on something, its value and importance tend to grow in our minds. Since we can become blind to our own materialism and we can live in denial - Jesus says, “Watch out!” Are you on alert to any subtle ways money influences or directs your use of time? Relationships?

I'd say I tend to be almost too controlling when it comes to budgeting or spending.  Full disclosure here: to keep track of our spending, I use Quicken, a spreadsheet AND an iPhone app that acts like Dave Ramsey's envelope system.  Yes, you read that right - three different tools to track spending. Tracking our expenses in all three of these means I spend a LOT of time looking at our money.  Probably to a fault.  And I completely stress about it, too, which in turn sometimes puts a strain on Ron and I's relationship.  Then we usually sit down for an hour or longer conversation in which I lament about how we don't save as much, and Ron talks me off the ledge by showing me exactly how much we have in savings and investments, and I feel a little better - for a little while.

I need to realize that God is in control, God will provide, and as long as we do our best to be good stewards of all of the money He's given us, then He will take care of us.  But by being anxious and trying to control it all myself, I'm basically telling God, "I can handle this better than You can."  Which is SO not true!

John 17:3

Read Matthew 6:19-24 and John 17:3
Our devotion and affection is something that comes as we fix our minds on what is important. Exercise your mind today to meditate on John 17:3, as you pursue devotion and loyalty to God today.

 Since today's question is more about meditation and devotion, I'm once again publishing this first thing in the morning so that you can focus all day on the verses, particularly John 17:3.  Consider this another memorization challenge!  If you look at this verse on the hour, you should have no problem memorizing it, and you'll have one more piece of scripture tucked away in your mind!

Is money your master?

Read Matthew 6:19-24
Why is the way you handle your finances a reflection of what is in your heart? Have you experienced a “defining moment” with your finances?

When we think about money, and 'storing up treasures,' it's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?  If we have the right perspective, or put another way - if our heart is in the right place, then our money isn't (or shouldn't be) the most important thing in our life. 

I think for me making the decision to stay home with our daughter was a defining moment.  Ron and I had so many conversations - probably too many to count - about how we could live on one income.  When we were both working and without a kid, we had the luxury of living pretty comfortably and not having to worry too much about where our money went.

When I quit working, we made a conscious decision that we would be giving some of those luxuries up. But through it, I've gained time with something far more precious than money and material things - my daughter.  And now, rather than seeing staying home as giving up the luxury of more money, I see staying home as a luxury in and of itself.

Me, myself and I

Read Matthew 6:8-15
What personal pronouns are used in the Lord’s prayer-verses 9-13?
This prayer is empty of “me, I, my”, instead it points to a humble yielding to God’s will and purpose, our dependency and need for mercy. Pause and read again verses 12-15. What is one thing you can do this week to find “oneness” with someone who is difficult for you to interact with?

It's so easy for me to be completely selfish as I pray - asking God to bless ME, MY family, fix MY problems.  But God's instructions are clear when it comes to prayer, and it is most certainly not about me.  Rather, it is about surrendering to God's will, humbly asking for and accepting His ordained provisions for my life.  He also instructs us about self control - not giving in to the temptations of this world - and forgiveness.

Does anyone else sometimes have a hard time with forgiveness?  I've been known to hold a pretty good grudge, and especially when someone hurts me or a loved one, I have a very hard time letting it go.  But imagine if God felt this same way about us?  Every time we sin, we hurt God.  I'm so thankful that He doesn't hold a grudge against me.  No sin is exempt from forgiveness, and we should willingly forgive our brothers and sisters as Christ forgives us.

Our daily bread

Read Matthew 6:11 and Exodus 16
What were the provisions given to Moses and the Israelites in the desert? Are you given daily provisions that last only one day? What does daily bread mean to you today?

I love that in these passages, God gives His people the exact thing that they need for each day.  The exact amount.  Not too much, not too little.  As I think about the devotions we've already done this week, the thing that keeps coming to my mind is, "He knows." He knows exactly what we need.  and He provides.  What an awesome and loving Father that we have!

Perhaps today you just need an extra jolt of energy to get you through this busy day at work. Maybe you need just an extra five minutes of sleep because you were up late last night with a sick kid.  Maybe you need just a little bit more income this month to cover that unexpected bill that came in the mail.  Maybe you are feeling down and you just need an unexpected phone call or email from a friend to cheer you up. All of these scenerios have played out in my life before, and I can honestly say, God has come through each time.  Even in times where I didn't even ask. He has provided.  He is amazing!

Your will be done

Read Matthew 6:9-13 and Mark 14:32-36
What surprises you about Jesus’ prayer? Great faith means Great surrender.
What area of your life are you unwilling to surrender to God? Start praying “Let your will be done in my life”.

In Mark, I love how real Jesus is.  He knows what is about to happen, and becomes greatly troubled and cries out to His Father and basically says, "God, if there's another way, please, take this fate away from me."  But more importantly, he also adds, if it is Your will.  How many times have you prayed for God to change a circumstance in your life?  And let's be honest, have you ever begrudgingly added at the end of your prayer, "if it's Your will."  I'll be the first to admit that I've done this.

Like I said yesterday, too many times I think I know what's best for myself.  But sometimes that doesn't line up with God's plan.  Rather than begrudgingly saying, "if it's Your will," I should realize that God does have my best interest in mind; He has a plan for me...and in order for me to follow His path, I have to willingly say, "Your will be done."  "You know best, Lord.  Do what is best for me."

He Knows

Read Matthew 6:8-9
Jesus says that your Father knows what you need before you ask. How does that change how you pray? As you pray today, declare God’s greatness, surrender your will, and acknowledge your dependence.

Have you ever had one of those prayers where you said, "God, I don't know what to even ask, but I'm praying about ____________ (fill in the blank)?" When there are no words that you can come up with to pray about a certain situation; when something seems utterly impossible; or you simply are at a loss about something?  Knowing that God knows what I need even before I ask is especially comforting in these situations.

And sometimes, when I do know what I want to pray to God, what I think I need, isn't really the case.   It's also comforting in these cases to know that God knows what I need, despite what I may think.  Because of this realization, as I pray today, I will declare God's greatness,surrender my will, and acknowledge my dependence on God. 

Unfailing Love

Read: Luke 23, Romans 4:25
The King spoke, lived his life in perfect obedience to the father, then he carried our sins and shame through ridicule, betrayal and suffering to the cross, in order to declare us once for all freed from the power of the law to claim its debt. Note verse 45; is there an application in your life today?

The passage today is pretty heavy stuff, and it's about the cornerstone of our faith - Jesus - who laid down His life for our sins.  It makes me so incredibly humble and grateful that my God loves me so much that He sent His Son to die for me.

In our women's bible study class, we just finished reading about Abraham and Isaac, and the command that God gave to Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering to the Lord.  Through this Old Testament story, God gives me a glimpse into what it must have felt like to send Jesus to die for us.  I can relate to Abraham, and I cannot even imagine being asked to sacrifice one of the most important things to me in this life, my daughter. 

I love how the author of our study guide puts it:

"The point of this story is not to convince or convict you that you must be willing to sacrifice for God what is most precious to you.  It is that God was willing to sacrifice for you what was most precious to him." ~Nancy Guthrie, The Promised One

This ultimate act of love was for me.  Me?  I'm so not worthy of it, but that's what makes our God so incredibly awesome and loving. 

Astounding grace

Read: Genesis 45
Early in the history of Israel Joseph had opportunity to return evil for evil. Joseph acted with astounding grace. Joseph forgave his brothers for seeking to take his life, selling him as a slave, and for years of injury. What was his secret for forgiveness?

I'd say astounding grace is an understatement.  I'm not sure I would have been able to react the way Joseph did.  I mean, his brothers basically left him for dead because they hated him so much.  In Joseph's position in Egypt, he could have easily reacted differently and not given them anything in order to survive the famine.  But instead, he extends grace.  Why?  The simple answer is God.  But I think if we take it a step beyond that simple answer, Joseph lets us in on a little more in this passage:

• He believes in a higher purpose that he ended up in Egypt  - "because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." and "But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance."
• He hold his brothers responsible for what happened; rather, He believes it was God's doing -
  ⁸ “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

In summary, Joseph was able to see the bigger picture and see how God was able to use something that was seemingly bad in the beginning for the good of Joseph and his entire family.  

When we are wronged, it's very easy to 'live in the moment' and not consider how God might use it for our good in the future. But we should remember God's promises to us and know that God makes all things work together for our good - even the things that we might not consider a blessing at the time. (Romans 8:28)

Tough love

Read: Matthew 18:15-18, Proverbs 27:5-6, Eph. 4:25-26
God tells us many times to rebuke others. To not do so is to give people only grace and no truth. It enables people to remain immature. God is very serious about his people growing up in him. Does God want you to allow others to do whatever they want to? How does accountability and revenge differ?

These verses are reassuring to me after meditating on yesterday's devotion about grace. In these, I think God is telling us that we can give "tough love" to others - approaching them humbly, gracefully, but sternly about their misstep.  I think it's even helpful in the Matthew passage that God gives us clear steps on how far to go, and even says after you've exhausted all options, you can eventually say, enough is enough.

These particular verses also reassure me that as a Christian, I can - and should - have a backbone and not allow the repeat offenses (that I wrote about yesterday) take place. 

I also think that knowing that God calls us to rebuke each other, even to the extent of elevating the problem to other witnesses and the church builds in our sense of accountability to each other.  I think accountability differs from revenge in that accountability comes from a place of love, whereas revenge comes from a place of hate.

Eye for an eye

Read: Matthew 5:38-42, Exodus 21:24, Lev. 24:20
While the establishment of justice as an eye for an eye was anchored in Jewish law, those hearing Jesus must be caught up short by this new way to live. Jesus ushered in a kingdom. Do you feel more comfortable with the law or grace?

 Isn't this an interesting question. Can my answer be, it depends? I think we all might say that if we are on the receiving end of being hurt, we're more comfortable with the law...but if we are the one that has done the harm, we'd much more like grace, wouldn't we?  I think this is our natural, selfish tendency to feel this way.  I have to remind myself that as much as I want to receive grace when I have done wrong, so, too, should others who have done wrong.  Here's another question, though: what if they're a 'repeat offender'?  I think by receiving grace we learn about forgiveness and try to change our behavior so that we won't mess up again.  But what about someone who isn't sorry? Who keeps hurting others?

Eternal

Read Psalm 119:89 & 160
Meditate on God’s integrity, his word that never changes. How does this shape your life? What have you learned from this?

The word in these two verses that sticks out to me is "eternal".  God's Word and laws are eternal.  Forever.  Neverending.  Knowing this, I can say His Word is a solid foundation that won't go anywhere as I shape my life around it.  The things of this world are so fleeting, and many times, ever changing.  It's comforting to know that God's Word stands firm.

Integrity

Read Psalm 24:1-6
Characteristics of someone who walks with God are noted in verse 4. This is not the “X” generation or the “boomer” generation but “the” generation that seeks God. Where do you see your generation give one another a pass on integrity?

I feel like our generation (meaning our cultural generation) gives so many passes on integrity, so much that the definition of integrity can often times be skewed according to today's standards.  As we get ready to vote for our nation's president in three weeks, I think about how our president should be a man of utmost integrity - but sadly, I feel a level of distrust in both candidates. (I'm not attacking either party, just stating that I'm not 100% comfortable with either choice).  I think it's sad that we've gotten to a place in our society where this is the case.  The person that rises to the top isn't necessarily the most honest or doesn't share the same moral viewpoint as what the Bible spells out. 

What are some other specific examples you can think of where we give each other passes?

BFFs

Read Proverbs 13:20
Our growth in being trustworthy can be directly traced to those we intentionally have chosen to walk with. What are some important ways we gain wisdom from our friends?

Like our devotional last week about the importance of words, I think friends come in a close second.  Think about how much influence your friends can have on you - both good and bad.  It's so important to surround ourselves with friends that will lift us up, that we can learn from and that will keep us accountable in walking a straight path.

Remember the study we did a while back called "Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith?"  It was by Andy Stanley - the brown book with the funky looking tree on the cover?  One of our sessions was on this exact passage in Proverbs.  The session was called Providential Relationships.  How God can use relationships to grow our faith. You can go back and listen to it here if you like.  

One of the things Stanley says at the very end is this:

"Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life."

Can you think of friends that have been 'providential relationships' for you?  What about friends you wish maybe you had steered clear from?

Simply stated

Read James 5:12
James reflects Jesus teaching and urges the Christians to keep their interactions with one another clean, honest and uncluttered by exaggerated promises. Why do you think he started this verse with, “But most of all”?

The way I read this verse, "but most of all" indicates that James is placing this teaching as the most important thing for the reader to remember.  So, he's saying that refraining from swearing is more important than:

• being patient for the Lord's coming, and in the meantime, preparing our hearts
• not grumbling or blaming others

Above all else, we are to refrain from exaggeration and swearing.  By simply stating what we are saying, we will be seen as honest and truthful.

I have to admit - I struggle with this question in understanding why he places this as the biggest thing to pay attention to - above patience, preparing our hearts for the Lord, and not grumbling.  How do you feel about this?

Word.

Read Romans: 11: 33 to 12:2
In the darkness - our thoughts, feelings and will, the hold of our culture, our unfiltered destructive auto-responses to hurt, anger, jealousy, and sexual stimuli live with power. Where do we find freedom?

The easy answer? Jesus.  We find freedom in Jesus and His Word.  How awesome that our loving God gives us the gift of the Bible to help us keep our path straight and righteous!  But we must put in the effort to do as Paul instructs, to renew and transform our mind so that when faced with questions and choices of how we should act and behave, we will clearly and undoubtedly know what we should do.

One of the things I'm challenging myself to do is to make a more concerted effort to memorize scripture.  It's started with my Bible Basics class - we are required to memorize one assigned verse a week - but I'm hoping to continue to assign myself verses to memorize well after the class has ended.  In just the 3-4 weeks that I've been doing this, it's been amazing how much more confident I feel just having a few verses tucked away in my heart.

What are some ways you transform and renew your mind?

Sixty minutes

Read Proverbs 4:20-27, 5:1-23,
Pay close attention, get wisdom, listen to instruction, pay attention, above all else guard your heart. Hidden deep in our hearts is a battle for life. Meditate on Proverbs 4:18:   

 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

 For your day today set your alarm to remind you to read it once every 60 minutes.

 Surprise!  I set the blog up so that it would publish first thing this morning, so that you have this devotion to start your day.  I challenge you to do as the devotion says - literally, set your alarm to meditate on Proverbs 4:18 every 60 minutes.  That means if you've got a 12 hour day, you'll meditate on this verse a dozen times.  By then, you should have it memorized!

Jesus: Our True Moral Compass

Read I Corinthians 6:18 -20
Our culture teases us to the edge of disaster, and then mocks us as we step over. The Bible gives great incentive for evaluating what is influencing us and realistically setting up strong boundaries. How can your actions protect your heart for God?

As I think about the pressures and values that our culture bombards us with, it seems like as Christians, we're constantly asked to paddle against the current of our modern day world.  How do we accomplish this when it seems like such an uphill (or upstream?) battle? 

The first thing Jesus instructs us to do in this set of verses is to flee from sexual immorality.  Don't just back away slowly...RUN! Secondly, we've been discussing that there are no different degrees to sin, but in this set of verses, Jesus actually seems to set sexual immorality apart - He says it's the only sin we commit against our own body, which is to be a temple for the Holy Spirit. 

Isn't that interesting that Jesus draws a distinction specifically about sexual sin; but our culture does the exact opposite?  Sexual promiscuity and immorality most often aren't viewed as such a big deal to our society: sex before marriage is 'just the way it is' or affairs 'just happen'. 

The way I see it is, I have one True moral compass in this world, and it's not dictated by what the world tells me.  It's what Jesus tells me.  And no matter how "backwards" it may seem from the ways our culture, it's my truth, it's what should fill my heart, it's what I should live by, and it's what I should teach my children to live by.  It's a tall order, but it's absolutely necessary.

Wek 5, Day 1: The heart of the matter

Day 1
Read Matthew 5: 27-32, Matthew 15: 19-20
Jesus raises the bar on all that is good, perfect and righteous. What do you see as significant in these verses?

The significant things I see in the first set of verses is first, what Jesus defines as adultery.  I think we all would say that adultery is having an affair with someone who is not your spouse.  But Jesus takes it much farther than that.  Just looking at someone with lustful eyes is wrong.  And if we do find ourselves in a dangerous situation, or find ourselves lusting after someone else, Jesus calls for drastic measures to ensure that we don't do it again.  Whatever it is that might tempt you, get rid of it.  If it's on your computer, get rid of it.  If it's at a particular event or place, quit going there.  If it's on t.v., quit watching it. 

In addition to that, Jesus also calls attention to our hearts in the second set of verses, saying that from the heart comes evil thoughts.  As Christians, we should constantly be working on our own hearts, constantly striving for more purity.

In Psalm 51:10, David asks God for a pure heart in a psalm written after he had an affair with Bathsheba. 

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

And in Proverbs 4:23 we read:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

These verses clearly show that it's what is in the heart that counts.  

Week 4, Day 4: Relationship Roadblocks

Day 4
Matthew 5:23 -24, Proverbs 22:4
When has a relational situation so dominated your thinking that it has stood between you and God? If this is presently the issue, what will you do to make this right? Submission to these verses - gets you in sync with what God is doing in your heart.

I struggled with this question today.  I struggled with finding any one situation that seemed to 'fit' the scenario.  But the more I've thought about it, the more I can come up with several examples that have caused a rift or a distortion in my relationship with God.  For example: struggling with the choices someone else is making and trying to make sense of it all, or trying to process the way a friend has badly treated you...I think sometimes we try to carry these burdens ourselves, or we look to ourselves to be the Judge or the "Fixer" or "Healer".  And the more I find myself trying to fill God's role, so to speak, the further away from Him I can become. 

Week 4, Day 3 - Pain Points

Day 3

Matthew 5:5, Romans 8:1-9
Do you see yourself as God sees you? God has done what the law could not do; he placed his Spirit in our lives to change us from within. God assures us of his love and he gives us the ability to act on his behalf as a light in this world. Note an opportunity today when you could act out of God’s presence within rather than out of anger.

Jill asked me to do this post today and now I can see why?  Our vendor is in town this week and we have been meeting with users.  This is an absolutely necessary step in our implementation, but it is also one of the most painful steps.  We are meeting with people to talk about "pain" points, which could easily be called "ANGER" points.   Picking an opportunity today where I responded out of anger would have been easy.  This question reminded me I should exercise control over how I respond to people not just because I am a "new creation in Christ" but because everyone, believer or not, is an image bearer of God.  We are ALL made in God's image and as such we all fall short.  I hope tomorrow I can respond out of the humility of God's grace because I deserve to be "yelled" at by Him.

Week 4, Day 2: Sticks and Stones

Day 2
Matthew 5:21-22, James 3:6, 9-10
How serious does God take our anger? Why does James say our words matter?
Does anger have a hook in you today?

 Remember that old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"?  I remember saying that when I was in grade school.  It might have been in response to someone teasing me about my glasses (I wore bifocals, if you can believe it) or defending my best friend on the playground, or something like that.  It seemed like just a silly little saying at the time - an easy come back in any little kid's arsenal of responses: "I know you are, but what am I?", "Liar, liar, pants on fire", or as I got older with a little more attitude, "This is an A & B conversation, so C your way out of it!"

But as I reflect on it now as an adult, saying "words will never hurt me" is simply not true.  Words can be very hurtful.  They are so powerful, and can stick with someone for a long time, perhaps forever.  Jesus obviously knew about the power of words because the Bible is filled with verses cautioning us to think about the words that leave our mouths. Here's just a few:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

 I don't know about you, but it seems like when I'm angry or upset, words seem to come a little quicker and I get a case of "diarrhea of the mouth."  They seem to just tumble out of my mouth and there are certainly times that I wish I could take back what I've said to someone.  Think about how much better our world would be if we all ONLY spoke what was helpful for building up others, like what Paul writes to the Ephesians.  I think we'd all be much happier :-)

Week 4, Day 1: Love and Lattes

Read Matthew 5:21-26
People matter to God. Our relationships are the most important things we have. Jesus put it this way; the most important commandment is Love for God and Love for others. What have you said or done today that has been reflective of that commandment? What has not been reflective of that commandment? What’s it like to be on the other side of you?

I'm finding that with a child, I often have many opportunities to either take the 'high road of Love' or the 'low road of Anger.'  I'll try to briefly describe an incident that happened today:

We have almost zero food in the house.  So, Ellie and I went grocery shopping after a workout at the gym.  Grocery shopping is my one time that I usually indulge in a Starbucks latte - today was no different.  I love you Pumpkin Spice.  Anyhoo, as I'm in the soup aisle looking for Chicken Gumbo, I fail to see that for the five seconds I've turned my attention away from Ellie, she has managed to pull my latte out of the cup holder and is holding it upside down, watching all of the pumkin-y goodness pour out of the cup and onto her, her favorite doll, the grocery cart, and all my groceries.  If I had taken the 'low road of anger,' I would have probably gotten pretty upset AT Ellie and even perhaps shed a few tears.  (Yes, I'll admit it).  The blood pressure would have risen to an unhealthy level and I could have easily lost it in the middle of the grocery store.  But today, thank goodness, the grace and love of God was with me and I managed to take it in stride; I even told Ellie it was MY fault for leaving the cup within her reach (I'm sure she appreciated that) and managed to have a laugh or two about it after a nice Hy Vee employee helped me clean up the floor and after I had removed Ellie's pants, shoes, and doll that had all gotten a latte baptism.

I will be the first to admit that many times, though, this is not my instinctual reaction.  Sometimes I have a short fuse, and it's very easy to get upset or angry at the situation.  In fact, just last week while making dinner, after a pile of stuff had fallen from the pantry, after the second box of cereal had been spilled on the floor, I lost it.  I remember yelling, "Why does it have to be so hard!?!"  I started crying.  Ellie started crying.  I'm sure the cat was crying too.

In a split second, we have a choice.  Are we going to react with love or with anger?  Think back to our discussion a couple weeks ago about bridging the gap between Christians and Muslims - we are again faced with a choice of love or hostility.  The more I study God's Word; the more it permeates my very soul -- the more times I will choose love. 

At least I drank some of the latte before it spilled all over the jeans!

Week 3, Day 4: People pleasers

Day 4
Matthew 5:18-20, John 12:42-43
The Pharisees and teachers of the law (Sadducees) had become religious bookkeepers,
earning their own way and miserable in their counting. They also knew how to make other
people miserable. Impression Management and People Pleasing keep us from the joy of
God’s word. Has this become a part of your life? If yes, how?

 I think we all fall susceptible to people pleasing and trying to impress upon others what we feel is our best self, or what we feel is important.  I would be lying if I didn't say this is a struggle for me sometimes.  I think especially as a female, there's even more pressure to look your best, look the way society thinks you should look, and act a certain way.  But when we succumb to those pressures, we're looking for validation from the world, and not God.

But the great thing about God is, it doesn't matter the way you look, or if you say the right things or not.  He loves you just the way you are, and wants you to be your own self.  More importantly, your self should be rooted in Jesus Christ.  And then shining the love and light of Jesus Christ should come all the more naturally.  :-)

Week 3, Day 3: Practice what you preach

Day 3
Read Matthew 5:19
What does this verse reveal about what God calls “great”? How does that compare with
what you call “great”?

 According to this verse, God literally calls those great that practice and teach the commands that He gave.  He doesn't call those great that only teach His commands, but don't practice it.  We all must practice what we preach, so to speak, and (I think) in some cases, don't preach - just practice!!

I think sometimes we might consider others "great" based on their outward appearance, or what they say.  But it's what's inside that really counts. 

Week 3, Day 2: Authority and Confidence

Day 2

Read Matthew 5:18-19, 2 Timothy 3:14-16
In what ways, if any, does your confidence in God’s word shape the advice you give others? In what area of your relationships is this most difficult? What holds you back (fear, hurry, anger, fatigue, doubt)?

 I am home this morning after teaching a PE class to some of YHS finest 9th graders and thought I would jump in for Jill for a change.  So here goes nothing.

Paul confidently gives advice to Timothy because of the authority he knows rests in the teachings of Jesus.  Through the apologetics class I have been taking it has become clear to me how rich our faith in Jesus should be.  Knowing how rich it is has also given me confidence to share Jesus with others.  I have let my enthusiasm for the class I'm taking spill over in to my interactions with others.  Telling people about the great book your reading can be a easy door opener.  I can also share like a person standing on the authority of our Lord.

As far as difficult goes I think my work relationships are definitely a hard place to share Christian advice.  The truth is I still worry about what others will think of me.  Through this series, our Lifegroup, and my institute class I am feeling the confidence rising.  It is amazing what the word of God can do!

Jesus, the game changer

Day 1
Read Matthew 5:17-20, Luke 24:13-49
Who is Jesus? Who does he think he is? And who is he in fact? The scribes and Pharisees were intent on following rules and Jesus stepped in and said he was the answer to all that they were striving to accomplish. Jesus said everything in the Old Testament orbited around him. Is that a game changer?

I have to say that this series and the other studies I'm doing right now are completely blowing me away.  It is absolutely amazing to me how God is using everything I'm doing: women's bible study, Bible Basics class, and this sermon series to speak to me.  It's all been connecting.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Our first chapter in our women's bible study class included the story about the 'Road to Emmaus', then I read about it again in my Bible Basics homework.  Not to mention that the study I'm doing for women's bible study is all about Jesus in the Old Testament.  It's just so cool to see how everything is connecting.  Before this, I typically thought of the Old Testament as "pre-Jesus" and the New Testament as "post-Jesus."  These studies are causing me to think and look a little closer at the Old Testament and realize that even from the beginning, it all points to our savior, Jesus Christ.

Week 2, Day 5: Fishers of Men

Day 5
Read Mark 1:14-20
The invitation to these four men on that warm afternoon on the Sea of Galilee is to us too. “You can be part of this great fishing expedition of getting my children under my umbrella of love and grace”.

 What part of this passage stands out to you most?  For me, it's the immediate response of Simon, Andrew, John and James.  Once Jesus extended the invitation to them to follow him, they left immediately.  There was absolutely no hesitation, no "I'll-be-ready-in-twenty-minutes-because-i-have-to-pack", no tearful goodbyes to family members.

So often I find that when Jesus calls me to do something, I take my sweet time doing it.  Sometimes I'll question whether it's something He really wants me to do; or I'll try to come up with a million excuses why I'm not fit for the job.  I should learn from these four disciples and their willingness to drop everything immediately for Jesus.

One last fun thing: I can't help but think of the Sunday School song we used to sing...

I will make you fishers of men, fishers of me, fishers of men

 I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.

I tried finding a video of this song just for fun, and somehow landed on this 'updated' version.  I thought it was appropriate given our recent discussions about, ahem, modern translations of the Bible.  Couldn't resist sharing :-)

Week 2, Day 4: God's Pot 'O Gold

Day 4
Matthew 25:14-30
God’s given each of us a capacity to further his ministry here on earth. He wants us to be multiplying for good – leveraging impact on earth. Who was the only person in this account that failed? Thank God today for what’s in our hands and let the spirit move you forward.

I think the first question is fairly straightforward and we read that the servant that failed was the one given one bag of gold and didn't do anything with it to make it grow. I have to admit that in the past when I've read this story, I've had a hard time with the way this last servant was so harshly treated.  I mean, my thought always was - well, at least he took no risk and didn't lose the gold.  Didn't the first two servants run that risk by investing the gold?  But as I think about it even more, the last servant did take a risk - he didn't even put the gold in a safe place.  He put it in the ground where it could have been easily dug up by thieves or even animals.  The safest place would have been in the bank, so it would have at least earned interest, just like the master says in the story.  But because of fear, the last servant hides the gold in the ground, with no chance of it increasing or multiplying whatsoever.

Think about what God has given you.  Are you afraid of what He's given you and therefore haven't done anything with it?  Don't be like the last servant and bury it in the ground. As today's devotion says, let the Spirit move you forward!

Week 2 Day 3 devotion: God's Players

Day 3
Read Acts 4:1-4
God who is sovereign invites us to be his players in this world with boldness and confidence in his ability to use us as he chooses. What was the message that turned the world upside down? What were the two responses to the message given by the apostles?

In this passage, we read about Peter and John preaching the good news about Jesus.  The fact that He died for our sins but conquered death and rose again!  This message evoked two very different responses: on one hand, the government officials seized Peter and John and locked them up because they were greatly disturbed.  On the other hand, this passage notes that others took Peter and John's message to heart and believed.

Why do you think the priests and Sadducees were so disturbed?  And, on the other hand, comment on the fact that so many - about 5,000 - believed in the Good News all because of these two men.  How does this relate to your own walk with God and what He's called you to do?

Week 2, Day 2: No condemnation!

John 3:17
Imagine if we let this truth frame our every encounter and relationship. Nicodemus was challenged with a truth that changed the way he looked at everything. His view of God was altered. Jesus came to die for people far from God. He exchanges their condemnation with the gift of his holy life. Jesus is God’s good news! When did you first understand this? Who took time to help you understand this wonderful message?

What a refreshing verse to read today!  And how lucky are we to have a God that cares so deeply for us that He sent His Son to not condemn our world, but to save it!  I became a Christian at a fairly early age - I think I was seven - but at that young of an age, can we truly appreciate the sacrifice made on our behalf? I'm not saying that at that age children can't grasp the concept of Christianity and begin their new life in Him, but I think our relationship with Christ is certainly at a different level at that stage of life compared to our teen years and into adulthood.  I'm thankful for how long I've been a daughter of God, and even more thankful that with each year of my earthly life, I gain new experiences that only deepen my gratitude, humility, and understanding of what this message truly means for me.

Week 2, Day 1 Devotional

Day 1
Read John 3:16
“For God so loved the world…” This doesn’t say God loves those who do something for him. God loves us as we are! Every time you see someone today remind yourself of this wonderful truth – “God loves him or her”. Every time you look in the mirror remind yourself – “God loves me”.

Today's devotional is fairly straight forward and simple.  Although, it's 4:30 pm and I have yet to look at myself in the mirror once today to remind myself that God loves me.  With the day I've had, I think it'd be a good idea :-)

The King Speaks: day 4 devotion

Read Matthew 5:14, Romans 13:11-14 and Ephesians 5:8-15
As you go through today, find two opportunities today to bring light into the lives of others through the visibility of goodness, righteousness and truth.

 Since we're only part-way through the day, I haven't any examples yet to share; aside from bringing light to my little one. She woke up a grumpy bear today.  Rather than being grumpy right along with her (which is easy for me to do), I decided to instead stay cheerful, be patient and shower her with love.

We'll see what the day brings for my second example!

The King Speaks: devotion day 3

Great job to everyone for keeping up on the daily devotions! We have loved your comments!  Here's todays:

Read Jesus's words in Matthew 5:13
In light of Romans 12:1-2, how will you continue to expose yourself to truth on a regular basis?

Basically, these verses say two different things:

• Don't lose your 'saltiness' - in other words, don't lose who you are in Christ, otherwise, how can you be a Godly example to others in this world?

And in Romans, he shows us how we keep our 'saltiness:'

•  Don't conform to the way our world operates; instead, fill your mind with the wisdom and instruction of God.

As you all know, I'm beginning this new season of life of not working outside the home and focusing primarily on raising Ellie.  While this change has involved some sacrifices, it does afford me the opportunity to participate more in some of the offerings of our church.  Hopefully, I'm not overdoing it, but this fall, I'm doing Women's Bible Study, MOPs, AND doing the Bible Basics class on Sunday mornings with my sister.  (Did I mention I haven't seen a 7AM class since college? I don't think it' going to be very pretty!)  If I can't renew my mind by doing these things, then I don't know what will! I'm praying that this time in my life is a time that I can truly deepen and enrich my relationship with Christ, and bring it to a whole new level of 'saltiness'!

The King Speaks: Day 5 devotion

Read again Matthew 5:13-16
God is up to something. He’s doing something in your world and you are invited to play a role. Today meditate on the part that you could play in God’s unfolding plan of calling those in your world into his kingdom.

Sorry for the late post today. Our Internet was down!

When I see a question like this, I think about some of my closest friends and how I can be their "light" so to speak. I know that my behavior and character do not go unnoticed. So for now, I continue to try to live as Christ instructs me and pray for an opportunity for a deeper conversation.

The King Speaks: daily devotion day 2

Here's the devotion for today. I heard back from the church and it just looks like I happened to check the website yesterday at a weird time.  I checked the website today and they now have the week 2 devotions posted.  From how they are labeled, and how it's explained to me, week 2 are the ones that we should be doing this week.  So, here's day 2 for week 2:

Read Matthew 5:10-12

Think about the many decisions you make each day from the biggest to the smallest.
Write down one area where a decision you make or action you take today might become more intentional and strategic in the big picture of what Christ values.

 Boy, this one's a bit tough for me.  It seems that a lot of the decisions I make daily seem mostly small and trivial.  But as I dissect this question, I first ask: "What really is the big picture of what Christ values?"  Based on the scriptures in this devotion, he values his followers who stick up for their belief in Him, no matter the consequences.  He values our striving to be righteous (though we may fall short).  Quite simply, He values our belief in Him.  He values our devotion to Him.  And we are to delight in that belief, even if it means that perhaps we are persecuted for it.

So I have to look at the decisions that I'm making as not so small and trivial anymore.  Even the little things are noticed by others.  Whether I choose to react to something Ellie does with frustration or grace; whether I choose to take the few extra seconds to warmly greet the childcare provider at the gym or hurry along to my dance jam class; whether I choose to greet Ron when he comes home with attention and love, or a scowl because I think I had a rough day changing poopy diapers...it's all a reflection of whether or not I'm striving to be more like what Christ calls me to be.  So I guess to answer the question, one area that might become more intentional is in the small things, though thinking through this question they don't seem so small anymore.

The King Speaks: week 1, day 1

Here's the daily devotion for today:

Living like the King begins with transformational thinking – transforming your mind. Pray today that God would transform your mind over these next several months. Read through Matthew 5:1-16. How does all that Jesus calls us to be make us salt and light?

Matthew 5:1-10 are the Beatitudes, and for me, they are a call to action of how I should act and behave as a Christian.  If I practice what Jesus preaches in this sermon, I can show others the light and love of Jesus Christ, and the unbelievable gift and promise that He offers us.

I really like The Message translation of the last part of verses 13-16. (not so much the Beatitudes, though :-)

¹³ “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

^14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Long time no see!

Hello everyone!  It's one of my favorite times of the year: school has started, leaves begin to turn, weather begins to cool, FOOTBALL games and LIFEGROUP starts back up! 

Thanks to all of you for your quick input on getting our meetings started again.  I've put together a schedule based on your feedback that you can take a look at on the calendar (see right).  We'll have our first meeting September 9.  Ron and I hope to have a study picked out so we can dive right in.  We'll also be rotating locations between the VP's, Zessin's and Carter's (through October); starting with the VP's on September 9.  I've worked our house into the rotation starting in December, giving Ron a hard deadline to get our basement done :-)

I've also built in two hang outs: one in October for Halloween and one in December for a Christmas Party.  I'd love to also get some girl's nights and guys nights on the calendar as well, but those would have to be on weeknights or Saturday's, so we'll have to figure out what works best for everyone before we get those down on paper the Google calendar.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and studying God's Word with all of you.  Hope you all have a blessed week!

What's your score?

So following up from the last question, today's post is a real easy one.  In the comments below, just put what your average result was for question #1. If that's all the time you have for (and remember, it will only take you 2 - 3 minutes), great.  If you've got a couple minutes on top of that, add whether you think your score is accurate.

My score:  1.15.

Two minutes

Look at question 1 of this week's personal study.  It asks you to rate several statements and then tally your score to determine to what degree you are a people pleaser.  It will literally take you two minutes.  I know this because I timed myself.  Two minutes and 14 seconds, to be exact, was the time it took me to answer the questions, add up my points and average them out to find that I am "occasionally a people pleaser."

So, as you read this, pause and take 2 minutes...I'll give you three if you need it, to grab your study and complete the questions.

Done?  Good.  Would you say your average response number seems true of you?  Why or why not?

For me, I'm a bit surprised I'm not in the category of "frequently a people pleaser."  Maybe I answered some of the questions a certain way to please myself and give myself a lower average :-)

Seriously slacking

Hey everyone.  So, I've been seriously slacking with this blog. It's certainly been longer than I would like from the last post published about our study. So...back on the wagon!!  As we prepare for session 4, Pleasing God, think about the following quote:

The Christian who care only for God's approval lives free of the tyranny of conformist pressures, relaxed under the steady direction of the God who loves us and gives himself for us.  Those who try to please the world by their good behavior very quickly find themselves under the unkind surveillance of a thousand critics.   --Eugene H. Peterson, A Year With Jesus

Take five minutes to be still and think about this quote.  Put into practice what we've been learning through this study!

Everything

The passage from Psalm 127 repeatedly stresses the futility of self reliance -- anything not undertaken in partnership with God is "wasted," no good," and "useless." In contrast to working anxiously to provide for ourselves, God invites us to be his loved ones, to rely on his provision, and to demonstrate our trust by accepting his gift of rest.

How does self-reliance evidence itself in the choices you make about things like how to spend your time, how hard your work, or how anxious you feel about your security?

For me, there's definitely a fair amount of self-reliance going on in my life!  Working in partnership with God, more so relying on God, is something that I have to think about and make a concerted effort.  Wouldn't it be nice if it became second nature? I can only imagine how much more peaceful and "zen" my life might be.  Meditating on this idea makes me think of a song that Rob sings at church sometimes..."Everything". Take note of the lyrics below - God should even be in our sleeping and our resting.  This song is all about relying on God, and less on yourself.

God in my living,
there in my breathing
God in my waking,
God in my sleeping
God in my resting,
there in my working
God in my thinking,
God in my speaking

Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything

God in my hoping,
there in my dreaming
God in my watching,
God in my waiting
God in my laughing,
there in my weeping
God in my hurting,
God in my healing

Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything

Christ in me, Christ in me Christ in me, the hope of glory You are everything
Christ in me, Christ in me Christ in me, the hope of glory Be my everything

Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything

God in my hoping,
there in my dreaming
God in my watching,
God in my waiting
God in my laughing,
there in my weeping
God in my hurting,
God in my healing

Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything
Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything Be my everything, be my everything

Christ in me, Christ in me Christ in me, the hope of glory You are everything
You are everything, You are everything You are everything, You are everything

Jesus, everything, Jesus, everything Jesus, everything, Jesus everything

Resting in the Roost

Read these two great passages in Psalm:

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  (Psalm 116:7)

 Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.  It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. (Psalm 127:1-2 NLT)

Today's question informs us that the Hebrew word used for "rest" in Psalm 116 is manoah, which means resting place.  The root word conveys the image of a roost or a place to land.  Like birds, souls need a place to roost and rest in safety.  Which image bests describes your soul right now --a bird in constant flight with no place to land or a bird safely resting on a roost? Why?

Hindsight is 20/20

Today's question is a pretty cool exercise.  Think of a commitment you made that you later regretted making.  Maybe it's an ongoing commitment for something like volunteer work, or maybe it was just a one time event.  Imagine that this is a commitment you haven't made yet.  Briefly describe the commitment and then use the three questions below to evaluate the commitment:

• Is this right or wrong?  (Yes or no, and why?)
• Will I enjoy this?
• Is this wise in light of my desire to stay grounded in what matters most to me and God?

Then to follow up, think about these questions:

• Would your responses to each of the above questions lead you to make a different decision? Or would it have been the same? Why?
• When you think about your existing commitments, which (if any) wouldn't pass the third question above?
• What prevents you from stepping down from these commitments?

For me, the thing I think of happened back in college my senior year.  Going into that year, I had committed to being the producer for our on campus TV station.  This made sense for me as that is what my major was: broadcast journalism.  So career-wise, it made sense. It seemed right at the time.  I also thought I'd enjoy it.  However, once I got into it, I realized that it was a lot of hours that I wasn't prepared for.  I had already been involved in dance team, my sorority, student senate, and a variety of other activities.  I just didn't have the time to commit to the job. Based on this reality, I would say that it wasn't wise of me to commit to.  I was only adding to my full schedule, pushing out time for God and adding in more things that ultimately ended up just creating more stress for me.

I finally ended up talking it over with a good friend, and stepped down from the commitment.  This ended up being the right decision for me.  I had to weigh how much was enough for advancing my career, while also balancing other activities and time.  I decided that my job at the local TV station would be the better item on my resume for my career path, and that my other commitments outside of that were more important.  After I stepped down, I felt a huge sense of relief. 

Alone time

If you aren't reading the 'in between' questions in our Weird study right now, you totally should.  I've been trying to pick out just a few to blog about, but they're all REALLY good this week.  I would encourage you to take some time and read through them :-)

For today, it's on to question #2:

Jesus was often in high demand, but he never allowed those demands to control him.  In fact, he typically took time out from his work to rest and pray.  (Read Mark 6:30-32).  Based on these passages, answer the following:

• What do you notice about when Jesus chose to rest?
• How did Jesus choose to rest? What conditions were essential?
• How did Jesus' decisions related to rest acknowledge his human limitations and dependence on God?
• Are you able to choose times of intentional rest in the midst of your schedule, or do you take only the rest you can get when your schedule allows?
• Overall, would you say your decisions about when and how to rest acknowledge or defy your human limitations?  Affirm or deny your dependence on God?

Pick one of the bullets above and comment on it.  For me,  I'll talk about the first two and the example Jesus provides us about resting.  What I notice about this passage is a couple of things: a) He rested after completing a task.  He didn't quit in the middle of teaching a crowd of people, but did so after they were done. b) He rested when his body was physically in need of rest.  They didn't even have time to eat.  Instead of pushing on, He made his disciples rest as well as himself.  c) resting involved being quiet and alone.  I don't know about you, but I only have a few times during the day where it's quiet and I'm alone.  But I think this is an important thing to try and do if you really want rest. Good rest.  Rejuvenating rest.

I love how practical the Bible can be for us.   I can immediately apply the steps that Jesus took to rest to my life.

But no rest for right now - I think the baby just woke up from her nap.  See ya!

Pace of life

The first question for the 'between-sessions personal study' is pretty easy and straightforward.  Refer to your participant's guides and answer the five sub-questions of question #1.  Don't worry - they're mostly all multiple choice, and I promise it'll take you less than five minutes.

Done?  Okay.  Based on your responses, how would you describe the impact your pace of life has on you - physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually?  Pick one of these to discuss on the comments on this blog.

For me, going through this exercise might be a little skewed.  Transitioning from working full time, to then part time, to then staying home full time with Ellie - I feel like I have a surplus of time right now.  I'd say I'm in the 'honeymoon phase' of stay-at-hom-mom-dom right now.  Don't get me wrong - it's not like I'm sitting at home eating bonbons all day.  I stay plenty busy keeping up with Ellie and keeping our house in order, but compared to doing it all while also working...presently, I'm feeling fairly well balanced. 

For this question, I'll discuss how my pace of life has impacted me relationally.  More specifically, my relationship with Ron.  A lot has changed in the last month.  We no longer drive together to work, so we don't have that 30-60 minutes of talking with just the two of us.  But on the other hand, we have more time in the evening as Ron isn't coaching soccer right now.  But, there are many times that Ron will be home from work, and once Ellie's gone to bed, I'll busy myself by doing housework.  My reason?  Because if I do it now while Ellie's sleeping, I won't have to do it tomorrow when she's awake and I can spend more time with her.  This is good for my relationship with Ellie, but where does that leave my relationship with Ron? With every choice I make about how I spend my time, there's an opportunity cost involved.  I'm trying to do a better job of balancing this so that I can spend time with BOTH my husband and my daughter.

The narrow gate

Today's question is question #3 from the Weird personal study time for this week. 

The broad route is often the normal route, the one most people follow. But Jesus taught that the broad route won't lead us to the life he wants us to have:

"Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14)."

The metaphor of broad and narrow gates implies that there are some things that won't fit through a narrow gate.  What might you have to let go of in order to pass through the small gate or walk the narrow road that leads to life?

 Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Charting our "normal"

The first question of the "Between Sessions Personal Study" is:

Use the following chart to briefly assess what constitutes "normal" in your life right now..  For each area of life, consider attitudes as well as behaviors.  How do you typically think, feel and act in this area?  Areas include:

• Pace of Life (flexibility, scheduling, levels of fatigue or rest)

•  Personal Finances (earning, giving, saving, spending, debt)

• Relationships (family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors)

• Marriage/Dating/Sexuality (intimacy, connection, affirmation, communication, commitment, integrity)

•  Spiritual Life (desire for God, practice of spiritual disciplines - prayer, solitude, journaling, etc. - growth in love of God and others

•  Other

I'll start with one of ours by talking about personal finances.  We're starting a new normal by living on one income, so it will be an adjustment.  I've got a set budget, though somewhat loose.  We still tithe 10% to the church, and also support our friends' ministry in Africa.  Debt for us includes our mortgage and my student loans.  I'm hopeful that while reducing our income, we'll still be able to save the same amount each month we always have, and make adjustments elsewhere.   On two incomes, we were able to save about 1/3 of our take home pay.  Now with one income, it'd be a little less than half.  Do you suppose this is "normal" for our culture?  I like to think we're ahead of the curve in this area :-)  On the other hand, doesn't having a mortgage and students loans seem completely normal to our society?  Wouldn't it be weird and so awesome if we didn't have those debts! 

Pick one of the areas you've reflected on and would be willing to share in the comments below. 

Weird

After our discussion in January about spiritual goals and resolutions, it was clear to us that we needed a study that would invigorate our relationships with Jesus.  And help us get out of our "normal" routines.  We heard people say they wanted to pray more, pray more intentionally, not be afraid to tell their story, be committed, and spend more time in the Word.

So, we found a Weird study.  Literally, it's called Weird: because normal isn't working.  It's by the same author who wrote The Christian Atheist, which I also think would be a cool study to do sometime.  But for now, we're going to focus on being weird.  The study's six sessions include these topics:

1. The God Kind of Weird
2. It's Time to Be Weird
3. Weird That Money Can't Buy
4. Pleasing God Is Weird
5. Weird Makes You Truly Sexy
6. The Weirdest Blessing Possible

We pray that this study will uniquely apply to each of you, and at the end of it all, you will be changed.

We look forward to starting this study with you all on February 12th at our house.  (For a full schedule, visit our google calendar, or I've added a widget to this blog on the right sidebar :-)

Welcome 2012!

Hello everybody!  We hope you had a great Christmas and New Year's celebrations!  Ron and I will certainly always remember our Christmas this year - not just because it was Ellie's first, but because we had food poisoning on Christmas morning!  Thankfully, it only lasted 24 hours, and we both pray we never, ever have to endure that again. 

As we think about starting up our bible study time again in 2012, I wanted to run by you all the plan we'd like to have moving forward. 

As we discussed at some of our last meetings, we'd like to task the group with two things for the start of this year:

1. Consider what your spiritual New Year's resolutions might be for this year.
2. Consider a serve opportunity that you would like the group to do.

We will be discussing both of these items at a get together on Sunday, January 15 at the Carson house.  Same time: 4:00 p.m.  At this get together, we will also plan out the month of February (and possibly into March) to execute everyone's serve idea.  For example, we might assign the Carson's to coordinate their "serve" the first Sunday in February.  Then, the VP's the following week...and so forth.  You get the idea.  As you consider what you'd like to do for your family serve, keep in mind that we have little ones and it would be fun to include them. 

We'll also take into consideration each person's spiritual resolution as we plan out our bible studies for this year. Hope that all makes sense.  We can discuss in further detail at our house on the 15th. 

Lastly, these are better late than never. Below are some pictures from our Christmas party.  Enjoy!

Enjoying our Christmas dinner!



It's a Snuggie!!



Ron loves his Mary Engelbreit Christmas bowl!

I think Ranae got the best gift - a hand blown glass fish I made in college

Ellie and Ann