It's easy to get to a point of wanting to turn away from people sometimes, especially those we dislike. However, Jesus said of us, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
He also says in Mark 12:28-31 - "‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (NASB)
I was reminded of this second verse earlier this week. God died for those whom I don't get along with just as much as He died for me. He loves them just as much as He loves me. He has commanded me to love them also.
Dear Father God, I realize that it is I who need to see others through Your eyes and not my own. Please help me to love them the way that you love them and also help them to love me the same way. In seeing each other in this way, may we fulfill Your desire that we get along peaceably in love.
Monday, January 29, 2018
When You're Running Out Of Everything
Good morning all. 💗 This is an excellent message series. The messages are only about 15-20 minutes each. They pack a bit of a punch but in a good way. If you want to be blessed, listen to this message. It has very practical answers for why the brook dries up in our lives (whatever the brook signifies for you). There are 3 parts in total but only still less than an hour.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Monday, January 22, 2018
So Will I & Reckless Love
I was on Facebook this weekend when someone mentioned the song "So Will I." I had never heard it but they had such a deep, instant connection, that I went to listen to it. It is beautiful. I happened to click on Amanda Cook from Bethel. There was another song on after it that I loved just as much or more, called Reckless Love. I love them both so much. I am sharing them so that you can hear them too. Our Heavenly father is too amazing for words. 💘💗💘 Listen and be blessed.
At 5:33 Cory starts talking about the testimony and story behind the song.
It is totally worth hearing. The lyrics are in the Show More dropdown.
The chorus: "Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God" 💗
This version of Reckless is more melodious and beautiful on its own.
Lyrics are on screen for this one.
At 5:33 Cory starts talking about the testimony and story behind the song.
It is totally worth hearing. The lyrics are in the Show More dropdown.
The chorus: "Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God" 💗
This version of Reckless is more melodious and beautiful on its own.
Lyrics are on screen for this one.
Which Bible Is Best?
:0) Hi all.
This is a rather long post but you will quickly see why. I hope I don't lose you in all the information. If you have any questions or think of something I may have left out, please feel free to let me know in the comments. ;)
I wanted to explore different types of Bibles, study methods, and possibly a few different types of worship but there must be some things that come in proper order. The most important thing is to first look at the Bible you will be using. The short answer of which one is best is whichever one will get you to keep reading. ;) Let's look at some deeper insight that might help you figure out what that is. Here we go....
Paper or Digital? Paper provides something tangible to see and to carry that doesn't require power during storms and won't be compromised in a hard drive or internet loss. However, the digital Bibles provide a buffet of resources such as commentaries, multiple translations, look-up features and highlighting, among others. With some, such as Olive Tree, you can use it on multiple devices. Any notes or highlights that you make are saved to the online server and can be accessed from any of those devices, even if it wasn't the one where you made the change. Some prefer this as a method of backup as well as portability. It is constantly readily available and able to be updated. Then, there are those of us, like me, who appreciate those features but just still prefer something I can hold in my hands.
Do you have a Bible? What translation is it? Do you feel a different one would be more beneficial to where you are going with your study? What is your focus or purpose? Obviously, you want to get closer to God. Yet, there are different methods of doing that. This post will give a bit of an over view of some of these methods. I intend to do a couple of follow up posts with more in depth information on some of them. In some cases, there are related topics to uncover, as well. But we will focus on that later.
For now, here are some common study methods:
Clearly, some of these options will not require anything other than a standard Bible. This could be one that you already have. Yet, if you are going to take notes in the margins, do inductive study or Bible journaling, you may want a Bible with specific features. The most important of these is translation.
What difference does that make? Well, it can make quite a lot of difference, actually. There are different types of translation. You need to have one that you can easily understand, so that you will want to read it. I love the King James language but even for me, as an English major, it was still a bit difficult to get through in some places. When I was given an NASB, It was like getting new glasses. The word breathed and came up off of the page for me. This made me eager to keep reading. I nearly blasted through Genesis. I still hit a bit of slow down in Leviticus or Numbers but that wasn't the translation. That was the nature of the passages. Geneologies, long building descriptions, and censuses, etc tend to be harder to get through for anyone, no matter what.
There are two main types of translation:
Word for word translations, such as the KJV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV are as close to the original text as possible, striving to literally translate word for word.
Conversely, the thought for thought (paraphrase) translations, such as NIV, NLT, and Message, seek to relay the concept without the literal word translation.
The pitfall of the thought for thought is that you, essentially, have to rely on someone else's interpretation and hope they have the context correct. With the word for word, you can draw your own conclusions about where the author was going with the words spoken or what God was really saying. Here is a link to a comparison chart of the most common translations.
The next thing that you should decide is what your purpose is. Inductive study is one option. That is a process of observing the text, interpreting its meaning and then deciding how it applies to your life. There are many acronyms out there for inductive study. One of the more popular ones is the S.O.A.P. method. This stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. I have also seen P.O.W.E.R., S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S., F.E.A.S.T. and others. Here is a list if you want to see which one you might want to use to approach your study. I'm sure there are probably even more than those, or will be. lol
If you are going to do inductive study, are you going to simply highlight and underline or are you going to do symbols? The size and style of the font may make a huge impact. Some Bibles are only 7pt in size and do not leave much, if any, room to do symbols. You may need to consider a large or giant print text. I did as much for mine. Even at 11pt, it is definitely bigger than my other Bible (8pt) but I don't think it is truly giant. I might still be able to do symbols but, depending on the ones I choose, it may be a tight fit.
If you are notetaking only in your Bible, there are many Bibles that have wider margins on the sides and bottom. This is ideal if you like to do sermon notes, definitions, or outlines in your Bible. Some people like to make a note of the date a specific passage spoke to or impacted them in a major way.
You can also, as I do, use the note taking Bible as a journaling Bible. In my case, I wanted a journaling Bible and wasn't willing to wait for one designed for that purpose. I caught an NASB (my preferred translation) NoteTaker Bible on sale for $7.99 and jumped at it. Bibles can be expensive and I was anxious to start. I can still journal in the margins with 1.2" of space but it isn't as spacious as the 2" journaling specific Bibles. I sometimes have to shrink the graphic I want to use. However, it does still function in this capacity. I don't really regret it. More space would be nice, however, I tend to look at it as the same amount of space but divided between side and bottom instead of one. Technically, it is more. 1.2" + 1.2" = 2.4"
This leads me to Bible journaling. Some may be unfamiliar with this concept. It is becoming more and more popular with the passage of time. This is a way to use your creative outlet to depict the scripture for your refereence. I will talk about this in more detail on a future post. The nutshell is that you can use many mediums to "decorate" or "personalize" your Bible. It is also a way to express worship through art. In my case, I like all of these ideas but I also prefer to look at it as writing the Word on my heart with a visual reminder. For lists, laws, promises, etc. It helps to have a picture in mind for some of these or just scriptures that you want to focus on. Not everyone will be comfortable with this method of study because some don't believe in writing in the Bible whatsoever. Some do but don't believe in covering the words whatsoever. It is totally a choice and all options are up to you.
There are 3 main types of Bibles designated for this purpose:.
This is a rather long post but you will quickly see why. I hope I don't lose you in all the information. If you have any questions or think of something I may have left out, please feel free to let me know in the comments. ;)
I wanted to explore different types of Bibles, study methods, and possibly a few different types of worship but there must be some things that come in proper order. The most important thing is to first look at the Bible you will be using. The short answer of which one is best is whichever one will get you to keep reading. ;) Let's look at some deeper insight that might help you figure out what that is. Here we go....
Paper or Digital? Paper provides something tangible to see and to carry that doesn't require power during storms and won't be compromised in a hard drive or internet loss. However, the digital Bibles provide a buffet of resources such as commentaries, multiple translations, look-up features and highlighting, among others. With some, such as Olive Tree, you can use it on multiple devices. Any notes or highlights that you make are saved to the online server and can be accessed from any of those devices, even if it wasn't the one where you made the change. Some prefer this as a method of backup as well as portability. It is constantly readily available and able to be updated. Then, there are those of us, like me, who appreciate those features but just still prefer something I can hold in my hands.
Do you have a Bible? What translation is it? Do you feel a different one would be more beneficial to where you are going with your study? What is your focus or purpose? Obviously, you want to get closer to God. Yet, there are different methods of doing that. This post will give a bit of an over view of some of these methods. I intend to do a couple of follow up posts with more in depth information on some of them. In some cases, there are related topics to uncover, as well. But we will focus on that later.
For now, here are some common study methods:
- Reading and highlighting verses that stand out or speak to you
- Notetaking inside bible only
- Notetaking but in separate notebook only
- Book/ Chapter/ Topic studies
- Inductive Study marking
- Study Bible
- Devotional Bible
- Bible Journaling
Clearly, some of these options will not require anything other than a standard Bible. This could be one that you already have. Yet, if you are going to take notes in the margins, do inductive study or Bible journaling, you may want a Bible with specific features. The most important of these is translation.
What difference does that make? Well, it can make quite a lot of difference, actually. There are different types of translation. You need to have one that you can easily understand, so that you will want to read it. I love the King James language but even for me, as an English major, it was still a bit difficult to get through in some places. When I was given an NASB, It was like getting new glasses. The word breathed and came up off of the page for me. This made me eager to keep reading. I nearly blasted through Genesis. I still hit a bit of slow down in Leviticus or Numbers but that wasn't the translation. That was the nature of the passages. Geneologies, long building descriptions, and censuses, etc tend to be harder to get through for anyone, no matter what.
There are two main types of translation:
Word for word translations, such as the KJV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV are as close to the original text as possible, striving to literally translate word for word.
Conversely, the thought for thought (paraphrase) translations, such as NIV, NLT, and Message, seek to relay the concept without the literal word translation.
The pitfall of the thought for thought is that you, essentially, have to rely on someone else's interpretation and hope they have the context correct. With the word for word, you can draw your own conclusions about where the author was going with the words spoken or what God was really saying. Here is a link to a comparison chart of the most common translations.
The next thing that you should decide is what your purpose is. Inductive study is one option. That is a process of observing the text, interpreting its meaning and then deciding how it applies to your life. There are many acronyms out there for inductive study. One of the more popular ones is the S.O.A.P. method. This stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. I have also seen P.O.W.E.R., S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S., F.E.A.S.T. and others. Here is a list if you want to see which one you might want to use to approach your study. I'm sure there are probably even more than those, or will be. lol
If you are going to do inductive study, are you going to simply highlight and underline or are you going to do symbols? The size and style of the font may make a huge impact. Some Bibles are only 7pt in size and do not leave much, if any, room to do symbols. You may need to consider a large or giant print text. I did as much for mine. Even at 11pt, it is definitely bigger than my other Bible (8pt) but I don't think it is truly giant. I might still be able to do symbols but, depending on the ones I choose, it may be a tight fit.
If you are notetaking only in your Bible, there are many Bibles that have wider margins on the sides and bottom. This is ideal if you like to do sermon notes, definitions, or outlines in your Bible. Some people like to make a note of the date a specific passage spoke to or impacted them in a major way.
You can also, as I do, use the note taking Bible as a journaling Bible. In my case, I wanted a journaling Bible and wasn't willing to wait for one designed for that purpose. I caught an NASB (my preferred translation) NoteTaker Bible on sale for $7.99 and jumped at it. Bibles can be expensive and I was anxious to start. I can still journal in the margins with 1.2" of space but it isn't as spacious as the 2" journaling specific Bibles. I sometimes have to shrink the graphic I want to use. However, it does still function in this capacity. I don't really regret it. More space would be nice, however, I tend to look at it as the same amount of space but divided between side and bottom instead of one. Technically, it is more. 1.2" + 1.2" = 2.4"
This leads me to Bible journaling. Some may be unfamiliar with this concept. It is becoming more and more popular with the passage of time. This is a way to use your creative outlet to depict the scripture for your refereence. I will talk about this in more detail on a future post. The nutshell is that you can use many mediums to "decorate" or "personalize" your Bible. It is also a way to express worship through art. In my case, I like all of these ideas but I also prefer to look at it as writing the Word on my heart with a visual reminder. For lists, laws, promises, etc. It helps to have a picture in mind for some of these or just scriptures that you want to focus on. Not everyone will be comfortable with this method of study because some don't believe in writing in the Bible whatsoever. Some do but don't believe in covering the words whatsoever. It is totally a choice and all options are up to you.
There are 3 main types of Bibles designated for this purpose:.
- Traditionally blank margins, lined or unlined.
- Coloring or Illustrated Bibles - these may leave some margins for you to decide how to use but also have plenty of things for you to color if you aren't too artistic.
- Interleaved - Every other page is blank. This leaves an entire page for you to design or decorate instead of just two side margins that are separated.
Lastly, devotional Bibles are similar to study Bibles but, instead of timelines and historical types of information, the added content is more of a "food for thought" in the form of a story that sparked a personal epiphany, etc. The devotions are something that shed light on a meaning, or perspective on the Bible's context.
Both devotional and study Bibles can come with the sermon notes, devotionals or thoughts of popular preachers, teachers, and speakers. Some of these include T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Kay Arthur, Charles Stanley, John MacArthur.
Once you decide each of these things, you will get closer to having the "perfect" Bible or as close to it as possible, for this season or stage of your life. It is also possible that you may have more than one in use at a time but for different purposes. I have an NASB for journaling but I also have an NKJV for inductive study. I know other people who use one or more devotional Bibles, in different translations, and then also have a journaling bible or what have you. There is no wrong way to get into God's Word. If you feel like one Bible does it, that is all you really need. Feeding your faith is the most important thing to get out of all of this. Your approach is the only difference the rest of it makes.
I hope that I provided some insight that helped you to decide which Bible was best for you or that I may have given you thoughts or ideas that maybe sparked an interest into other forms of study. If you still aren't convinced or want to see more possibilities, keep watching for the follow-up posts on Inductive study and Bible journaling. I will update this post with the links for easier finding once they are available. ;)
There are many places to buy your Bible. My favorite is Christian Book Distributors. They have frequent sales and you can get some awesome buys on Bibles, gifts, movies, books, other things as well.
Dayspring, LifeWay, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million are some other ideas but certainly not the only ones. As it is not too far past the holiday, as of this writing, some of these sites are running clearance sales. That may or may not extend to Bibles. Dayspring, for instance has up to 70% off on selected items, some of them being Illustrated Faith supplies for Bible journaling.
Thanks for hanging in there with me to the end. I hope you have a truly blessed day/ week. <3
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Happy New Year 2018!!
Greetings all.
I would have said so much sooner but I have been quite sick for the last couple of weeks. Dratted flu first and now Acute Bronchitis and Sinusitis in its wake. I am getting better now, though, and much wanting to get back to blogging. I have been trying to get some things together both in my head and on paper before I bring them in to publish.
I have so much to share with you and need to make sure I don't lose bits of it. lol Or lead you in circles trying to follow my train. ;) I hope to get some more posts up really soon.
Until then, God bless and I pray you are all healthy, wealthy in heart, and wise through His understanding.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Good morning and explanation ;)
Hi there.
I hope I am not confusing anyone by some of these posts conflicting. I started a blog called Bits of Blessing in 2012. However, I wasn't sure how I wanted to proceed and what the exact focus was. I wasn't working at that time. I had tons of ideas. I wanted to do the blog for sure but had more interests to explore than I felt the scope of the blog could cover. Therefore, I also set a site in motion as a companion for it. That way, anything that was off topic, or I wanted to explore into lots of detail, would have a place for that which was easily accessible in looking through.
Since that time, I have gone back to work and am otherwise obligated most of the time. Last year, I also started a blog devoted to my fascination of growing plants. However, I am saddened to say that lack of time has killed off all attempts I had made. I have resolved to put that on the back burner for now until I have more time. Also, The website has links that need to be changed before I can add content. I still want to do that but it is another time issue.
I felt I needed to change the name of the blog because I noticed that there is also a BIts Of Blessings TM 2011. So, separated only by a single "s" and a TM 2011 was too close for me. So, that is where we are now. I have transferred the old posts from Bits to here. I plan to post as often as I can. I have a lot that I want to share. I hope that you find it worth your while to come back (often). ;)
God bless you all.
See you soon.
I hope I am not confusing anyone by some of these posts conflicting. I started a blog called Bits of Blessing in 2012. However, I wasn't sure how I wanted to proceed and what the exact focus was. I wasn't working at that time. I had tons of ideas. I wanted to do the blog for sure but had more interests to explore than I felt the scope of the blog could cover. Therefore, I also set a site in motion as a companion for it. That way, anything that was off topic, or I wanted to explore into lots of detail, would have a place for that which was easily accessible in looking through.
Since that time, I have gone back to work and am otherwise obligated most of the time. Last year, I also started a blog devoted to my fascination of growing plants. However, I am saddened to say that lack of time has killed off all attempts I had made. I have resolved to put that on the back burner for now until I have more time. Also, The website has links that need to be changed before I can add content. I still want to do that but it is another time issue.
I felt I needed to change the name of the blog because I noticed that there is also a BIts Of Blessings TM 2011. So, separated only by a single "s" and a TM 2011 was too close for me. So, that is where we are now. I have transferred the old posts from Bits to here. I plan to post as often as I can. I have a lot that I want to share. I hope that you find it worth your while to come back (often). ;)
God bless you all.
See you soon.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Blessings From Above and Within
I have some stuff on my heart this morning. Some of it I am sure that I am not consciously aware of. I just know that God is touching my heart. I was re-reading a previous post and started listening to "Thank You" by Ray Boltz. It is one of my favorites. That led me to think of a couple of others. I love the words to both. I feel God speaking to me through both of them. I won't go into detail but I'm sure that we all have something that draws us to be able to relate to both. I will probably post a third, as well. God bless us one and all. Draw close to Him.
We should always expect to win.
"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
~ Mark 11:24
Expect To Win - Ivan Parker
I like that the next one gives a little backstory of the writer. The first time I heard this, it became a favorite.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:5
I Can't Even Walk - Tony Greene
The last one for now is one from years ago, 1984, to be exact.
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." ~Mark 10:15
We should always expect to win.
"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
~ Mark 11:24
Expect To Win - Ivan Parker
I like that the next one gives a little backstory of the writer. The first time I heard this, it became a favorite.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:5
I Can't Even Walk - Tony Greene
The last one for now is one from years ago, 1984, to be exact.
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." ~Mark 10:15
The Warrior Is A Child - Twilah Paris
Friday, November 10, 2017
~~~~ Welcome! ~~~~
Hello! Thank you for taking time to stop by. I have been planning this for a long time, in different forms. I have started and changed and dropped and picked up again due to time or circumstance. Yet, through it all, I feel God leading me again to blog. I will transfer some content over to this blog from a previous one and then keep the new posts coming as I can. It is my hope and prayer that it may touch others and help them to get into a deeper relationship with God, themselves, and maybe even other people in connection with this page. This blog is going to be a little bit of everything. God is everywhere. To Him be the glory! He is in the soccer practice, the work commute, on the radio, at the movies, in your prayer closet and at the dinner table. He goes with you throughout the day, everywhere you go, and is always at your side. It is a humbling thing and one that we should cherish and treasure, that He calls us His own.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet." ~ Matthew 5:13
I believe that there is no better place to be than tucked up in the arms of God. He truly deserves all of our praise. I want to share all that I am finding and learning. Maybe we can journey together. If you have any questions or constructive comments, please feel free to share.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." ~ Proverbs 27:17
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet." ~ Matthew 5:13
I believe that there is no better place to be than tucked up in the arms of God. He truly deserves all of our praise. I want to share all that I am finding and learning. Maybe we can journey together. If you have any questions or constructive comments, please feel free to share.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." ~ Proverbs 27:17
I am passionate about getting into the Word somehow and finding for myself what it says in its entirety. There are many different ways to get drawn into the scriptures. I will post about as many as I know of or can find. I think, in some cases, it's kind of like dieting. You have to find what method works best for you and that may not be what works best for others. Whatever form gets you to get into it, reading it, and digging around for its value and truth, that is the best way for you. <3
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." ~ Hosea 4:6
So, how can we have knowledge and ensure that we and our children are not forsaken? Get into God's word and abide by it. It is both His instruction booklet and love letter to us. He doesn't and won't literally forget us. Yet, He doesn't have to save us if we are walking in a line that is out of His perfect will. And, when we are walking in His will, He is so very mighty to save!!
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." ~Romans 10:17
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." ~ John 15:5
I look forward to sharing things with you and learning a bit about you as well. Always feel welcome to let me know if you would like more info or resources on a topic. I will do my best.
"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." ~ Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." ~ Matthew 18:20
God please bless this blog and all those that may look upon it. Let Your glory shine through always, Father. I thank you for this and so very much more.
In Jesus' sweet, mighty, precious, and holy name, Amen.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
So, I am doing a lot of thinking and praying this evening. There is something that I am waiting for and all systems seem to be a go but the proverbial door is locked somehow. I am not sure why or what is causing it. My mother in law just gave me some real words of wisdom. She pointed out to me that something really and literally seems to be blocking it and I need to pray about what it is and how to get it out of the way.
I am a very spiritual person but in the doldrums of life, sometimes things just are. I was caught up in the worldly thought that things sometimes take more time than we are willing to give because we are impatient. Yet, God is faithful. Sometimes all we can do is praise Him in the hallway until the door opens. I was doing my best to do that because it is all true. At least I was until now.
Now, I am thinking that she is right. Now, I am praying to God to show me what, if anything, that I need to know. Is this a "Be still and know" moment or a moment in which I need to rebuke what is in my way? It was set forth to be a sure thing. It seemed like it was only going to take maybe a week to work out. Yet, it is soon turning into a month. I can't keep waiting for nothing. Something has got to give. I am praying over this situation but also trying to have ears to hear and eyes to see what He would show me.
In the waiting, I have been trying to work on the plans I mentioned yesterday. I have also started germing (my short for germinating) some more seeds. Lord, help me. :D I am running out of room but I can't help it. They will be so pretty!
I have to get some cleaning done still before I go to bed but couldn't resist the urge to blog. I have so many posts that I have wanted to publish and haven't gotten to. I will try to do a better job of kicking myself in the rear end until they are up. ;)
Blessings to all of you <3 If you are also in the hallway, just know that He's got it. He knew it was coming before it even got to you. He already had it worked out. Just lean into His presence and trust Him. Be prayerful. Do all He asks you to do and what you know you should do. The rest is up to Him. :) Lay that which you can't control at His feet and just trust Him.
I am a very spiritual person but in the doldrums of life, sometimes things just are. I was caught up in the worldly thought that things sometimes take more time than we are willing to give because we are impatient. Yet, God is faithful. Sometimes all we can do is praise Him in the hallway until the door opens. I was doing my best to do that because it is all true. At least I was until now.
Now, I am thinking that she is right. Now, I am praying to God to show me what, if anything, that I need to know. Is this a "Be still and know" moment or a moment in which I need to rebuke what is in my way? It was set forth to be a sure thing. It seemed like it was only going to take maybe a week to work out. Yet, it is soon turning into a month. I can't keep waiting for nothing. Something has got to give. I am praying over this situation but also trying to have ears to hear and eyes to see what He would show me.
In the waiting, I have been trying to work on the plans I mentioned yesterday. I have also started germing (my short for germinating) some more seeds. Lord, help me. :D I am running out of room but I can't help it. They will be so pretty!
I have to get some cleaning done still before I go to bed but couldn't resist the urge to blog. I have so many posts that I have wanted to publish and haven't gotten to. I will try to do a better job of kicking myself in the rear end until they are up. ;)
Blessings to all of you <3 If you are also in the hallway, just know that He's got it. He knew it was coming before it even got to you. He already had it worked out. Just lean into His presence and trust Him. Be prayerful. Do all He asks you to do and what you know you should do. The rest is up to Him. :) Lay that which you can't control at His feet and just trust Him.
While I'm Waiting - John Waller
I had both songs come to mind and both are great. Sharing. :)
I had both songs come to mind and both are great. Sharing. :)
When I'm With You - Citizen Way
Monday, April 25, 2016
New things! Yay! And flowers, too!! :D
So, I haven't forgotten about the blog. Life has been kind of crazy. I have had some down time but in that, sometimes you just feel blah or are trying to figure things out. So, it hasn't necessarily been a very productive time frame.
However, I am here to tell you that I have been working on some new projects and am rethinking old ones to try to spur them on. I haven't worked on the website lately, either, but have plans to do so very soon. I know that isn't a big issue maybe for you, since I have yet to unveil it, but you should like it. It will go above and beyond the things I do here. I think that God should be first here. Having said that, I will occasionally post other things like life hacks and crafts, etc. They just won't be the main focus. The website would be the place to get my input on all of that. ;)
I am also working on something else very exciting. Well, I'm excited anyway! lol I have finally been able to say, "Let's get this gar-den started, right...Let's get this gar-den started qui-ckly." If you are a 90's child, you are probably hearing a song right about now. If not, maybe I just can't type a tune in a bucket. lol
Yes. Plants. I love gardens. It is a micro garden so far with not many varieties but I have one growing!! Whee!! I started with Zinnias because I heard they are super fast to germinate. My son is doing a science project and I find it very cool. I already was going to start my little seedlings but this gave me a great reason to jump into the process faster. :D He has 3 identical pots with Zinnias but different soils.
Currently, I have Zinnia sprouts (VERY high germination rate!), a few African Daisies (not sure if the seeds didn't like me or the conditions but I do have a few sprouts), Cottage Wildflowers, Snapdragons (they are so TINY for seeds!!). I am going to be planting the Forget Me Nots and Cleomes tomorrow. I have started germinating them with the paper towel method. I love doing them that way! Before when I tried in just dirt, I was frustrated because they took a bit of time and I was impatient. I didn't see any progress. I also had them in direct sun and shallow starts. They probably dried out and/ or didn't have enough room to start rooting. This way changes the game completely. I can see the sprouts full well and can let them get a head start before planting. I don't waste time planting bum seeds either. I was disappointed in the African Daisies. They are beautiful but most didn't germ for me. I am also using an idea that ties into my son's science project.
He is doing a soil study with diaper gel crystals mixed into the dirt to see if the soil holds water any better or in any way helps the plants. He had to have 3 soils. His first was normal soil and the third is sponge soil. Hmm. I had to think about that for a moment. Interesting concept. I thought that the sponge would be similar to the diaper but too bulky and would somehow not work. He thought the sponges inside would take all the water for themselves and the plants wouldn't get any water. On the contrary, his results are showing favorably for both the diaper and sponge soils. The normal soil is growing but not as quickly. The plastic wrap (greenhouse effect) has been taken off of the altered soil but the normal soil has not yet reached the plastic yet.
I had already heard about the diaper soil before when I was attempting to start my plants. I was pretty sure it would work. I am using the diaper soil on my plants as a trial as well. To get them to start more quickly, as his assignment is timed and my excitement couldn't wait either, we also used the Jobes fertilizer spikes from Dollar Tree. All 3 pots had them. Equal footing. Per a suggestion by a trusted friend, I broke them into 4 so it wasn't a waste or too shocking for the plants. I put them in mine also. Well, in the Zinnias and Daisies. I think I may have overlooked that step on the Wildflowers and Snapdragons. I will check tomorrow when I pot up the other seeds.
The Snapdragon seeds were so dadgum tiny, like the tip of a ball point pen (or smaller!) that I got lazy putting them in the dirt. This was partly because I put so many onto the paper towel to germ and partly because the size was making it difficult to separate them without damaging. It was a very fine process. So, having heard about the layers that are pre-planted and you just put under the soil, that is what I did with the other Snapdragon seeds. So, half the planter is hand planted and half are done like a planting mat. :p We shall see how that works! On one of the paper towel videos I watched on YouTube, Lark mentions that if the seedling starts to grow into the paper towel, you can just tear that piece of towel off and plant it too. That way you don't damage the seedling. I have only had to do that with a few of the other seeds.
That's about all for now. I will try to post again tomorrow or the next day. For the meantime, I will post the video I was talking about, just in case anyone is interested. I will post about the diaper soil as well. :)
P.S. Here is the link for my gardening blog, Revelations In Dirt It's one of the new things I have been working on.
However, I am here to tell you that I have been working on some new projects and am rethinking old ones to try to spur them on. I haven't worked on the website lately, either, but have plans to do so very soon. I know that isn't a big issue maybe for you, since I have yet to unveil it, but you should like it. It will go above and beyond the things I do here. I think that God should be first here. Having said that, I will occasionally post other things like life hacks and crafts, etc. They just won't be the main focus. The website would be the place to get my input on all of that. ;)
I am also working on something else very exciting. Well, I'm excited anyway! lol I have finally been able to say, "Let's get this gar-den started, right...Let's get this gar-den started qui-ckly." If you are a 90's child, you are probably hearing a song right about now. If not, maybe I just can't type a tune in a bucket. lol
Yes. Plants. I love gardens. It is a micro garden so far with not many varieties but I have one growing!! Whee!! I started with Zinnias because I heard they are super fast to germinate. My son is doing a science project and I find it very cool. I already was going to start my little seedlings but this gave me a great reason to jump into the process faster. :D He has 3 identical pots with Zinnias but different soils.
Currently, I have Zinnia sprouts (VERY high germination rate!), a few African Daisies (not sure if the seeds didn't like me or the conditions but I do have a few sprouts), Cottage Wildflowers, Snapdragons (they are so TINY for seeds!!). I am going to be planting the Forget Me Nots and Cleomes tomorrow. I have started germinating them with the paper towel method. I love doing them that way! Before when I tried in just dirt, I was frustrated because they took a bit of time and I was impatient. I didn't see any progress. I also had them in direct sun and shallow starts. They probably dried out and/ or didn't have enough room to start rooting. This way changes the game completely. I can see the sprouts full well and can let them get a head start before planting. I don't waste time planting bum seeds either. I was disappointed in the African Daisies. They are beautiful but most didn't germ for me. I am also using an idea that ties into my son's science project.
He is doing a soil study with diaper gel crystals mixed into the dirt to see if the soil holds water any better or in any way helps the plants. He had to have 3 soils. His first was normal soil and the third is sponge soil. Hmm. I had to think about that for a moment. Interesting concept. I thought that the sponge would be similar to the diaper but too bulky and would somehow not work. He thought the sponges inside would take all the water for themselves and the plants wouldn't get any water. On the contrary, his results are showing favorably for both the diaper and sponge soils. The normal soil is growing but not as quickly. The plastic wrap (greenhouse effect) has been taken off of the altered soil but the normal soil has not yet reached the plastic yet.
I had already heard about the diaper soil before when I was attempting to start my plants. I was pretty sure it would work. I am using the diaper soil on my plants as a trial as well. To get them to start more quickly, as his assignment is timed and my excitement couldn't wait either, we also used the Jobes fertilizer spikes from Dollar Tree. All 3 pots had them. Equal footing. Per a suggestion by a trusted friend, I broke them into 4 so it wasn't a waste or too shocking for the plants. I put them in mine also. Well, in the Zinnias and Daisies. I think I may have overlooked that step on the Wildflowers and Snapdragons. I will check tomorrow when I pot up the other seeds.
The Snapdragon seeds were so dadgum tiny, like the tip of a ball point pen (or smaller!) that I got lazy putting them in the dirt. This was partly because I put so many onto the paper towel to germ and partly because the size was making it difficult to separate them without damaging. It was a very fine process. So, having heard about the layers that are pre-planted and you just put under the soil, that is what I did with the other Snapdragon seeds. So, half the planter is hand planted and half are done like a planting mat. :p We shall see how that works! On one of the paper towel videos I watched on YouTube, Lark mentions that if the seedling starts to grow into the paper towel, you can just tear that piece of towel off and plant it too. That way you don't damage the seedling. I have only had to do that with a few of the other seeds.
That's about all for now. I will try to post again tomorrow or the next day. For the meantime, I will post the video I was talking about, just in case anyone is interested. I will post about the diaper soil as well. :)
P.S. Here is the link for my gardening blog, Revelations In Dirt It's one of the new things I have been working on.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
My Hero!
So, I was working through my prayer binder this morning. I was acknowledging God for all that He is. I read over the Biblical Hebrew names I had added recently. I had highlighted the name in pink and the meaning in yellow. As I read down through the meanings, it struck me in a new way.
I already new it but in different words. I knew Him as, "the lifter of my head", "where my help comes from", etc. Yet, looking at this list, I gained a more blunt perspective...."My Hero." lol (Yes, I even heard the sappy scenario play in my head when I thought that. The characterization of the damsel in distress that acknowledges the one who came to save her. With a sugary voice she says, "My hero!!")
But He is!! It's so true:
He is : Lord Almighty, Master, divine Salvation, Sanctifier, Shepherd, "the Lord who is present" (there), Healer, our Righteousness, Provider, our Banner, our Victory, Peace, "the Lord of Hosts", "the most high God", "the strong one who sees (El-Roi), "the Everlasting God", Jealous, Mighty, Powerful.
After reading all of these things, how can we see Him as anything but our hero?
My list of reverence in my prayer binder also listed this:
"--You are
omnipotent (all-powerful),
omnipresent (everywhere),
omniscient (all-knowing),
immutable (unchanging),
eternal (everlasting),
love (hesed OT, agape NT)"
He sees any injustice and is mighty to save. He puts a hedge of protection around us. He lifts us up when we fall. He answers us when we cry out to Him. He carries us and gives us strength. He is our "Creator, Provider, Protector, Savior and King." He is our Superman, our Batman, and any other good superhero all rolled into One. He is Lord of ALL. How AWESOME is THAT?!? :D :D :D
Wow. Thank you, God, for giving us new revelations when we seek you. It all added up to the same thing but the light just shown from a different perspective that brought even more realization.
Thank You!!
I hope that you were as blessed as I was by this acknowledgment as I was and I pray that you are inspired to reach into your own prayer time and seek Him even more. <3
I just stumbled upon this list and it has a few that are not mentioned here. I will have to add them to my binder. ;) This is one of my favorite ones so far on it - CETHER = My hiding Place (Ps. 32:7). I love to take refuge in the Lord!! Psalm 27 is one of my favorite passages. Maybe I need to do a post on that chapter alone.
Also, the purple quote is from a song my son sang at VBS last year. The full song is below. I highly recommend it. lol It had this mom singing it when the kiddo wasn't even with me. ;)
I already new it but in different words. I knew Him as, "the lifter of my head", "where my help comes from", etc. Yet, looking at this list, I gained a more blunt perspective...."My Hero." lol (Yes, I even heard the sappy scenario play in my head when I thought that. The characterization of the damsel in distress that acknowledges the one who came to save her. With a sugary voice she says, "My hero!!")
But He is!! It's so true:
He is : Lord Almighty, Master, divine Salvation, Sanctifier, Shepherd, "the Lord who is present" (there), Healer, our Righteousness, Provider, our Banner, our Victory, Peace, "the Lord of Hosts", "the most high God", "the strong one who sees (El-Roi), "the Everlasting God", Jealous, Mighty, Powerful.
After reading all of these things, how can we see Him as anything but our hero?
My list of reverence in my prayer binder also listed this:
"--You are
omnipotent (all-powerful),
omnipresent (everywhere),
omniscient (all-knowing),
immutable (unchanging),
eternal (everlasting),
love (hesed OT, agape NT)"
He sees any injustice and is mighty to save. He puts a hedge of protection around us. He lifts us up when we fall. He answers us when we cry out to Him. He carries us and gives us strength. He is our "Creator, Provider, Protector, Savior and King." He is our Superman, our Batman, and any other good superhero all rolled into One. He is Lord of ALL. How AWESOME is THAT?!? :D :D :D
Wow. Thank you, God, for giving us new revelations when we seek you. It all added up to the same thing but the light just shown from a different perspective that brought even more realization.
Thank You!!
I hope that you were as blessed as I was by this acknowledgment as I was and I pray that you are inspired to reach into your own prayer time and seek Him even more. <3
I just stumbled upon this list and it has a few that are not mentioned here. I will have to add them to my binder. ;) This is one of my favorite ones so far on it - CETHER = My hiding Place (Ps. 32:7). I love to take refuge in the Lord!! Psalm 27 is one of my favorite passages. Maybe I need to do a post on that chapter alone.
Also, the purple quote is from a song my son sang at VBS last year. The full song is below. I highly recommend it. lol It had this mom singing it when the kiddo wasn't even with me. ;)
Monday, March 28, 2016
Gratitude
Today has been a long day and a thoughtful day. It has been blessed in ways I see and I'm sure that has been also in ways I have not seen. I am praying earnestly about some things. For now, the best thing for me to do is keep reaching in the things I need to do but also to be still and know in the things I don't.
God bless you all. <3
God bless you all. <3
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Busy :p
I have a lot of things that I want to post but just haven't been able to get in here to do it. I hope to update really soon. God bless. :)
Friday, March 18, 2016
Thank You...
I watched War Room a few hours ago. It was a really good movie. I was praising the Lord on the way home and this song popped into my head. It got me to thinking about some things. It made me think about how we have a ripple effect in the lives of others and they in ours.
We should be a blessing to others and sometimes we do it without even trying. You just never know what others are seeing in you. Sometimes it can be more than we see in ourselves.
We get busy living life sometimes and don't really think about our actions and how even something really small to us can be huge to another. We should ask ourselves more often what we can do to be a blessing and do it on purpose as well as just in living our lives for God.
We should also make it a point to spend time in our War Room.
It's not just something we CAN do. It's something we NEED to do!!
We should be a blessing to others and sometimes we do it without even trying. You just never know what others are seeing in you. Sometimes it can be more than we see in ourselves.
We get busy living life sometimes and don't really think about our actions and how even something really small to us can be huge to another. We should ask ourselves more often what we can do to be a blessing and do it on purpose as well as just in living our lives for God.
We should also make it a point to spend time in our War Room.
It's not just something we CAN do. It's something we NEED to do!!
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Lay it down and let it go...
God and I have been spending time together this morning. I have loved all of it. For once, I did more listening than talking. He's really trying to help me with something that I have taken to Him over and over. This morning, part of the song "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns is in my head.
"And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go
So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held
Just be held"
The whole part above there is in my head but the most repeated and the strongest emphasis is on
"There's freedom in surrender. Lay it down and let it go."
I have a tendency to get frustrated over too many things. I long to be unflappable. I have met people that have really floored me with the peace they have. It's easy to look at some and think, "It's easy for them to have peace because there isn't anything going wrong." Wrong. We all have things going on and sometimes more than we show.
I was working with someone at a job and the job was crazy at times. The people sometimes reacted to the craziness. One person who didn't was a manager and had young kids with one on the way. I know from experience that work has stress at times and home has stress at times and sometimes at the same time. It can be overwhelming. But, more often than not, she had peace and a smile. Even when she got upset, she didn't seem that ruffled. I both admired and was baffled by it. I asked her one day how she could be like that? She said, "I can't do anything about it. So, why get upset?" Hmm. I saw her point but I wasn't sure it could be that simple for me.
That was awhile ago. I still keep trying to catch myself and let it roll off like water on a duck's back. This morning, God is giving me a gentle nudge and some food for thought.
"There's freedom in surrender. Lay it down and let it go."
As I am typing this, my son is across the room chomping cereal with his mouth open. I have told him time and time again to close his mouth. He knows better but just doesn't sometimes think about it. I have also already seen him blow his nose really big and there is a little bit of a chill in the air. Outside it is 53 degrees and high of 74 for the day. I have already switched the a/c to heat. Maybe he's congested and is having difficulty breathing while he eats. I should just be happy he is eating breakfast. I'm gonna lay it down and let it go. <3
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Not my will but Yours be done...
So, God has been speaking into my heart a lot today. Maybe it's just that I have been better at listening today. I have to tell you that He is constantly stretching and growing me. Today is one of those days. I had decided a long time ago that if I were to blog that I wouldn't make it too personal. I didn't want to be one that journaled, essentially, in public. Nothing against those who do. I just thought, for me, that it was a bit too much. I'm a pretty private person. However, I think God is leading me out of my comfort zone. He has a way of doing that. It's called faith building. Obedience. Maybe it's a hearing test. Did we listen? Did we really hear Him?
He knows that He can use music and television/movies to speak to me. I will get a revelation or a correlation somehow. Today's reminder is from Aladdin. God is holding His hand out like Aladdin on the magic carpet and saying, "Do you trust me?" I don't believe any symbolism about the carpet, etc. For me, the meaning is clear and simple. Do I trust Him with all that is going on right now both in public and in the depths of my heart? My answer? A meek yes. Not meek in the sense of uncertainty in trusting Him. Meek in the uncertainty of where we are going to go. lol YET, I know that I would be nothing without Him and He has always proven Himself in countless ways. Do I trust Him? Yes. Am I a little shaky and hope not to freak out on the way? Yes.
Some might say being timid and freaking out don't go with trust. Sure it does. We have the timidity or fear first but we have to submit to our trust in the Lord. Look at Joshua. One of my favorite scriptures is Joshua 1:9 (this is NET version):
"I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do.”
What strikes me about this is that God tells him the same thing, at least 3 times in short order. He had already told Joshua in verse 3, "I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses." Handing over. It's his for the taking. God said He would be with Joshua and would not leave. He told him the plan, how far spread the land that He was giving him was, He gave Joshua vision and promise. That was all up to verse 5. In verse 6, God tells Joshua not to be afraid. Then, in verse 7, while He is still talking to Joshua, He says it again. And, again, He says it in verse 9.
He was preparing Joshua for a road and a plan that maybe Joshua wasn't sure of. Moses had been the leader. Now, Moses had passed away. Someone had to lead. God chose Joshua and gave him every assurance and encouragement He could, including, "I...am with you in all you do." He basically said to Joshua, "I've got your back."
Some may also bring up 2 Timothy 1:7 -
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
True, He didn't. But we started believing the lies of the serpent in Genesis 1.
So, as always, I am leaning on Him (Proverbs 3: 5-6) and also on Jeremiah 29:11-14,
"11 For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. 13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, 14 I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the Lord. ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’
I don't know where this blog will lead but I know the One who is in control. That is enough for me. I trust Him and I might buckle up for the ride. :p Another song reference. Ginny Owens "Get In, I'm Driving." God bless you all. <3
Monday, February 22, 2016
Dedication
So, today I am sorting through some things that I have been talking to God about. I don't know all of the answers yet but I know some of them. I'm sorry to be so vague but you know how it is when you think you know but want to be sure. Or, even if you know what He is telling you, it's for you and not everyone else. I'm trying to discern all of that but for now what I know is this:
This blog is His. It's the only place that I know that I can put my heart and thoughts of Him and things He wants me to share out there and be completely real. It's simple. Whomever comes here is here because they want to see or know more. That's the only reason to be here. In too many situations, I feel like either someone wants to filter me out or that I need to filter myself to not be too "preachy" or "fanatical" in the eyes of others. That is not something I can keep doing all the time. I know there are others out there, somewhere, that share my heart and views. Maybe some will stumble upon this blog as a happy accident. I pray God will use it to enlighten and touch us all. God bless and I hope you enjoy it. :)
This is one of my current favorite songs. I used to be all about the music when I was younger. Now, I'm all about those lyrics, 'bout those lyrics, no kidding. lol Sometimes you can have both. This is one of those songs. :)
This blog is His. It's the only place that I know that I can put my heart and thoughts of Him and things He wants me to share out there and be completely real. It's simple. Whomever comes here is here because they want to see or know more. That's the only reason to be here. In too many situations, I feel like either someone wants to filter me out or that I need to filter myself to not be too "preachy" or "fanatical" in the eyes of others. That is not something I can keep doing all the time. I know there are others out there, somewhere, that share my heart and views. Maybe some will stumble upon this blog as a happy accident. I pray God will use it to enlighten and touch us all. God bless and I hope you enjoy it. :)
This is one of my current favorite songs. I used to be all about the music when I was younger. Now, I'm all about those lyrics, 'bout those lyrics, no kidding. lol Sometimes you can have both. This is one of those songs. :)
Thursday, February 11, 2016
:D Very nice.
My website is on its way. The bones are getting pretty strong. Now, I need to polish it a bit and start fleshing it out. I think I've accomplished quite a bit for one evening though. ;) Thank you, God, for helping me get the background graphics to straighten out. :p I'm whooped. It's time to crash. God bless you all, even though you aren't able to see this right now. lol
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Please pardon my dust. :)
I had originally started this blog with a different template and a different address. I have decided to keep this one and will be moving everything over a bit at a time. I will also be working on a website in conjunction with this blog but that covers more stuff. I am sure that the finished result will be worth it. The dates on the converted posts may be off but at least they will be here. lol I will make note of the original post dates. :)
Shoulders
I'm feeling like I need to just take a breather and just focus on God. This song helps. :)
Looking ahead
"If you aim at nothing, you will hit it."
So, here I sat recently. I was writing out my goals for the year. Mind you, I won't call them resolutions because I know full well that there are so many, and some are big, that I won't finish them all. So, I am sticking to the quote,
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
I will tackle as much on my master list as possible and, hopefully, hit quite a bit of it. The rest will be further along, closer to accomplishment, for the next time. That is, unless it is something that falls away as unimportant. I was reflecting on and looking at that list last night. I got re-energized again about all the things that I can achieve this year.
Today, however, on the way home from Bible study, I had another thought. We had each said a prayer to God for ourselves, whatever was on our hearts. One of the things that I asked of Him was to help keep me on track with His goals and to help me accomplish, not just this week or this month, but this year, what He would want me to do. Wow. That flashed me back to the church billboard I passed on my way to taking my son to school,
"What would Jesus have you do in 2016?"
It's humbling to take it out of your own perspective. Here I had created this big long list of "Do's" and, now, I wondered what His list actually looked like. I'm sure that some of the things are the same. Some of my items, I'm sure, are not a priority for His list. How many would not even be there? Hmm. Food for thought. Tonight, I will reflect on the list but also with this question:
"Lord, what would You have me to do in 2016?"
;) This blog is definitely one of them. I keep flitting back and forth on the why or how. However, I know now that He has plans for it and for me, too. I don't know how many will actually read it or how many will keep coming back but whomever you are, I look forward to meeting you.
So, here I sat recently. I was writing out my goals for the year. Mind you, I won't call them resolutions because I know full well that there are so many, and some are big, that I won't finish them all. So, I am sticking to the quote,
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
I will tackle as much on my master list as possible and, hopefully, hit quite a bit of it. The rest will be further along, closer to accomplishment, for the next time. That is, unless it is something that falls away as unimportant. I was reflecting on and looking at that list last night. I got re-energized again about all the things that I can achieve this year.
Today, however, on the way home from Bible study, I had another thought. We had each said a prayer to God for ourselves, whatever was on our hearts. One of the things that I asked of Him was to help keep me on track with His goals and to help me accomplish, not just this week or this month, but this year, what He would want me to do. Wow. That flashed me back to the church billboard I passed on my way to taking my son to school,
"What would Jesus have you do in 2016?"
It's humbling to take it out of your own perspective. Here I had created this big long list of "Do's" and, now, I wondered what His list actually looked like. I'm sure that some of the things are the same. Some of my items, I'm sure, are not a priority for His list. How many would not even be there? Hmm. Food for thought. Tonight, I will reflect on the list but also with this question:
"Lord, what would You have me to do in 2016?"
;) This blog is definitely one of them. I keep flitting back and forth on the why or how. However, I know now that He has plans for it and for me, too. I don't know how many will actually read it or how many will keep coming back but whomever you are, I look forward to meeting you.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
It's off to blog I go...
I have often felt like I should speak less and write more. I have told myself this many, many times. Do I ever listen?? Not really. Well, enough is enough. I keep feeling like I should redirect my thoughts and comments on certain things and I'm finally going to commit to it (again). My first thing to tackle is which blog interface to use. I like them both for different reasons. We will see. I need a creative outlet and, while there are many ways to do that, I intend to forge ahead. :) More posts to come very soon.
Peanut
Peanut
Saturday, December 7, 2013
There's only one thing...
that I will let myself repeat right now out of the many things swirling in my head.
"Complainers remain but praisers get raised." ~Paula White
I have been awake for too long today. Things aren't going my way or I would be asleep and too many things are flooding my mind. Also the fact that, as a previous English major, I just almost typed "fludding". Rolling my eyse. Eyes, even. Ughhh.
I was going to type the verses that are now in my head but clearly, for all the backspaces that have hidden the typos you didn't see, I will copy and paste them. : p
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to thosewho love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28
"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6
"10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'" ~Isaiah 41:10
"28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~Isaiah 40:28-31
Enough said. Okay, almost.
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." ~ Philippians 4:8
"Complainers remain but praisers get raised." ~Paula White
I have been awake for too long today. Things aren't going my way or I would be asleep and too many things are flooding my mind. Also the fact that, as a previous English major, I just almost typed "fludding". Rolling my eyse. Eyes, even. Ughhh.
I was going to type the verses that are now in my head but clearly, for all the backspaces that have hidden the typos you didn't see, I will copy and paste them. : p
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to thosewho love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28
"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6
"10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'" ~Isaiah 41:10
"28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~Isaiah 40:28-31
Enough said. Okay, almost.
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." ~ Philippians 4:8
Friday, November 29, 2013
Uggh.
I have been fighting sinuses and dehydration for a week or so now. Every time I think it's one, I treat it with water or garlic, etc, and the other shows through. Then tension headaches started. It turns out that the migraines or tension headaches actually can be caused from dehydration, acute sinus issues, poor posture, how you sleep (if it affects your neck) and probably other reasons. I think it mentioned smoking, too. I don't do that but most of the rest has me. I keep trying to get energy and sleep but I started feeling better yesterday and then didn't get enough sleep. Tonight I'm trying but it's not working well. Great is our God. He will help me through. I plan to be taking the bull by the horns this weekend and getting some stuff done! ;) There's so much to do! Blessings to anyone reading this. <3
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Prayer Journal and Bible Study Binders
The Bible Notebook:
So, lately I have been trying to get organized (again). I really want to get serious this time about studying my Bible. I want to be a committed prayer. I pray a lot through the day but with nothing written to show for it. I also don't pray consistently in certain areas. I ask God to help me with circumstances. I ask Him to cover another person or to heal them. Yet, I don't have a dedicated prayer time. I'm trying to go deeper. This just won't do. So, I have done some searching and have come up with what, when done, will work for me. Everyone is different but I was glad that others had shared, even the modifications they had made from someone else. I am doing the same. I have taken from multiple sources and kind of made it my own in some areas.
Here's what I am doing. Yours may end up differently. This started as a Bible study binder. I felt, for me personally, it was best divided into 2 binders. One as a Bible Study and one as a Prayer Journal. I broke the categories down by what would help me best on either side. For some reason, I like to have everything in its own place, separately. You might be able to leave out certain tabs or combine categories but I didn't. The Prayer Journal is actually a second system from someone else, thrown into this system under the prayer tab. :p lol Do you see what I mean already? I couldn't just have a "prayer" tab. Anywho, I will explain that system further along. I suggest reading the entire post before starting anything because you will probably see right away what you like and don't like. That way, you can customize it to suit you.
Here are the breakdowns of categories I decided for each.
Bible Study: (Everything relates to Bible study in some way.)
- Sermon Notes - I listen to different pastors. I'm dividing this section by person.
- God's Promises - to remember when I need encouragement or a push
- Hebrew/ Greek - vocabulary and definitions
- Memory Verses
- Devotionals
- Study Helps - maps, guides, charts, historical facts and such
- Book Studies - notes from reading or facts learned about that book
- Bible Studies - topical, study series, etc
- God/Trinity - Attributes, Roles (Father, Physician, Savior, Holy Spirit, etc)
- People - Authors, Disciples, bystanders, anyone of importance
- Things - Angels, demons, spirits, money, material things
- Places - Geographical location, facts about the cities
- Events
- Culture - the laws of the land, the beliefs of that time/ place
- Emotions
- Principles - Doctrines, Tithing, Loving one another
- Actions - How to love one another, murder, theft, rebellion, etc
- Character Traits - Discipline, jealousy, joy
- Prayer
- Testimonies
- My Blessings
- Letters To God
- Writing Ideas
- Quotes - Biblical or faith based
- Blog Posts
- Song Lyrics - songs that speak to me in some way or are motivational
What I used:
- My binders are 3 ring about 3" and are what I had on hand. It allows for growth, too. I don't plan to carry it with me, so the large size isn't a problem.
- I got the printable tab inserts from DoNotDepart.com (If you don't have access to a printer, you can make your own.)
- Notebook dividers - I have (2) 8 packs (bought during Back To School)
- White card stock (sold near the printing paper)
- Looseleaf notebook paper
- 2 Pocket Folders (optional)
- Highlighters ( I used 4- blue, yellow, orange, and pink)
- Ink pen
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Ruler
- 3 Hole punch
- Sheet protectors (optional)
- Binder Ring reinforcement stickers - to protect punched holes from wear (optional)
The categories are fairly self-explanatory. So, for the most part, you are done with the Bible Notebook except for adding your own content. I created my own stationery for the sermon notes because I hadn't found any I liked. I later found some printable that I will try to list at the bottom. I put the blank ones in front of the Sermon Notes tab (which is just inside the binder) and the actual notes behind the tab. This made it easy for me to grab a couple of sheets to take with me to church without digging or mixing with the used ones. I had saved the worksheets from the video series' we watched at church and hole punched them. I placed them after the 2 pocket folder and before the looseleaf. This seemed to work well.
On to the Prayer Journal:
There are a ton of ways to do a prayer journal. Some I really liked and some I didn't. One of them, I really loved but I felt was not enough space for me. That one uses a composition notebook and you create tabs and dividers within it. I will do a post on it soon. Again, the bulk of this notebook is going to be done the same as the first one. Mostly no fuss, no muss. However....This is where the Prayer tab gets interesting. lol It develops many layers. I used a system by Gina Garland. This is also where the rest of the supply list comes in. ;) Maybe i could have bought the things I needed but I'm thrifty and resourceful, so I made my own. : D
Gina divides hers into 6 sections for targeted prayers and needs for the first half of the binder (or in my case, tab).
- God Almighty - things that remind you of His power and majesty or bring reverence; who He is and your relationship with Him
- Myself - special needs or prayers to help you in the many roles you serve (sibling, parent, etc)
- Spouse
- Marriage
- Children
- Parents - things to be thankful about your parents and prayers for them
- Ongoing (general) - military, those hospitalized or in nursing homes, the lost, etc
- Ongoing (specific) - family, friends, or situations that are persistent and specific
- Written - prayers collected from various sources
- Biblical - topical scriptures to pray or passages of prayer
- Calendar - monthly with note space, weekly, whatever works best
Lastly, for the Calendar tab. I like the idea of the notes section. If the notes start to be too many, I will flip the calendar over and make them there. That way it is all listed for the same month it came from. The days on the calendar are for specific events and appointments or dates prayer was requested. I got this idea from Stacey Williams. This template was printed from templatetrove.com.
Tracking Prayer Requests
I feel led to start keeping a log of who the request was from and for/ when requested/ how and what date it was answered. This not only will keep me remembering if I need to keep praying for something but will also be a record of God's glory. Whether it took 2 days or 3 months or 2 years, it will be written there. I will have this in the Calendar section. I currently have the monthly list and then the weekly ones. I'm not sure how I want to do the tracking yet. I want it to be detailed and seamless but also in a way that makes sense tome so I will stick to it. I've been searching with Bing and Google to try to figure out how I want to do it.
You can put a lot of things in these sections. I really like the "10 Things to Pray...." and the "31 Days of Praying for..." types of lists or the the scriptures by topic. There is a list of virtues to pray for your children and so on. Here are a couple of ideas. I will link to some additional resources I found interesting or helpful. Feel free to link to some in the comments if there are any you would like to share.
The pages are from here (click the title): A to Z Prayers for Your Children,
When You Need Healing (I put this under the Biblical tab.
This last site also has other lists of scripture.)
The only other section of the Prayer tab that I feel needs explanation is the Myself tab. (I promise, I haven't forgotten to tell you what the heck the ruler and all the other stuff is for. : p ) Gina leaves it up to you how many roles to use. Of course, I have them all but for a reason. The roles I don't have now, I'm believe I may have in the future. Therefore, they are implemented now. I somewhat created separates so that if I found something that spoke to each role, I could add it and flip instantly. So, if I am seeking out ways to be a better friend or traits of a good friend, I could put it in the Friend tab. Having said that, this is the only place where I combined anything. I have them grouped this way on 3 dividers: Wife, Mom / Daughter, Sister, Friend / Student, Employee, Servant. Not only was I running out of dividers but I wasn't sure how much I would need to place in there and didn't want too much extra room. I can always redo those 3 into more later if I need to. They have pockets so between those and the binder rings, I should be able to find them easily enough. You may have more roles, like Chairman or Volunteer, or whatever.
- Wife
- Mom
- Daughter/ in-law
- Sister
- Friend
- Student
- Employee
- Servant
Above: The overall look for normal view. Below: The side tabs up close.
What I did to get the pocketed dividers is super easy. I took one sheet of card stock and folded it in half. I put a full sheet in the fold. Then, I used the glue stick to seal the left and right edges. I used the 3 hold punch to make it binder friendly.
As for the tabs, I used more card stock and lined out my tabs. You can make them whatever size you want. The size I went with was about 1 1/16th" wide (the first tiny line after the 1 inch mark) and about 3/4 " high. This allowed me 8 tabs across the top of the card stock and 11 down the side without overlapping. You may want to cut them like the below right pic so that you can fold them in half. I let the folded edge stick up at the height I wanted and fixed the open glue edge to the divider. That way, it was sturdy enough to flip without tearing it off. Also worth noting: I didn't use all of the tabs to the left. I simply decided to do a full sheet because I'm sure there are other binders to come. I have at least the Home Binder mentioned in this post. :)
(Update as of Sept. 2018: I have since gone back over the pocket edges with washi tape for reinforcement. I was not aware of washi way back at this posting. The glue had started to let go. Now, it is decorative and will hopefully hold a lot longer.)
(Update as of Sept. 2018: I have since gone back over the pocket edges with washi tape for reinforcement. I was not aware of washi way back at this posting. The glue had started to let go. Now, it is decorative and will hopefully hold a lot longer.)
As far as the main side tabs, I did the same thing but going down the right edge alongside the purchased divider tabs. In both instances, I put them relatively close together so that I could see them all and make them fit. Don't pay attention to what is written on the tabs in this pic. Those are for the Home Binder but they are done the same as these are. lol I don't have these categories in my prayer journal. ;p I can go over the Home Binder in a later post. Lastly, after writing the desired category on the tab, I used a highlighter to mark the edges in different colors. I used the 4 colors I had. Plus, I used blue over pink to make purple and blue over yellow to make green. There are 6 colors in all. I repeated when necessary. The finished picture looks like this. (Click the picture to enlarge.)
(Update as of Sept. 2018: I also have since used clear packing tape on the printable binder tabs I have placed on my Bibles and other binder dividers. This is a cheap and effective, but slightly tedious, hack. It keeps from smudging, aging (I think), tearing and getting wet. I need to go over these tabs with some. I have explained in great detail in the Book Study binder on how to do this. Mostly, the tedious has to do with fussy cutting the excess tape. I think it is worth it though. After you have done it a few times it is a snap.)
(Update as of Sept. 2018: I also have since used clear packing tape on the printable binder tabs I have placed on my Bibles and other binder dividers. This is a cheap and effective, but slightly tedious, hack. It keeps from smudging, aging (I think), tearing and getting wet. I need to go over these tabs with some. I have explained in great detail in the Book Study binder on how to do this. Mostly, the tedious has to do with fussy cutting the excess tape. I think it is worth it though. After you have done it a few times it is a snap.)
More suggested resources and printables:
Prayer Journal Pages (free sets):
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