Anyway, the craft store is (essentially) across the street from the mall. A couple days before this, we were at said craft store and we were going to jet across to the mall to ride the carousel, but we ran out of time. So I decided since we basically had all afternoon, we could take a quick spin today. We walk into the mall--
The other day, I needed to go to the store to buy some velcro. I didn't want to wait until my husband got off work, so at about 3 in the afternoon, I loaded up my son and we headed out. When I got to the interstate, I wished I had waited. The traffic was horrible! I merged onto another interstate, and still the traffic was really bad. Oh, I forgot to mention that this "other day" ago was the day before Thanksgiving. I forgot everyone would be traveling for the holiday.
Anyway, the craft store is (essentially) across the street from the mall. A couple days before this, we were at said craft store and we were going to jet across to the mall to ride the carousel, but we ran out of time. So I decided since we basically had all afternoon, we could take a quick spin today. We walk into the mall--
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We have two trees, a 6' pre-lit one, and a used-to-be 7' one from the thrift store that now stands about 4' high because it's missing the bottom half of the trunk. The pre-lit one goes downstairs in our den. We barely got anything unpacked, and I busted a blood vessel. Merry Christmas to me!
Sunday--Ephesians 3. The Ephesians' were distressed at Paul's tribulations, but all Paul could say about it was that they needed to not faint. He was more concerned that they keep their testimony than of his own persecution.
Monday--Ephesians 4. This is the perfect chapter to let you know how you should act at your job--"walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" and the entire rest of the chapter goes on to describe what your attitude should be. As a stay-at-home mom, how I do my job is very important. Seeing these qualities, meekness, love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, lived out in his mother's life will go a long way toward my son developing these qualities in his own life. Tuesday--Ephesians 5. A lot of instruction here about how wives are supposed to be. As I read it, I kept thinking, "but I don't struggle with any of this" (and by struggle, I don't mean I am the perfect wife with the perfect husband. I mean that with as good of a leader as I have, it's easier to submit and follow). I know people who do struggle, and I remember back in college when I first got an idea to write a book on submission. I bet if I try to write a book about submission, in all my in-depth studying that will take place I will be faced with the harsh reality that I am sorely lacking. Wednesday--Ephesians 6. Today I drove on several interstates. Traffic was worse than I thought it would be (day before Thanksgiving, duh!). I needed to read about having on armor. I know this armor isn't physically protective, but I could still feel God's protection around me (my car) as crazy people broke the law all around me--only by a miracle am I still alive! Thursday--Philippians 1. It being the thankful month, in the back of my mind I kept wondering where this verse was: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." I didn't wonder enough to look it up, though. Isn't it amazing how, on Thanksgiving Day, I read this verse? So much good advice in this chapter, but this was a nice reminder that God knows my thoughts even better than I do. Friday--Philippians 2. This chapter is all about thinking about others first. I think I've gotten too caught up in doing what is best for number 1. I mean, my intentions are good for other people, I just don't use all the brain cells I have left to go that next step and ask, What will the consequences be? I need to read this chapter several more times over the next couple of days. Saturday--Philippians 3. The word "forgiveness" is not once mentioned in this chapter, but I feel it. We should not be concerned with what we've lost, because that means we have that much more to gain for Jesus. We need to leave the past behind us--how are we supposed to do that if we haven't asked forgiveness for it? Saturday, I am thankful for:
Sunday, I am thankful for:
Monday, I am thankful for:
Tuesday, I am thankful for:
Sunday--Galatians 2. I love how Paul was able to talk to other apostles and they decided that the others would go to the Jews and Paul would go to the heathen. I wonder why Paul went to the heathen when you would think with all his excellent training that he would be the perfect person to convince Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.
Monday--Galatians 3. I know as Christians we are God's people, but the last verse in this chapter seems to take it one more step. Paul said if we are Christ's, then we are Abraham's seed. That makes me feel so special! Tuesday--Galatians 4. This chapter has the "adoption of sons" verses in it, but that's not what stuck out at me today. I noticed, in particular, verses 15-16. These people loved Paul so much that they would have given him their eyeballs, but he says one thing they don't like and he's suddenly the enemy? I wonder how many times I love someone until they tell me something I don't want to hear...I wonder how many people love me until I tell them something they don't want to hear. Wednesday--Galatians 5. The fruit of the Spirit. It seems like they are listed in order of difficulty. The hardest thing of all is to love someone, truly love like Jesus loves us. Isn't it easier to be gentle and patient with someone we love? If we can keep joy and peace in our heart, won't it be so much easier to exercise temperance? Thursday--Galatians 6. I think it's interesting that after six short chapters, Paul directs the Galatians' attention to the huge letter that he just wrote to them. It's interesting because didn't he just write two books, one with 13 chapters and one with 16, to the Corinthians? Whyever does he think 6 chapters is long? Maybe he's referring more to the content...the Corinthians needed to be woken up to the bad things they were doing. The Galatians received more doctrine to grow with. Friday--Ephesians 1. Wow, I didn't get very far before words jumped off the page! Verse 3--spiritual blessings. During this month of giving thanks for all things, I think I get too caught up in physical blessings. Having things, going places, doing activities. This is good stuff, but when I look over my list of things I'm thankful for, more items are physical than spiritual. I need to be more thankful for my spiritual blessings. Aren't they the ones that really matter, anyway? Saturday--Ephesians 2. I love verse 4. Every time I read it, I feel God's arms around me. The preceding verses talk about how bad I used to be, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us," forgave me! I looked up both words, grace and mercy, and I wrote down their definitions, because I can never remember which is which. Mercy is not getting what I deserve. I don't understand how He could love me so much, but I am so thankful! Saturday, I'm thankful for:
Sunday, I'm thankful for:
Monday, I'm thankful for:
Tuesday, I'm thankful for:
When I lived in Japan, my siblings and I participated in OCC. It was so much fun, packing our boxes for some random kid who wouldn't otherwise get anything for Christmas. For the strangest reason, however, once I had my own kid, I never even thought once about getting him involved with OCC. Last week, my mom asked me if we were making a shoebox. I got online and found out we still had a couple days left, so yesterday we went shopping at the dollar store. My kid was so excited, picking out toys and toiletries. We didn't have a shoebox (and I seriously could not justify buying a new pair of shoes just for the box), so we got a dollar plastic container. Before buying anything, I made sure everything we had picked out would fit. No problem. Now we just had to head home and include one of our spare toothbrushes from our linen closet.
As I started the engine, I heard from the backseat, "Can we go to Target and see what's in their dollar section?" Well of course! We found a couple more items that (I hoped) would fit in the box, and I killed two birds with one stone and also picked up some stocking stuffers for people. (Multiple people, and no, I will not tell you what I bought!) As I barrel through November, I find myself contemplating at every turn, "What can I be thankful for in this situation?". And like no other month in the year, I hear my mind answering that question with a forceful "nothing". Why is it that the harder I try to think of things to be thankful for, the easier it is to see the less thankworthy things. The cold. The cold shoulder. The difficult decisions. The advice unheeded. And every other little thing that happens as life happens that makes me want to scowl rather than smile.
I try, I really do. There are so many things to be thankful for, things that happen every day that I take for granted. My eternal future secured in Heaven. My family's love. My friends' trust. A roof over my head. Transportation that doesn't expose me to the elements. Money in the bank. Seriously, what more could I ever want? What I do have is more than I need, and so much more than I deserve. And yet, as the pages of my life flip past, I seem to highlight the negative events and bury the positives. What's wrong with me this time? Remember a couple months ago, I wrote a post exploring why I sometimes feel empty inside? But I have been reading the Bible, every day, taking special note of something I can apply to my life. I have been praying, lately more than usual because I have several friends that just recently needed more intercession. What have I been doing, or not doing, the past two weeks that's new? I sit here, writing this, listening to music, because I think that's the only way to live--with music playing. And I realized what's different. My music is different. Not different like, a different genre of music (that would be an entirely different post). Different because, about a month ago, I got a bunch of songs from a new CD off Amazon. The first two weeks after I got the songs, I listened to them maybe, two or three times. But then I switched to listening to Christmas music as I did Christmas crafts with my son. But about two weeks ago, I remembered my new music and decided to listen to it instead. This week I will finish Ezekiel. It seems like I've been reading it for forever, but the book only has 48 chapters. I am definitely ready for New Testament again, though. I will read through "guys eat pop corn" next. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. But first, the rest of Ezekiel:
Sunday--Ezekiel 43. "The earth shined with his glory." God came to earth, and the earth shined with His glory. Appropriate verse after the message this morning about worshiping God. Monday--Ezekiel 44. I know I have read this whole chapter together before, but I never saw this before (isn't it neat that we can read the same thing multiple times and get new things out of it continually?). Verses 20-22 tell what a priest should and shouldn't do: don't shave his head or grow his hair long, but keep it cut short; no drinking wine; no marrying anyone but a virgin or a widow of another priest (because she would have been a virgin then). My husband uses this verse about the hair to show what God approves of in "how long is too long". I have heard people argue back that this requirement was only for the priests, and no where does God command ordinary citizens to abide by this. But then you read verse 24: "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." The reason that the laws for the priests were so "strict" was because the priests were to be the example. If you want to know what something clean looks like so you can replicate it, it won't do much good looking at something that is slightly dirty. Even if you can't be as clean as the clean thing is, if your goal is "slightly dirty" you will NEVER be clean. God doesn't want us to strive to be "slightly dirty". "Be ye holy, as I am holy." Although in our sinful states we cannot actually attain unto the holiness that God is, if we don't even try, we definitely won't come anywhere close. 'Shew that was long! Saturday, I am thankful for:
Sunday, I am thankful for:
Monday, I am thankful for:
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Who am I, you ask?
In 2006 I had a stroke, and every day my husband encourages me to use my remaining brain cells to the best of my ability. I love to organize, make crafts, and go on adventures (safe ones). I hope that through my blog posts, you will be encouraged to accept and make the best of challenges God throws at your life. Categories
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April 2022
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