Jonah 4 Heartwork 02/08/2010
I have loved this time in Jonah with you, SonShines! Who knew there was so much to learn in such a small book? When we first began, I had that storybook idea of the man inside the whale and I expected that view to be shattered with the reality of it all. I mean, Beth Moore had absolutely crushed my fuzzy wuzzy sweet lions in the den to bits and I just knew the truth would do the same for Jonah. I don't know that anything got shattered, but girls, my view of Jonah has forever changed! That goes for the book as well as the man. I'll have to expound during Wednesday's link up conversation...there's just too much to think about! First, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Jonah's anger over Nineveh's quiet reprise. No fireworks. No famine. They repented as instructed and God turned His wrath from them. Jonah sat there staring at that city wishing someone would die--him or them--almost an ultimatum, but more a festering. Ooh, what about the bush (or vine), the worm, and that sultry east wind? I don't know what translation you read from, but the New Revised Standard Version jumped right out at me. "The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush." (4:6) The words appointed and prepared are both perfectly interchangeable here, both being aspects of the Hebrew word manah. Looking at each word as part of the whole point, we see that not only did God create the comfort provided Jonah, He also appointed it for just such a purpose. In verse 7, God appoints a worm that attacks the bush. A tiny, dirt dwelling, blessing withering worm was created with a purpose in the Lord. Oh sisters, so are we! Tiny little, dirt dwelling, us...meant for some great exploits with our Father! Even when those exploits don't end as we envision. God appoints blessings of comfort. God appoints blessings of withering. God appoints blessings of scorching heat to shine on our heads and separate the sin from the saint! They may not all feel good at the time, but they are all blessings--good and perfect gifts from above! Praise the God of second...and third...and fourth chances! I love you and treasure this time with friends in love with the Lord. I'll stop my rambling and chat with you in the comments! Free share today! Share what's on your heart, no specific questions asked. Come back tomorrow for some thoughts and questions to ponder as we prepare to share our hearts link up style on Wednesday! SonShines, this chapter has my mind swimming. After freeing Jonah from his watery prison and placing him on dry land, the Lord again tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. I love that God didn't release him from the belly of the fish and leave him to find his own way to shore. It really says a lot about what Jonah's heart must have looked like from God's perspective. I get the feeling God knew just what He was doing...we all know that to be true in all things, but Jonah's story is really highlighting this truth for me. When you look at the wording of both commands to travel to Nineveh, you can't help but think that maybe Jonah wouldn't have ran away had God said the latter to begin with. Sometimes, it's just downright terrifying to know His plans! Being told to preach against the nemesis of your people, in a city that took three days to cross, had to seem daunting. In the second command, God simply tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim the message He gives. Whew. That might have spared the fish ride. At first. How much weight would you give to an enemy's declarations of doom? Not as much as you'd give to someone who'd been in the belly of a whale, that's how much. Jonah's testimony put him in a position of power. God's power. The storm, the rock bottom, the entanglement, the days of hopelessness, the confession, the repentance--they added weight and worth and value to the words Jonah spoke on behalf of the King of kings. Sure, we know the true worth was there all along, but sometimes the world can't see past the messenger to find the message. I want to go on and on about this chapter, but I want to leave some goodness for you all to share too! I'll catch you in the comments and we'll dig on the Divine! Here are a few things to ponder...
Jonah 2 Homework 02/04/2010
I really need a better word than that. Homework sounds so promising and so full of things to ponder and learn...I'll have to invent us a word that means thoughts and questions to ponder and discuss and pray over with sisters. One word for all that...I'll need more coffee. "Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish...." THEN. Isn't it just like us to pray once we're already overboard? Once we're already trapped in a vast sea of imprisonment? Jonah, poor silly human. Sinking to the very bottom of the ocean, entangled in seaweed, and growing ever closer to death, Jonah finally cries out to the Lord. Don't look at Jonah like that, we've all been there--where the mountains take root. Lower than low and further from hope every moment. Could it be that Jonah assumed that God would deliver him, so he simply waited for salvation? Perhaps he felt too sinful to ask anything of the Lord he had ran from in disobedience. I would love to hear your thoughts on what Jonah was thinking during those prayer-less moments! Whether his delay in praying came from an expectation he had of the Lord, or shame, deliverance came when Jonah remembered Him. Remembering the almighty God keeps us from drowning in our sin! Today's homework is a bit more personal, please don't feel that you have to share it, but know that you are safe in sharing God's goodness here. No matter what hardship He's brought you through, or bringing you through right now. Even if you don't share your homework answers, I'd love for you to share your thoughts on this chapter!
You'll find our study schedule here. I can't wait to see how God blesses you today! Jonah 1 Homework 02/03/2010
Don't let that word scare you away...I don't particularly like homework either, but the faithfulness of our Lord makes every question worth the while! With that said, I don't have too many questions for you, so breathe easy and enjoy the wild ride! I get Jonah. The desire to be pleasing to the Lord is often in opposition to the desire to not have to tell an entire city that they are living in sin. It's that whole fight or flight thing kicking in...even our natural reflexes are play things for the enemy if we aren't careful! I once ran from the call to homeschool...talk about rocking the boat. My boys suffered in public school because I hid from the presence of the Lord. For five years I ran from the notion of teaching my children at home. Silly, sure, totally understandable too. You'll find our study schedule here. The book's introduction in my Harper Study Bible states that the name Jonah means "dove". How sweet a name for one sent to minister! Genesis 8:6-12, Song of Solomon 5:12, and Hosea 7:11 each offer a different view of dove-like characteristics. Take a little time to read each passage and grow a little more familiar with Jonah--the real man behind the Sunday school story of childhood. Where was Jonah called to minister, and what was he to tell the people there? Where, and in what direction, did he instead set off to? Have you ever found yourself miles from where you should be? How did you end up there? How was your relationship with the Lord affected during your time running in the opposite direction? How was Jonah's hiding from the Lord exposed? Consider the nap during the storm and the activity elsewhere on that ship. Take into account the casting of the lots as well as the fact that Jonah had told them that he was running from the presence of the Lord. God was glorified on that sea-whipped ship. Even when Jonah was disobedient, the Lord used his life to further His kingdom. How did Jonah's pre-belly-of-the-whale time at sea bring glory to the King of Kings? We've made it through the first chapter of Jonah, ladies! What a wild ride. To think that the truly amazing bits are yet to come is just too exciting! I hope you're thrilling to this true life story that grows stranger than fiction with each word! God shared it for a reason...that's a good enough reason for us to keep reading! Tomorrow, we will take on chapter two and one heck of a fantastic voyage! Come by then for more questions and thoughts to ponder. What spoke to you most from this first chapter? One Week Study of Jonah! Join me? 02/02/2010
"For evangelicals, these facts present no problem." Taken from my Harper Study Bible's introduction to the book of Jonah, one sentence sums up the approach we must choose upon entering the pages that lie therein. Of course, one could argue that any page in Scripture requires as much belief (or suspension of disbelief) and get no argument from me! The Supernatural is hard to wrap your brain around...but when you know that Christ died and rose again, the rest is easy to accept as fact. Let go of conventional wisdom and gain some Scriptural knowledge with me as we explore the story of Jonah...from whale to worm, God has a mighty good Word for us on these pages! Today, I'm posting our study schedule and inviting you along for the ride! Four chapters in one week. Four short chapters with one mighty God! Check in daily for homework and tidbits! I'm excited to share this time in the Word with you, sweet sister! Are you in? Wednesday :: Jonah 1 Thursday :: Jonah 2 Friday :: Jonah 3 Weekend :: Worship and catch up on homework, if you wanna! Monday :: Jonah 4 Tuesday :: Meet me here for some discussion questions and such Wednesday :: Come back and link up to your own post on this journey through Jonah or we'll chat in comments...I'm excited to share in our Lord with you wherever! See you in Scripture, SonShines! I Didn't Get the Memo 01/28/2010
Sometimes, it really is all in the details. I knew going into this whole obedience thing, that one day God would ask me to share more than the already less than comfy surface testimony He is working out in my life. One day was supposed to be blurry. So far in the future that I couldn't even see it clearly. Turns out one day is today. Today is one day, possible of many, that I would be asked to share the details. God equips us for every good work. That's a fact. Nowhere in that promise does He say that we'll be prepared or even alerted. Good thing, because had I known what He had planned, I might have stayed home and hidden from the opportunity to do good. All difficult situations are opportunities to do good, but having a heads up brings with it the possibility of running away. Thankfully, I didn't get the memo that today was going to hold an opportunity I would have undoubtedly passed up. A cup I would have prayed God to let pass, instead of overflow. Sitting at a table made to seat seven women in my moms' group, I felt like a complete reject among the empty chairs. Stepping into this role of table hostess in a ministry I love dearly wasn't a comfortable act of obedience as it was, but when only two ladies sat with me, I felt like I was the reason people stayed away. Even when you're beating yourself up, thinking of yourself too much is thinking too much of yourself. I know that. I just forget that I know that. Content in my pity party, balloons and all, I wondered what it was about me that kept them away. It wasn't about me. Big shocker there. No, it was God that arranged the seating today. He just didn't need to let me know that until I could handle it with praise. As I drove home, reflecting on one awesome speaker and one awesome time of discussion, the Lord revealed part of His plan and part of His awesomeness in Sovereignty. Each of the ladies at my table were predestined to sit together, to share together, to be encouraged together. All three of us. Three seemed like such a small number at first glance. Now I am amazed at how our God worked in, on, and through THREE women at one tiny table, this morning! We each needed to hear that God is in control. In our own ways, we needed that covering of Truth. We also needed the details that lie underneath. Sharing first, the overall way that Christ has been at work, then getting deeper into the ways we need to stop our own ideas of what needs to be worked on, things felt really fruitful and wonderful. The intimate setting allowed for digging into matters and for opening up those hidden parts that want to be ignored in us. It also made way for a very personal exchange after the group had dismissed. Today, I shared some details. Details that once held me prisoner and now are part of the beautiful way in which the Lord saw fit to set me free. I'm humbled that they helped another sister in Christ. She was visibly encouraged in a way that encouraged me, but our Father didn't stop there! Her details were offered up as a means of growing me and filling me and refueling me in one of the areas of life I struggle with most right now. I left with a new gratitude and appreciation for the circumstance I'm so quick to feel defeated by. Hope pumped through each bit of me and I would have missed that had we not shared with one another. God didn't send us the memo that today was in fact that one day we'd been secretly hoping might never come and instead He sent us a good and perfect gift in the details of our less than perfect lives! What's In Your Coffee? 01/26/2010
 Curled up in my bed, laptop and coffee in hand, God decided it was time to drop some knowledge on me. There, swimming around in my cold coffee, I found a bit of wisdom and a rabbit trail of thought waiting for me. Just as I sunk into coziness, I went to sip said coffee and realized that a touch up just wouldn't do. If you follow me on twitter, you might have read this seemingly random bit I posted. At some point you've gotta stop touching up your coffee and just pour a new cup. I think my coffee is hinting at something... It seemed random to me, too, at first. I never seem to recognize the work of the Lord right away. As I resolved to roll out of bed for the refill, I realized what the Lord had splashed into my sad little cup of something that started out so good. I mean, Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Blend with a splash of Cinnamon Bun creamer--so divine. Cold Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Blend with a splash of Cinnamon Bun creamer, not so much. It was clear that a touch up just wouldn't do any good that would last to the last drop. In that moment, God found a way to make my coffee truly Divine. Hinting at the frustrations I've been coming up against in my writing and in my life, the Lord was calling me to stop trying to top things off and hope the band-aid makes things all better. As a sweet sister in Christ put it, "God wants us to give up what we already have so He can give us something fresh.. and abundant". Wow. Here, I just thought I was going to hide in bed and continue feeling invisible and frustrated. I don't know what it all means just yet, but clearly my Father wants me to stop primping and adding and pruning and shuffling and topping off the ways I minister and mingle and meander in this world. He's telling me to stop assuming what I have will get better if I just add more to it. Another cup of coffee just as scrumptious as the one before it is what I need to be reaching for! What is our Lord handing you today? Kettle Club :: Resolve 01/26/2010
 {click to visit more Kettle Club posts on resolve} I've never been too into making resolutions...call me a rebel. Okay, call me lazy, that's pretty much the real reason I can't think of a single New Year's resolution I've kept. I have never taken them seriously enough to even be able to name one I've made. We'll guess they were the usual suspects...read more, move more, weigh less...all great goals if you need 'em. Truly great goals if you plan to keep after them. I suppose I just know myself well enough to know that I'd never really try. As 2009 came to a close, I found myself wanting to join in the resolution fun. Naturally, I didn't have to look far to find some...read more, move more, weigh less, study more, pray more, write more, homeschool better, clean more, cook more, order out less, more patience, less wasted time...the list didn't stop. Then I remembered why it was I had given up on resolutions. They bum me out and I let myself down. I was content to go into the new year with all those same goals that filled 2009, keeping me in jammies on those days I felt defeated beneath the ever-growing list. I was content. God, however, had a plan for my new year. Go figure. God began to whisper to me that I didn't need to make a list, I needed to make a commitment. I needed resolve. Over the past several weeks, I've been seeing that when I resolve to do a thing, it gets done. Right away. I see said task, I acknowledge that it isn't going anywhere on its own, and I handle it. Resolutions just didn't have that effect on me, I think they seemed like something I had 365 days to work on and I'd get to them eventually. Simply deciding to do what needs doing each time it arises has somehow set me free. Bit by bit, I'm finding it easier to deal with the task at hand instead of putting it off until it becomes an obstacle. Could it be that my procrastinating days are over? Probably not. They are numbered, though, and that's something I'm thrilled about in this new year! {the Kettle Club is a group to encourage Christian women who love blogging to put devotional time with God before their desire to post each day--join us here} Reuniting with My Father 01/22/2010
 Insanely picture perfect photo, isn't it? My favorite snapshot of my parents, hands down. Of course, I only have a handful to choose from, being as they separated when I was five or so. As a young girl, such moments worth capturing in time were my only glimpses of their marriage, which made it all the more difficult to understand why they didn't make it. It wasn't until shortly after my sixteenth birthday that it finally became real for me. Somewhere between my mother's misery and my father's absence and continued profession of love for my mother, I connected imaginary dots that pointed to a reunion. I can remember riding in the backseat of various cars, at various times, my eyes fixed on the sky. My dad, arms opened wide, was waiting for me in a continual fantasy just beyond the clouds. I would stare through the blue and fluffy white until I found him. We'd smile so big that our cheeks hurt and as he knelt on one knee, I'd run to him just as fast as I could. Lifting me in the air, we'd spin and grin and then hug a hug filled with all the love we had. Of course, there came a day when that dream faded and in its place grew Parent Trap-esque notions of how to heal this broken marriage--this broken home. It was surely a simple misunderstanding or an issue of pride and would all be swept away if I just tried hard enough. When I discovered that my parents had never gone through with an actual divorce, I was convinced they were deeply in love and that I could convince them of the same. I was in sixth grade then and had not heard from my father in months. Months became years and the dream didn't fade. Seeing the loving relationships between childhood friends and their daddies made it all the more worth hanging onto. With my father no where to be found and my mother down for the count emotionally, I found love where I could. Innocently enough, love from the parents of a best friend helped for many years. There were two families, in particular, that took me in and loved me to bits and saw something worth loving in me. Church and chores and dinners together and I was loved. For a few years, this kept me feeling worthwhile and special.  After not hearing from my father in five years, he called us shortly after my sixteenth birthday. On his own birthday. That day, my imaginary father died. My hope for family died. As an adult, I've learned the details of their split and I get it. I get the defeat. I get the struggle. I get the misery. I get the bitter resentment. I get the bridges lying in ashy ruins. I get it. What I don't get is how all of that mattered more than the four children they shared. I will never get that. My marriage has survived some ridiculous hardships, not dissimilar from the ones that plagued my parents. I'm not still married simply because I don't give up. No, my marriage is still going because God asks me to give it over and I do. I've stopped wondering why they didn't give their marriage to God, I get that, too. Instead I'm just so thankful to be spared that hopelessness. I give it all over to my real and true and trusted and faithful Father. The one that sent His only Son to save me from despair. To make me special and love me. To meet with me in the sky and spin me round and hug me with all of His might. To wipe away my tears and the heartache of a girl broken by a broken home and mended by the Living God! You are Christ's body, that's who you are! 01/21/2010
It's so funny what we do as children. I was in the 5th grade and preparing for a paper that I had to write on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I hate that. The pressure on children to decide their entire lives is just a waste of youth and it distracts from the fact that it is God who calls us to what we'll be. Being a mix between a free spirit and a perfectionist, this was really stressing me out. I was 11, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life other than love God and do good things. As the deadline approached, I prayed to God for the answer to that all too big question. I asked Him what I should be when I grew up and I heard Him say that I should be a doctor. From that day on, I was going to go to Duke University and be a doctor. Well, as I grew older in years I lost sight of God and soon I was 16 and in college with 2 jobs and no faith to keep me going. After my aunt died, I had a breakdown of sorts and fast forward a couple of years and I was 18 and pregnant. What could have been disastrous was a miracle and I've been an at home mother since. I've never looked back and wished I had ended up being a doctor, but I've always wanted to have followed God's calling. A few years ago I took a spiritual gifts assessment test and was actually surprised to see teaching was my strongest gift. I truly expected to see healing due to that moment with God, but teaching was the strongest by a landslide and I started to connect some dots. As far back as I can remember, I've been teaching of God's glory and on nonspiritual levels, as well. I've been a peer mediator and a tutor. I've led Bible classes for younger children and as a mother, my entire life is about teaching. I've been told time and again that I have a natural way with words that teaches people on a level they can grasp. Looking back, I see that knack for teaching is really a gift from above, just like all things good and perfect. It's a recurrent theme for a reason. I'm being called to teach on a broader level. We're all being called for something. But what does that mean for the moment when God spoke to me? Well, that's the best part of my story! I discovered that in biblical times the word for "doctor" referred to those who were Spiritual teachers! I'm just now beginning to embrace this spiritual destiny of mine, and I can't wait to fully live by my belief that God wants to act as a teacher through me. I've been taking baby steps, but I'm ready to leap and not worry about the confines of this world. The restrictions, the necessities, or the chance of failure. What are they when up against God? Have you found your place in the body of Christ? Have you opened the gift you were naturally given by the Spirit? Have you answered His call? 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 paints the perfect picture of how we are each wonderfully made, and why we aren't all wired exactly the same. You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body": apostles prophets teachers miracle workers healers helpers organizers those who pray in tongues. But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It's not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. I hope you'll take a closer look at your own God-given talents, and share some time with Him in prayer to find the pattern that points to what He is asking you to do with this life. I'm praying for your journey! |  praying around the clock  soles4souls     Loading
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