Doya or Don'tcha?!?

When I was a little girl I shared a bunk bed with my younger sister Jennifer. Though I won the coin toss, I still didn't get to sleep on the top bunk. As you can imagine, I was not very pleased with the outcome of my so-called win. Parents can be funny creatures.

It wasn't long before I realized the bottom bunk was a blessing in disguise. I had my very own blank canvas. As a writer this was awesome! Soon this special place was filled with all kinds of teenage thoughts, some would call graffiti, my parents called it vandalism, on the hard cardboard area above my head.

As a Christian, I am still a scribbler- a writer of words and quotes, thoughts and ideas. My Bible has not escaped this personal phenomena. And would you believe that I am married to a man who writes not a word in God's Word? His Bible is as clean as if he bought it today. Mine on the other hand, is filled with love letters from my children, pictures, pressed daffodils, and dates of a Word given and prayers fulfilled.

How about you? Are you a scibbler? Or do you find it odd to write in the pages of your Bible?

So, doya or don'tcha?

Watcha Doin'?

It's a new day, a brand new year, beginnings abound! So, I'm curious... alright, maybe I'm just plain nosy. But heck, you gals have made me this way. If you didn't have such interesting lives and amazingly witty answers I wouldn't give a hoot.

So...what is it you're doing for your Bible study in 2009? How about your daily reading? Are you doing anything different for your daily devotion time?

I am still undeclared as to which Bible study I will participate in this year. I LOVE women's Bible studies and being a natural born zealot, I would attend three a day if I could!

For now, my daily time in the Word will include, a chapter from the Old and New Testament and a Psalm. I also read the devotion of the day from my Streams in the Desert book and I've included a devotion from a book my dad and step mom gave me called Precious Gems, that includes the study of a Greek word each day. I have begun a new prayer journal to jot down my hearts requests. This is only my second year that I have kept a prayer journal, and I highly recommend it!

Friends, if you have never read through your Bible, I encourage you to make 2009 the year you succeed. If reading it from cover to cover seems a bit overwhelming, go out and get yourself a Chronological Bible. My husband and I read through the Bible that way a few years ago. What a blessing that was.

So, is this the year the year you are committing to read through your Bible again, or for the first time?

What is your time in the Word routine?

What Bible study are you doing this year?

Cmon', throw us a bone and fill us all in!

'Blessed' Books - Tuesday

It felt almost sacreligious to place any other book before the Bible as my favorite today. Especially on my very first 'Blessed' Books -Tuesday . So let me give you a little history on my most beloved book of all time.

It has been said, a Bible that is falling apart, is a sure sign of someone's life that isn't. I would have to agree with that statement. Though I am far from perfect, because of this book I know the only one who is, Jesus Christ.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my husband Paul very soon after I was saved. As you can tell by the front it is black, a New King James Version, a purse type which closes with an overlapping flap that snaps into place. It came with a black strap I could attach and wear over my shoulder, and a gold colored metal rose on the front. When I first received this gift I was not overjoyed. Oh, I was excited about getting a Bible from Paul, just not thrilled with his design choice. The years have passed and it is now barely held together by clear packaging tape. With the rose and strap both missing, I have come to love this book like a child loves their favorite blanky.

It is upon these pages that God's words have spoken to my heart more times than I can count. Since I am one of those Christians who writes in her Bible(my husband is not), and because I have a love for quotes and sayings, there are favorite words I have written peppered in ink throughout. On my title page you can find these words below.

"The Bible is alive, it speaks to me, it has feet, it runs after me, it has hands, it lays hold of me." Martin Luther

"Anything that keeps me away from my Bible is my enemy"
A.W. Tozer

When I think on the bestseller of all time, the Bible, the gift of God's word, I can get lost in thought pretty fast. I am so grateful that the greatest story ever told, spoken through the God of all creation, are words I have the privilege to read, without fear, without worry of persecution, but with a grateful heart in knowing that the one true and living God wants to know me too.

How 'Blessed' are we?

Happy 2008

There is just something about the first few days of the year for me. I was so excited last night, that I could hardly fall asleep. The anticipation of this new year has got something stirring inside of me that I have never felt before.

We started our New Year with a family devotion. Paul gave our oldest children scriptures to look up, as he shared his teaching with us about 'endings and beginnings.' We took a while to share our thoughts about the past year and our hopes as a family for the year to come. We dedicated our family, once again this year, for His plans...for His will in our lives. My husband gave us the verse, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

As this new year begins, I pray that we would all take this verse to heart. No matter what these twelve months bring, remember, we are children of the one true and living God. We are daughters of a great and mighty King.

Put your hand in His and hold on tight. There are places He wants to take us this year, and I for one, do not want to miss a moment of it.

Show me Your glory.

“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Being the ‘word’ girl that I am, I am constantly looking up definitions to words. The time I spend in dictionaries is not exclusive to words that I have never heard before. For the most part, I search the meanings to words that I believe I know already. Oh, what surprises I have found when looking up words that I thought I already knew. Recently the word that I looked up was, ‘demonstrates’. The Noah Webster 1828 dictionary defines demonstrates this way: To show or prove to be certain; to prove beyond the possibility of doubt or to be rendered certain to the mind.

Recently while in a Bible study I was reminded of the above scripture in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The teacher went on to share that God does not desire to be hidden. If we would only seek Him, He wants to show us in so many ways how much He loves us. I needed to be reminded that God does not get some cosmic pleasure in playing hide n’ go seek with His children. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.” It does not say that when you search for me I will find a better hiding place. God desires to be seen and desires for us to see Him in our lives. Our part is seeking Him in prayer and in His word and not being afraid to ask Him just as Moses did in Exodus 33:18 “I pray you show me Your glory.”nasb

So often people will ask Christians how they believe in an invisible God. My response to that is, “You believe in the invisible laws of gravity, in protons and electrons, black holes and the unseen laws of physics. Just as gravity has proven itself to be a real thing so too has my Lord and savior proven Himself real and true in my life.”

The picture above is one of my favorites of my children. What an example to me of His glory in my life. In this image, not only do I see His glory in the crashing of the ocean waves, but I also see four of His most precious gifts to their father and I. Another example of how He has demonstrated His love for me. Remember friends, demonstrates means to prove to be certain. If we would only ask Him for Spiritual eyes to see His glory, He will show Himself in our lives. He is faithful to do just that.