An Intense Moment in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-52)

Can you imagine not knowing where your child is for three days? I don't really know if one can totally grasp the nightmare this would be if one doesn't have or has never had children. The anguish you would experience would be like no other. But, I was encouraged as I read this passage and looked at it from a different perspective.

I saw established priorities of living life in this passage. As I read I could see two people who had established godly priorities and sought to obey God's Word.

Gire draws out the role of Jesus' parents in rearing him as a youngster. I can remember looking at our son and thinking, "I cannot imagine having a child who does not sin!" As much as I may have desired that, in reality, I think I would have been petrified. I've always thought that children really enable parents to learn humility. :) Mary and Joseph were faithful to make this trip to Jerusalem. They were observant Jews. The fact that Jesus was interested in interacting with the religious teachers of the day shows that his spiritual training had been instituted by his parents. They had been careful to nurture that area of his life.

To me, Mary and Joseph were a couple who nurtured hearts of humility in themselves. Why do I think that? Well, because they had established godly priorities for their lives from the beginning. God was first in their lives and God was all in their lives. Both of them were godly singles who became a godly couple, who then became godly parents. So this whole scene shared in Scripture just shows them living by the godly priorities and focus they had maintained all their lives.

So, partly because of Jesus' training in the home (humanly speaking) he developed a greater understanding and knowledge of his Father in Heaven. Verse 49, if I am not mistaken, would be the first recorded words of the Messiah. Even at the age of 12 it shows he was deeply conscious of the unique relation between Himself and His Father in heaven.

Looking ahead, from Mary's perspective, I catch just a glimpse of the next 20 years of her life. But, at the end, I would say her established priorities enabled her to sustain herself through the probable death of her Joseph, through the ridicule that must have continued over her Son's conception and birth, and through those days leading up to when she stood at the foot of the Cross. My question to myself is what are my priorities by which I'm living my life? Are they based on obedience to God's Word? Or do I need to spend some time 'adjusting' my priorities?

Every child thrives in a godly home and I see it no different for Jesus! Surely Mary's home was built on love and around biblical principles regarding childrearing. I think Joseph and Mary provided a fairly normal home. His mom was a stay at home mother. His father was a carpenter and taught Jesus to be a carpenter. Luke 2:51 is the last reference made to Joseph in the Bible. How much more important would it be for Jesus to rely on His Heavenly Father?

Back to the temple. I do see Jesus obeying his parents. He subjected himself to his earthly mother and father. He subjected to the law handed down by his heavenly Father. He returned with them to Nazareth.

So I'm back to the basics. If Christ, Himself, was obedient, not only to His own parents but to His heavenly Father, how much more important is it for me to be obedient?


Just a little "extra" I picked up someplace....

H onor the Lord in your home

O on your role as a homemaker

M ake your house a home

E stablish lasting family memories

An Intense Moment in Jerusalem

Two things were brought out to me in this lesson….

The first being how graphic Gire writes about the sacrifice of the lamb…. I remember reading this lesson before and thinking the same thing – did he really have to put all of that in there, I mean, did I really need to know all the little gross details…. But this time, I did something different… When I got done reading about the sacrifice, I stopped the lesson for a moment. I sat and paralleled it with the sacrifice of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Oftentimes, I read the crucifixion story with little feeling. I must have heard/read it 10 million times. I have grown so desensitized to the horror and the sacrifice. Its so much like second nature that I usually forget what it really means and what He truly went through – for me. And here I was, horrified by the killing of an animal…. Easter is only a short time away now, this year, I hope to really dwell and “feast” on Christ… to come away with a better understanding of the sacrifice…

Another thing that has always gotten to me, and Gire didn’t really go into was Jesus’ parents looking for Him…. It seems almost disrespectful to me that Jesus didn’t bother to let His parents know where He was, and then when they do find Him, He almost seems to chastise them…. But I know its Jesus, and He was doing a good thing…. I wonder if maybe this is just a cultural way of thinking? My parents definitely would have “jerked a knot knot in my head” if I had done this at 12….

And I wanted to say thank you for all the sweet sincerity offered up on my last post… it means a lot that I have people who will be honest with me, who will pray with/for me, and who are wanting to grow also….

Intense Moment in Jerusalem

I love this story. I wish there were more stories like this in Scripture. We know next to nothing about Jesus' formative years, absolutely nothing of their time in Egypt. I can imagine one of the first disciples asking Mary "Tell us another one about Jesus when he was little." and her regaling them with all kinds of stories. "Oh, and then there was the time we lost him for four days in Jerusalem!" When we love someone as an adult we want to know all about how they got to be the person we love, and usually their mothers are the ones more than willing to spill the beans. I have stories I've told my daughters-in-law about my sons. The sons squirm and the daughters-in-law roll on the floor laughing.

I'm still getting used to Gire's way of describing events he had no way of knowing were true (Jesus flinching at the slaughter of the lamb) but I definitely appreciate his prayers at the end of each chapter. Help me to understand that the greater my love for you, the sharper the sword will be... I need to remember that a life in Christ is not a bed of roses and isn't supposed to be.

An Intense Moment In Jerusalem

Talk about your dejavu...

I read this chapter Sunday morning before leaving for church, only to sit down and have pastor's message start off with the story of Jesus as a 12-year-old boy being left behind during passover! I kept sitting there thinking, "I could have swore I just heard this..." and then realized - I just had! Well, that was a moment I'll remember for awhile, let me tell you.

I found this chapter to be nicely informative but it didn't really "grab me" until I got to the end of the prayer. From this point on I didn't know whether to be ecstatic or whether to throw up:

"I know if I love you the way she loved you, my heart will never be safe. Someday you will unsettle my life. And someday a sword will pierce my heart, too."

I can't TELL you how many times I have sat and wondered about the correlation between my finding God again and my finding out my heart is no longer "working" correctly. That the two became known to me in such close proximity to each other leaves me forever wondering if the two events are not closely related to each other in more ways than time. And then, considering the week I had last week and to then find this prayer waiting for me - its all just a little too much.

"And someday a sword will pierce my heart, too."

Was it all the years of living a life turned away from Jesus that led to the physical destruction of my heart or, perhaps, it was that, when I found Him again He pierced my heart with His sword - literally? Was His presence in my heart so great that it could not withstand the promise of His love? Or...is it all just a coincidence that I would find Jesus and then find out about my ailment in a matter of mere months?

The human side of me knows it is probably a condition I had been developing for quite some time and is, therefore, unrelated. But, the spiritual side of me knows God has a hand in ALL things and that I can never rule out that His sword marked me as His - literally and figuratively.

And that, my dear friends, is why this chapter has so far been the most meaningful for me. It plunges my mind back into the question that will never be answered in this lifetime:

Did my emotional reconnection with Jesus leave an actual physical battle scar on my heart? I really can't help but wonder...

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor...

Claire helped me find a passage in the bible today that I've been looking for and unable to locate. It is Matthew 18:20:

"For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them."

Am I the only one that noticed what happened here last week? Somewhere along the way, this book club went from being a commentary on the individual book chapters to being a commentary on our individual lives. We opened up about things in a pretty personal way on this last go around of chapters in case any of you didn't notice.

I think maybe we have another guest here that has joined the party...

An Intense Moment at Bethelem

As I read this chapter I was sick at thinking how often I have been like Herod in my life. Not literally killing people but figuratively. Before I was a follower of Christ and even in the early days of my walk with Him, I was a "ladder climber".

I longed to be at the top. I wanted to run with the big dogs. I wanted to be the queen bee. I wanted people to bow down and worship me. I remember trash talking people who worked with me careful to point out their every flaw so that I could rise above them. It was like a cancer in my soul.

And I specifically remember the day it was revealed to me. God removed the scales from my eyes and I saw what I had done and been doing to gain power and prestige and popularity. How I was working to get people to worship and adore me. It was very painful. I can't believe I had caused that much pain to others just so people would like me. It was people pleasing taken to an extreme.

I still have to fight that nasty thing in me that longs to be affirmed, recognized, celebrated. It is a longing in me that the enemy twisted and warped.

It is for this reason, that I have to stay diligent about my solitude and silence with God. I have to continually check my heart to make sure that I am growing more in love with God and more in love with others.

I don't want to be a Herod. I don't want to be someone who cuts people down so I can be lifted up. This is the way of our world.

God, help me. Help me to stay humble. Help me to be a servant leader. Never let me forget that only You are worthy of praise and worship and let me take my need to be approved and affirmed to you. Amen.

Intense Moment at Bethlehem

There was one line that especially spoke to me in this chapter and it was in the closing prayer:

"Help me to understand that you reveal yourself not to those whose mind is a concordance but to those whose heart is a cathedral."

I have to say that I really like the way Gire writes. He does a great job of making these moments in Jesus' life "come alive" and it has allowed me to see the actual continuous life story of Jesus instead of a moment here and a moment there. I honestly am starting to feel like I am becoming a part of His world - that He is becoming so much more real to me through all of this reading and reflecting.

But, if I am guilty of one thing right now at this stage of my walk with God, it is in thinking that I can't serve Him like I should because I don't have the scriptural knowledge or the biblical background that is needed to put his life and lessons into the proper context and, thus, be the teacher for others that I should be. I am so unbelievably grateful that I have people like all of you that I can pop off a question to in a quick email and an answer will coveniently land in my "inbox" a few moments later. You are like a crash course to me, a late-night cram session, helping me to make up for all the lost time when studying the life of Christ was the LAST thing on my mind. I often wonder why I've been purposefully blessed with so many truly inspirational teachers around me at this stage in my life, but the truth is, I don't really care. I'm thirsty and God is letting me drink...and drink...and drink!

It did my heart good to hear that its okay that I have a heart that is a cathedral and that that is enough for now. Some of us are teachers - some of us are students - but all of us can find a way to serve and worship Him and together we make our worship more perfect and complete because of our differences.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Intense Moment at Bethlehem

Intense indeed! I can just imagine Mary, finally settled into a more comfortable place to care for a newborn, having just received three strangers from another country, suddenly awakened in the middle of the night to trek (yet again) by donkey to another strange place...where who knows what awaits... She's already heard a foreboding prophesy by some old man in the temple. I can imagine my own response in this situation (something along the lines of "you gotta be kidding me, oh Lord. Does it never end!?!")

What helped me most, though, was Gire's take on why Jerusalem was troubled along with Herod. I always wondered about that. I can understand a crazy and corrupt king being worried for his job, but why a whole city? Of course. It makes sense now. Under the occupation of Rome, the Jewish temple (translate: priests, scribes, bureaucrats) were in constant danger that any little hint of rebellion could topple their tenuous positions. Of course they were troubled. I think of other countries since that time that have been occupied... the uneasy lives of people just trying to get along, keep feeding their families, staying out of the limelight, staying out of trouble. Turn your back on any talk of conspiracy, of any knowledge of an underground. Keep a low profile. You could be rounded up tomorrow and executed.

An Intense Moment at Bethlehem (and with Addie)

I find it so interesting that not only was Herod troubled, but also “all of Jerusalem.” They knew the prophecies, isn’t this what they’ve been waiting to happen for so long? Why did they not even go to the house to at least see what the Magi were talking about? Was it too much trouble to go down the road a bit? Am I like this – do I get caught up in the religion of it all, and miss meeting my Savior face to face? Something to think about….

Also want to point out that by this time, Mary, Joseph and Jesus were in a house in Bethlehem, not the stable anymore… makes me wonder whose house – did they know someone there, was it the innkeeper’s, did they decide to just live in Bethlehem and go and ahead and buy a house? Makes me wonder how long of a time frame did it take the Magi to get there – I mean we know that it was about 2 years from when they talked to Herod and when they left, but how long did it take them to find the baby? How long did they visit with them? Just more stuff to ponder, I guess…

As I was reading this lesson, I thought it was good and interesting and all that…. I had pretty much got away from this lesson unscathed – no real conviction at all, I was pretty proud of myself…. Until I got to the prayer…. And very rarely has something described me so accurately…

“I confess I go through times when my heart is as indifferent as the chief priests’ and scribes’. Forgive me when my relationship with You deteriorates into an academic exercise. When my search for You ends with a Bible verse. When I am more intent on finding a cross-reference than finding You. When word study excites me more than worship… I confess, too, I go through times when my heart is like Herod’s, when I get tightfisted about holding onto my little kingdom. Forgive me when I get troubled and challenge Your right to rule over my life. How much heartache could I have avoided if only I had stepped down from the throne and acknowledged You as the rightful King?”

Whoa – I haven’t had conviction like that for such a long time…. And its so true – Ive lost my “first love” and I go through the motions… I love to look up Scripture just to prove a point…. I confess that most of the time I am without mercy or compassion – these are the two hardest lessons for my heart to wrap around…

Lately, my husband and I have been talking about Lent because it starts on March 1st. Weve been going back and forth trying to figure out what could we give up…. What would be an appropriate sacrifice to offer God. What would offer good practice in self-denial…. I have been debating over two different options memorizing a verse a day OR not spend any money on me right now (besides the necessary items) – I have a bad habit for being prideful about my Bible knowledge and also for putting me first above anyone else – buying anything my heart desires…… Both of those points were hit very hard in that prayer, and Im taking that as confirmation that Im not going to do one or the other of the aforementioned sacrifices…. Im going to do both….

Both are areas in my life that need to be cleaned up, and instead of just memorizing a verse for the day, Im going to actually look at the context of the verse and get to the heart of things and really search to fall in love with the God I serve again…. I also need to step down graciously (as opposed to being knocked off) my pedestal – the world was not meant to revolve around me, and when I have a mirror up to my face deciding that I need such material possessions, I miss out on the hurt and need around me….

So here is my public confession that I will do these things to the best of my ability, and I hope that I can count on you guys to hold me accountable as well…. Thank God for this group, what He is doing with it, and you being a part of it…

An Intense Moment at Bethlehem (Matthew 2)

This chapter opens with thoughts from the author pointing out 'oddities'...."Odd that the revelation of a Jewish Messiah was heard by foreigners. Astrologers, of all people. Odd that it wasn't heard by priests or rabbis or members of the Sanhedrin. Odd too that the messenger was not a prophet but, of all things, a star. Not a comet or a meteor shower but a mere star, hung quietly in the night among a million others." Now, don't you think that it's kind of odd the religious leaders in Jerusalem knew where the Messiah was to be born, but they didn't know when. Then think about the wise men from the East, who knew when but not where. I find it odd that once the two groups came together and shared their information the supposedly "wise men" from Jerusalem did not choose to travel the five miles to Bethlehem to witness the miracle of God in the flesh while the "wise men" from the East completed their trek.

As a result of the magi's visit with Herod more than just the magi desired to find Jesus. One desired to find Him out of fear while the other group desired to find the one born "King of the Jews" so they could worship worship Him.

I was struck by the author's take on the wise men arriving in Bethelem expecting it to "be bustling with activity after the arrival of its king." However, it was just another day. This brought back memories for me when we first arrived in Utah. When the major Christian holidays came around the first year here, I was under the impression there would be a lot of notice given to Christmas and Easter. Sadly there is but not in the spiritual sense. There is tremendous activity at Halloween. The homes that decorate at Christmas with lights and decorations do so at Halloween. Christmas is all about Santa Claus and Easter....when I was working we were going to be let off early on Good Friday. One of the wives came in to see her husband right before our time to leave and she said to me, "I'm so glad he is getting to leave early today, but what is all the hoopla about? What is so special about Good Friday?" It wasn't that she was not a religious person, because she was, active in the local religion around here. The Easter bunny reigns supreme at Easter.

I am always moved when I think of Christ as a baby. While He was so little the worldly powers, led by satan himself, plotted against Him. Herod, the king had already killed three of his own sons to secure his power. And now, he was afraid of losing his power to this child. In his madness and greed he murdered innocent children to just get rid of the one. As I see how it all unfolds with Joseph being led to flee to Egypt with his family I am comforted that no one can thwart God's plans. No one!

I think of the importance of Joseph obeying the vision to flee. What if he had not? Praise the Lord, he did obey God's commands explicitly, immediately, and without question. It makes me ashamed when I think of what the Lord asks of me and I find myself approaching obedience with a pretty self-centered, light hearted attitude. How that must grieve God! And, what blessings am I missing out on? I need to evaluate my obedience to God's direction in my life. Am I quick to follow? Or do I hem and haw around, hesitating until it suits me? Or do I continually question Him and rationalize in my mind?

I copied down a quote but I do not know where it came from. However, I think it is pertinent in finding Christ by the ones who are seeking Him. "When Jesus was born into our world, people immediately began to react. His presence did not soothe and comfort people; instead, it startled and disturbed them. In some, He awakened spiritual longings; in others fear and insecurity. If it is true that God entered our world when Jesus was born, we dare not sit idly by ignoring and rationalizing our inaction. We must acknowledge Jesus as the rightful King of our lives. He did not stay in the manager."

Now a days, people are self made, self contained, self seekers, put together, proud that they are their own person. So different from the picture portrayed by the magi who followed a star to find this one born "King of the Jews." They took on a long grueling trip and carried with them gifts to present to the Child. Gold was a gift for a king; frankincense, a gift for deity; myrrh, a spice for a person who was going to die. They humbled themselves to worship Him for who He was. Isn't that the essence of true worship? Honoring Christ for who He is and being willing to give Him what is valuable to you?

My life, once I was His, has certainly taken a different direction, one that is responsive and obedient to God's Word. I pray that you would be willing to be led a different way, too. Find the Truth!

In the Field

At first, this chapter really didn’t get to me all that much. It did make me see a lot of things in a new way – like the fact that the Lamb of God would be revealed to a motley crew of shepherds – I’d never thought of the irony of that before. The fact that shepherds would be comfortable walking into a stable, comfortable around the animals and the smell of the animals really does make them a logical choice to be there to announce the birth of the King, despite their lowly position in the social scene.

But then I got to two sentences towards the end of the chapter, right before the prayer that have stuck with me all day. The first was,

“He is Christ the Lord. Yet, he has placed himself at the mercy of His creation…”

He put himself at our mercy not ONCE (at his death) but TWICE (at his birth.)

If anything, this book is making me realize how much trust and faith Jesus has in us - that we’ll love him and protect him until he can fend for himself…that we will feed him and care for him until he is old enough to be on his own…that we will welcome His coming to this world despite how unfathomable it may seem.

I wonder, despite all the talk about the Lord coming to be with us from all the prophecy over the hundreds of years…would I have bought the story back then? Would I have shown up at that stable to see for myself or would I have heard tell of those who did and say, “Yes! Finally! The King has come!” In this day of multi-media hype and commercial ratings and The National Enquirer, would I believe the story if it were to occur today? I shudder to think...

And then this sentence:

“His body once again against the wood. Lying there. Waiting.”

Okay, now that just freaks me out. FREAKS ME OUT. He started his human life lying against a brace of wood and He ended it the same way. It makes me think about the circle of life. About what goes around, comes around. About how even man can make the Lord Himself feel helpless…

And that he did this all for us - it just leaves me speechless.

In the Fields

This fourth chapter continues the theme that God appears to, calls on, and uses for His own unknown purposes the most unlikely suspects (certainly by our standards.) It is a message of hope to each of us in the moments when we feel inadequate to the task God has called us for. I draw great comfort in my own times of distress, whether it's because I'm sure I've failed, or my words have been misunderstood or twisted, or my own selfish needs get in the way of doing exactly what I know he is asking...

Someone told me once "God requires no credentials. He doesn't call the equipped, he equips those he calls." There are days when I wish the equipment were a little more understandable, and days when I sing praise for every piece I've been given. If we are indeed involved in waging a battle with evil, then there is no better equipment than the armor of Christ.

An Insightful Moment in the Fields

I really liked the imagery used in this lesson, how it was appropriate for the shepherds to be told first because, after all, it was the Lamb who was just brought into the world…. But I’ll be honest, this wasn’t one of my favorite lessons so far, I just didn’t get as much out of it, which is ok. I don’t expect to be blown away by every lesson… there will be some lessons that reach each one of us that the others just wont relate to as well, that’s what makes this “club” work so well…. Even when something doesn’t affect us, we can see how God is still using it to touch someone else…

As always, I look at everything with a mother’s heart, and what hit me most really wasn’t brought out in the lesson, but it’s something that I’ve never even thought about before. Here we have Mary, Joseph and Jesus in a barn. All alone, unsanitary and in the company of livestock and all that entails. And in come some nasty, dirty men raving about angels. This would have scared me to death. I mean, your child is something you protect with all your being. You’re in unfamiliar settings and you have got to be tired from the birth and the new baby. What do you do? How did they know that these shepherds weren’t going to steal the baby or anything else? How did they know that these men weren’t going to hurt them? How do they know that these men were sent from God? They surely didn’t look the part of the safe neighbor next door coming to borrow a cup of sugar. They had to have been dirty and smelly and pretty rough-looking. And yet, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." It blows my mind….

An Insightful Moment in the Fields (Luke 2:8-20)

As I read the opening paragraph of this chapter in which the author describes the shepherds as having no skill, no special gift, no theological teaching or individual training as evangelists I thought to myself, "That's me!" It does describe so many of us I believe. A short while after leading my grocery checker at the store to the Lord she mentioned that she didn't "know enough" to be able to share with others yet. I told her, "God would never require you to share something you don't know. But let's look at what you do know. You know that you are a sinner. You know that sin requires a sacrifice...a blood sacrifice. You know that Christ paid that sacrifice for you and because of His doing that, and your resting in that sacrifice you will be with Christ when you die. So, you are able to share the Good News if nothing else!" She was so excited to understand that simple truth. She is much more vocal now-a-days!

I basically see two scenes unfolding here. The "revelation" and the "responses." Throughout the pages of God's Word the 'revelation' has been proclaimed. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." And, Isaiah 9:6 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

Then there is the response of the shepherds, those poor, unclean, simple men who were deemed unfit according to the law, yet they were chosen by God to be the first to hear the Good News of His Son! I see a lot which can be learned from their response. First, they received God's message from the angel. Secondly, they immediately responded in obedience and thirdly, they told others. Again, I am seeing humility and obedience surfacing to the top. How do I respond to God's Word and His revelation? Is my response immediate or do I delay? When I learn a new spiritual truth do I share it with others or do I keep it to myself?

Now we move to Mary's response. I love this sentence in God's Word, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." She kept what the shepherds had shared and then "pondered them in her heart." So often as we get older our memories get fuzzier and a little dim. Things are sometimes not as crystal clear. But, I tend to think that with Mary, she did not forget over the passing of time. In fact, I've heard it said that what Luke wrote is attributed to Mary's memories. Be that as it may, I'm sure all of this strengthened Mary's faith so that she was strong until the end. I'm sure Mary was a praying woman. The last picture of Mary is in the upper room...praying (Acts 1:14).

How I earnestly pray that my response and posture is like Mary's. May I ponder the things of God and then respond with adoration and joy as I seek to share the wonder of the revelation of Christ! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

An Insightful Moment with Mary & Joseph

As I read through this my first thoughts were about childbirth and what a sissy I am. I know not very deep or spiritual but I have often thought there is NO WAY I could have delivered a baby back in "those days." And then the thoughts of how unsanitary it all was, I mean giving birth around a bunch of filthy animals with no GermX or other sanitation products. No Doctor, no nurse, no group of women to encourage you and challenge you on, no nursery to send the baby to so they can get cleaned up and checked over and all that. Wow, pretty amazing just in that.

But then I got to the prayer. It seems his prayers always get me. I read about how God comes into the world with no pomp or pageantry. How He shows us that the road to greatness is through humility. I'm reminded of a book I read a few years ago, "Descending into Greatness" by Bill Hybels.

The world, the enemy, our own flesh try and convince us the road to greatness is through pride. Work hard, rise to the top, show people how spiritual you are, smack them down with just how good you are and how lacking they are. I am reminded that my Savior, my King, my Lord had EVERY right to come down and turn the world upside down. He could have had angels lighting up the night sky, grand pageantry the likes we have never seen but instead he enters the world as a helpless baby, the son of a very lowly unlikely servant girl who was not yet married, and born among the animals.

He shows us how to rid ourselves of pride, pick up the serving towel and bow to our Father in Heaven and boast only of what HE does and not about ourselves. To Him who is so far much more than we can even imagine be all the glory and all our worship.

Praise be to my Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

An Intimate Moment with Mary and Joseph

What touched me the most about this lesson was the humanity and irony of it all.

“… the divine Word, reduced to a few unintelligible sounds…. The Light of the World, squinting…. Hands that once sculpted mountain ranges cling to her finger.”

It makes no sense and all the sense in the world at the same time….

It is hard for me to marry the image of the child in the manger to the man on the cross…. It is harder still for me to imagine that Jesus is also God… I guess mostly because the pictures in my mind are imitations of what the world has offered me – a nativity scene or a Renaissance painting of the Lord’s supper….

It is hard to imagine that God loved us enough to come down in human form, to meet us face to human face….

Thank goodness, God is bigger than my imagination

An Intimate Moment with Mary and Joseph

One of the first things that struck me as I read the Scripture verses [Luke 2:1-7] was how, if we aren't careful, we might miss the sovereign working of God through the lives of the "big wigs" [big government officials] down to the "little people" [the Innkeeper, Joseph and Mary] who humbly obeyed the Lord.

Caesar Augustus is the 'big government' which issued the decree which helped bring Joeseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It was a fulfillment of prophecy from Micah 5:2. And, I see Joseph's character was such that he was obedient to the laws.

As Joseph is going, so goes Mary. Her character shows that she was obedient, too. And most notably, she wasn't a complainer. (I will share with you right now that I AM a complainer and I certainly was during my pregnancy!) Can you imagine being that close to your due date and having to ride a donkey for 70 or 80 miles? Along with her compliant attitude she exhibited trust and flexibility. What a special time for them to share together as they travel and arrive in Bethlehem.

The twist in all of this is that it was the pagen authority, who was responsible for bringing Jesus to Bethlehem. Caesar unknowingly becomes the servant of God's purpose. The promise is fulfilled through the actions of the unlikeliest of people. It goes to show, that indeed, God is Lord of all the earth and there is no power not under His authority. In fact, it brings to mind the verse in Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD, He turns it wherever He wishes."

Then they arrive at the inn and there is no place to stay. I would dare say Mary was feeling the labor pains after riding the donkey for several days. As the author describes how difficult the birth would be for both the mother and the child he makes this statement, "For every royal privilege for this son ended at conception." Imagine the Creator of the universe humbling Himself to become what He had created. That brings to mind the verses in Philippians 2:6-8, "...Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Christ voluntarily assumed the limitations of a human body and human nature. He limited His power and knowledge. Amazing!

The next part which really spoke to me was, "And so, with barely a ripple of notice, God stepped into the warm lake of humanity. Without protocol and without pretension." Think of what all takes place when we install our president. Yet, here is God Himself, arriving in the world. This family, this couple, had been hand selected by God the Father to be the human parents, the caretakers and nurturers of Christ, the Creator of the universe.

Finally, in the author's prayer, and I quote, "...your birth has to teach...that divine power is not mediated through strength, but through weakness; that true greatness is not achieved through the assertion of rights, but through their release; and that even the most secular of things can be sacred when you are in their midst." The world doesn't think this way, probably can't even understand this type of thinking. Again, I am seeing humility and obedience surfacing to the top. God the Father required both of His own Son. How much more humble and obedient should we be? How much hardship and inconvenience am I willing to endure to be used by God?

Here we are witnessing the submission of Jesus Christ, God the Son, to birth!! Think on that!! So what could happen when I [and you] submit myself, in humility, to others? To my husband? To my established government? To God's movement and directing in my life? I need to be just like Mary and Joeseph, who were two "little people", I must live each day by faith in humility, trusting God who is in charge of the overall "big" picture.

Mary and Joseph

There are many Christians who refuse to think of God as a "work in progress", that the very thought that God could grow and learn is somehow irreverant. Yet, to me, the entire Bible is filled with such evidence, and the whole becoming human thing is the best example. How could God truly know what it is to be human without the actual experience? It's the audacity and willingness to even consider such a move that leaves me in total awe. While it irritates me to read in this chapter that Joseph had to help deliver the baby by himself… (how does he know that? was he there? I don't think so!) it is one possibility and one of the stories we tell to make everything about Jesus birth, life and death… more. But He didn't need to be more to be God, and in this case he settled for less… out of some incomprehensible Love we aren't able to begin to understand. Amazing Grace.

An Intimate Moment with Mary & Joseph

My day at work Monday is going to be chaotic so I'm posting a bit early...

***************

"And hands that once sculpted mountain ranges cling to her finger."

This is the line that did me in all day. I keep thinking about how many times in my life I’ve had to start over again, practically from scratch, to begin something new and how it can exciting but also frustrating! It’s one thing to commit to taking a cut in pay to try a new job avenue but totally another to have yourself reduced to the size and intellect of a newborn baby.

I think in the short time that I’ve been reading and studying about Jesus, it has always been his death that has transfixed me. That He would come down from His thrown in heaven to endure what He did so that I could one day join Him – it’s always overwhelmed me. But now, looking at it from this angle, it seems to be even more of a stretch to my mind that He would endure this human life for all of us.

He gave up everything for us and He did it not once, but twice - at the beginning of His life as well as at the end. And He did it knowing that even with these sacrifices, He still wouldn’t be able to save us all.

It’s just amazing how He loves us…

An Insightful Moment with Mary

Well I grew up Catholic and in my family Mary was a focal point. Mary was revered and yet I never really understood her. Why was she so important? Confused and uncertain. Like Jules, it was after our pastor spoke on Praying Great Prayers and focused on Mary's prayer that I began to see her as a person.

I saw her fully that night. Realizing that she wasn't just a statue. She was a woman who feared, loved and served our God. She surrenders her life to Him. There are no guarantees that she won't face ridicule, the possible end of her engagement, and possibly even death.

She lays her life at His feet and accepts the will of God.

This made me think of the Princess Bride and the famous line, "As you wish"

That's what I want my life to be like. To be still within my heart, to trust and know God with all that I am. To be able to say to Him, "As you wish, let it be done to me as you say."

How I wish I could say that all of me and all of my life was surrendered like that. But there are still many places in me that fight for their own way. I am still very much a work in progress longing for the day when my heart is fully transformed into the image of my blessed and most amazing Savior Jesus Christ.

For now, I can feel at peace that I can have some Mary moments when my heart is surrendered to God's will and to keep up the good fight against those pieces of me that want to dwell in the dark.

Journeying on to a heart fully His
Amen, eh?

An Insightful Moment with Mary

About a month ago, pastor did a series of messages on prayer and one of the ones he chose to highlight and discuss indepth was the prayer that Luke writes about in Chapter 1, verse 46 known as "The Magnificat." I had read through Luke earlier in 2005 but I had missed the importance of that prayer - I had totally blown right by it in my eagerness to quickly devour the New Testament. I was approaching the bible like a users manual - "must know the words before they'll let me in the door" kind of thing.

That night at church was the first night that Mary became a three-dimensional person to me. I had no idea that she had been only 15 years of age when the angel Gabriel had come upon her, or that she was a lowly peasant woman who was only recently betrothed to marry Joseph. I had never heard the prelude to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ - it had always started with a donkey ride to Bethlehem. When I heard the story that night, it was like somebody was playing the words in stereo - I could see and hear and feel Mary for who she was for the very first time in my life.

My favorite line in this chapter comes from the prayer at the end. The response to the famous line that Mary speaks to Gabriel, "I am your servant. May it be to me as you say" catches in my throat when the prayer asks us to wonder if the words are really true. Am I really His servant? Am I willing to submit to whatever plans He has for my life, regardless of the risk, the cost, the consequence?

This is the same line I have asked myself every single day since that night back in March of 2005 when my life was altered in an instant. Would I ever get to the point where I would do anything for God? Would I give anything I have to God if He but asked? Would I really set down everything in my life for God and simply walk away if that was His will? Or, would my own humaness and sinful ways make me stop for even just a nanosecond to pause and reflect if He would be worth the sacrifice? Where would I draw the line, I've wondered? How much am I going to be able to give? And, even scarier, how much will He ask?

These questions haunt me still...

Insightful Moment with Mary

The thing that makes me scratch my head, is that so much credence is given to Mary's immediate unquestioning response. I'm an impetuous risk-taking kinda girl myself, and if an angel appeared to me I could see myself saying "okay let's go for it."

It's her perseverance after the initial yes that keeps me in awe of her. Nobody told her until later she would have to give birth away from home, in desperate surroundings, that she'd be fleeing for her child's life within months of his birth; that her son would grow to manhood only to be misunderstood, misjudged, and killed like a criminal right before her eyes.

Say yes to God and it doesn't make your life any easier, in most cases it makes it worse. Maybe she knew that when she said yes, maybe not. But the fact that she hung in, in spite of everything that came later… faithful mother, faithful servant of God… that's the insightful piece for me.

An Insightful Moment with Mary

Ah… my son got his name from the angel in this story, that was my first thought…

My second thought goes to Zechariah – and how often, even in today’s time, it is the most “religious” people who still need a sign before they submit to God…

But what really struck a chord with me was Mary, mother of God… you have to think that she knew the prophecy, all the Jews did, they were waiting for the Messiah, and you hoped he would come in your lifetime so you could witness it and maybe get something out of it… but I cant help thinking that, like me, Mary was looking for the Messiah as already full-grown, not yet to be born

How interesting to think that you would be the one to physically bring God into this world, to be responsible for protecting him, for rearing him, for teaching him…. I can only think this must have been terrifying – God is dependent on YOU

As a mother, these thoughts go through your head your whole pregnancy…. Will I be a good mother? How will I know what to do? What if something happens? But as soon as you see that face for the first time, you fall in love and you know there is nothing that will hold your heart as close as that baby (except for maybe the next baby), and you will give all you have to protect that child and love that child with all of your being…

But as terrifying as the thought of raising your own child is, imagine being responsible for God’s child…. What pressure, what privilege… What can you teach God that He doesn’t already know? How can you be responsible for correcting God? But ahhh… the privilege of making God smile, watching Him grow…

I watched The Passion of the Christ when I was pregnant. I had heard the critic reviews and was full well expecting to have to hide my eyes from the violence. The violence didn’t bother me at all, actually it was less than I had perceived b/c I knew the torture of the cross. There was only one part that got to me – that had tears streaming down my face….

Jesus is walking the road to Calvary, carrying the burden of the cross. His mother watching from the sidelines, nothing else she can do. And Jesus stumbles… and it brings back a memory to Mary of Jesus as a small child. He is running to her and He falls, and she runs to Him, scoops Him up, and makes it all better. She cant do that now, and it breaks her heart.

Did she know what she was accepting when she submitted? Did she know that He was only hers to have and hold for a little while? Was she ready to give her heart so wholly, knowing that it would be ripped out later? Was the privilege worth the price of a mother’s heart? Of being the mother of God?

This post reminded me a lot of Mark Lowry’s song, Mary Did You Know?, which my husband sang for Christmas this year….

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am

“May it be to me as you say” – am I living this whole heartedly for God? Am I giving Him everything that I have, everything He deserves? And even if Im able to say it, am I willing to live it?

An Insightful Moment with Mary...

Luke 1:26-38 is one of my many favorite passages of Scripture because of what one can glean out of it. As I look at Mary I see tremendous humility which leads to great faith. I believe the kernel of true humility is faith...is trusting in God.

Mary was a very special young woman who found favor with God and who has a lot to teach us about that kernel of humility, of faith. From looking at Mary I find that when it comes to faith and favor with God, they have nothing to do with age, as Mary was only a young teenage woman. They also have nothing to do with wealth or position since Mary had neither. And, finally, they have nothing to do with gender as Mary was a woman, which, in her day, made her next to unusable.

I'm convinced that faith and favor with God have nothing to do with the externals in our lives. Instead, they have everything to do with how we respond to those externals.

This chapter shares about Zechariah. Before the angel came to visit him it is pointed out that there had been no word from God. Realize that 400 years have passed since the conclusion of Malachi. There has been over 500 years since there had been a miracle. These are known as the "silent years." Don't you wonder what happens when God is silent...or seems to be silent? What were the people doing? What did they believe?

Well, Zechariah and Elizabeth served God. They looked with anticipation for the promised Messiah. They sought to live a righteous life before God.
Look at Zechariah's unbelief. Can you believe it? The most exciting event to happen in your life has just occurred and you can't tell a soul! Undoubtedly Zechariah suffered the consequence of his unbelief. Life is difficult. That is a fact. However, God asks no man whether he will accept life. There is no choice there. The only choice we have is how we live it.

Zechariah was old, he was a priest. But Mary was young. This is where it gets exciting for me. Mary was, most likely in her young teens, yet her faith in God was well formed by such a young age. This is an area as a mother that struck me at my heart. If you are a mother, what are you doing to help cultivate the faith of your daughters and sons? By age 12 or 14 Mary had already learned to trust in God and in His Word. Could this be said of you? And, while we are on the topic of faith, what are you doing to cultivate your faith?

I see Mary exhibiting the kind of faith you and I must nurture in ourselves and in our children. Mary sets the example for us, regardless of age and status, that if women will love, obey, and trust in Him, God can use any woman.

In today's society, women think they aren't anyone special or they have too many weaknesses, or they need more education or more 'something'...the list can go on and on. Or they think they are too special. But Mary's humble life teaches me that I can enjoy His favor. Do you want to do extraordinary things for God? Then begin by simply loving and obeying God. That is what qualifies us to be used by God. Mary exhibited a faith that was pleasing to God's sight and therefore, she found favor with Him.

Ready for Chapter Two?

I still haven't heard from Dale, but am hoping she still joins in. Claire has been having problems getting her invitation accepted but I think we might finally have the problem resolved, so she should be joining us shortly!

Today is the day to read chapter two! Let it sink in for a day and we'll start posting again tomorrow.

I was thinking, once we get past this first week and everyone gets a copy of the book in their hot little hands, perhaps the following schedule will work:

Read new chapters every Sun, Tues, & Thur.

Post on new chapters every Mon, Wed, & Fri.

Of course, feel free to follow at your own pace but I think with as short as the chapters are, we'll be able to handle three in a week. If that's too much for someone, they can post about their one favorite chapter each week and skip posting on the other two.

Remember...this is supposed to be FUN! Don't pressure yourself to follow a set schedule but I think posting all on the same day will keep us from wondering who is posting on what chapter.

Have a great day everyone!

A Couple of things...

Looks like a few of our members are still looking for books so we won't be sitting with a full house for awhile, so we'll take it slow for the first week or so.

How about we plan on reading the second chapter in the book on Wednesday and begin posting our thoughts for that chapter on Thursday? Remember, the goal is to let the chapter sink in and see if it brings up anything extra beyond what your first impression is. I already think its amazing that four of us have posted and found four different things to focus on. It's like getting four books for the price of one!!!

Also joining our group will be another member from my church, Francine. She's just going to post as a commenter though, so keep your eyes open for her. She's the artistic/program director at North Heartland so she should add another interesting perspective!

Don't forget to go back and read comments below each post, too. There's lots of good chat going on below each post. Rule of thumb...if you can say it in a paragraph, comment it. If you find yourself writing a novel...make it a new post!

Addie also had a good idea for each of us to choose a color and post in that color so we can easily tell who's posts we're reading. She's using green and I've decided to try a lovely shade of blue. Not a mandatory thing, but might make it easier in the long run.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! It's not too late to round some of your friends up to join in. And, of course, men are always welcome, too!

His Tree

Well thanks to Jules who let me borrow her book for a bit until mine arrives from Amazon!

This is the first book I've ever read by Ken Gire though I've heard lots of good stuff about him.

My first thought as I read this was how our Sr. pastor, Rick, discussed this idea of Jesus' family tree in a sermon not too terribly long ago. He talked about how unusual it was to see the women's names in there which was not customary at the time and how it was interesting that there were several "sinners" in the tree.

I thought about myself and how far I am from where I want to be and yet God still works in and through me.

These were my initial thoughts but as the day went on and even this morning, I find myself focusing more on the last part of Gire's prayer. The part about seasons of our lives. I think about how most of my spiritual growth has come in difficult times, in the fall and winter of my life. Hard times. Times when I was broken and forced to depend on God.

I realize that far too often I'm like a kid wearing shorts in November's windy and chilly weather hoping to hang on to summer. So often, I'm scared and afraid of what the hard times will bring and yet I know they always equal times of stronger dependence on God, more awareness of just how much my Lord Jesus Christ has done for me, and just how far I fall short of God's glory.

It is in these seasons, when I stop trying to pretend I have it all together and that I can make my life work. I stop trying to be everyone's personal savior and I entrust them to God and what He wants to do in their lives. It's at times like these that I realize I have NOTHING to boast about except for what God in His amazing grace has done in and through me. For He is God and I am not. So as scary as it is to say, "God have your way in me. Good and bad and ugly. Whatever today brings, whatever season I find myself in, let me stay firmly rooted in you. You are my root, my foundation, apart from You I can do nothing."AMEN!

Jumping in...

After a disappointing trip to our local Borders, where the only Ken Gire book on the shelf was The North Face of God, I finally ordered a copy through Amazon.com. It'll be here tomorrow. But we're having blizzard weather in Brewster, NY, so maybe not. Thanks to Amazon's willingness to pdf the whole book, though, I was able to read the first chapter. (far be it for a nun to be found guilty of not reading the assignment! Can I ever hold up under this pressure?)

My first thought was why only name five of the mothers in this lineage? I am probably totally mistaken in this, but somewhere I heard that in the Jewish faith the lineage was always traced through the mothers, not the fathers. So Mary would have had to be of the lineage of David, not Joseph. Can anyone shed some light on this burning discrepancy? Inquiring minds want to know.

An Insightful Moment Under a Tree

I hope Im doing this right... (I think Ill use green whenever I post, so its easier to identify who is speaking, if thats ok)

So what did I get out of the first lesson, An Insightful Moment Under a Tree, was more of a confirmation than anything. At church yesterday morning, God spoke to me and said that “I use women too.”

Growing up in the Bible belt, its always been an underlying theme that men are the leaders. That is who God uses, and you know, women can take over what ever is left – whatever is too lowly for the men to do – like teach Sunday School or whatever.

I don’t think I ever really believed that, although it was still in the back of my mind. Yet somehow, I refused to be the leader, unless it was the jobs that no one saw. Which I don’t mind doing, they have to be done, so Ill be the servant – Ive never been one for the spotlight when it comes to service.

Ive noticed recently that God is calling me to something big – He hasn’t told me what it is exactly, but I know it’s a leadership position… Ive pretty much been making excuses and telling God that He doesn’t want ME for that, someone else would be better – maybe a man – yeah, a man is much better – he can be a leader….

And then again, last night as I was reading the lesson…. There it was, women – listed in Jesus’ family tree…. This is not a common practice, if Im not mistaken… during this time, women were pretty much deemed as property, and to have your name listed was important in and of itself, but to be listed alongside with the men? Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah’s wife (Bathsheba – she was important to the story, but did not merit a name in this passage), and Mary… all of these women that were named acted on faith – going against cultural norms, and seizing the opportunity God had placed before them… how many other women were given the same opportunities but passed them by – how many missed the chance to be written into history with honor?

So… do I keep saying, no, God, I don’t want this opportunity, or to I start taking responsibility and go where Im asked to – without question, whole-heartedly? Its up to me to decide who I want to please – men or God? Which just so happened to be my memory verse for last week… “Am I still trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10

My favorite quote from this lesson is about a sentence after Jules, which is really cool, since we’ve applied them in different ways… “That He [God] works in us, and through us, and, more often than not, in spite of us. That He works with us, as a gardener works with his garden…. Whatever it takes to bring it to fruitin. Or however long it takes.”

Chapter One: Under the Tree

What a beautiful way to start this series!

I always knew that Jesus came from such strong, wonderful, God-fearing people as Abraham and King David, but never before realized all the imperfection and sin that formed some of the other branches of His family. It made me look at my own family tree and realize all families have branches in need of pruning, branches that grow in less than perfect locations or even ones that choke the life out of the other branches around them. No one comes from a "perfect" family - including Jesus Christ.

I think my favorite line in this first chapter was, "That God's purposes are not thwarted by our humanity, however weak and wayward it may be." I envision Him as a master chess player, able to counter any move a man might make and then make something good come out of it. Because of that, every life has reason; every life has purpose.

Blogging Invites

If you're one of the ones who said "I want in!" you'll need to hit the "accept invitation" email before you can post as an author on this blog. So far, Claire Joy is the only one out of the four of you that has done that. If you didn't receive your invitation, email me and I'll figure out what went wrong and send you a new one. Otherwise, your wonderful input will be relegated to the comment section and we want your voice heard front and center!

The Countdown Begins!

The book club is growing! We're one day away from starting the book, "Moments with the Savior" by Ken Gire and so far we have the following people who are taking the plunge with us:

Addie is the one who first got me thinking about a book club. I mentioned wanting to read this book while my pastor does a five-week series on Jesus Christ and she said, "I loved that book. I would love to read it again. Let's read it together!" Hence, the idea for the book club was born. Addie's main blog is "Diary of a Gwenabee" and she is married with one young son, Gabe. She and her husband, Daniel, work with the youth in their church. Addie and family live in Crawford, Mississippi.

Claire, better known to bloggers as "Pilotmom" comes to us from her blog, "Claire Bug". She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, Jim, and her mom (who we all refer to as "Nana".) She has one son, James, who just recently graduated from "pilot school" and is now flying with the other big, bad boys in the U.S. Air Force.

Next to join was one of my new favorite bloggers, Sr. Claire Joy, who blogs over at "Flavor of the Month." She's a real live nun (!) and I think this is going to add a wonderful color to things as we go along. Claire Joy lives in a monastery in Brewster, New York.

After a nice lunch and a little arm twisting came Shannon, a.k.a. "Starbuck's Junkie." Shannon, as some of you might remember, was recently my church mentor; now she's become my friend. Shannon lives about a five-minute drive from me in Kansas City, Missouri and is an Associate Pastor at our inter-denominational church, North Heartland Community Church. Shannon is happily married to Price, and they have two beautiful children, Stephen (8) and Maya (2). Oh, and Shannon has a pug named Elly.

As for me, you can find me over at my blog, "Faith or Fiction? " where I have been blogging since this past May. I am a 45-year-old single woman who shares her home with a spunky little pug named Gracie. I 'found' God again this past March (okay, who moved him this time???) and now I attend church at North Hearland, where I first met Shannon.

I'm not sure what everyone's religious denominations are so I'll let them throw that knowledge into the pot when we start boiling the soup here next week but I think we're in for as diverse a group from a Christian standpoint as we are from a geographical one! If anyone else wants to pony up and jump on the bandwagon, email me at faithorfiction@att.net and I'll send you an invitation to join the book club blog. Otherwise, anyone is welcome to comment on our comments in this blog's comment section. (Sorry, that was too much fun...I couldn't resist!)

After this book is read, digested, tossed about, and rehashed, we'll pick a new one. If you'd like to join in at that time, you know where to find me! We'd LOVE to have you become a part of all this. Our intent is to see the book from each person's eyes - through their thoughts, their life experiences and their religious beliefs in order to expand and grow our understanding of who Jesus Christ is/was/and will always be. Feel free to stop by again on Monday, January 16th when we'll begin discussing the first chapter of Ken Gire's book, "Moments wiht the Savior."

Join The Party!

We're starting a Christian book club! Want in? Email me at faithorfiction@att.net and we'll add you to our roster so you can post your thoughts on the book as we travel through the world of Christian-inspired books together.

Up first will be Ken Gire's "Moments With The Savior." We chose this book for a couple of reasons:

1. We had a desire to grow closer to Jesus Christ and this book offers insight into his life and ministry while he was here on earth.

2. We wanted something that would be inspirational as well as quick and easy to read. This book offers both! The chapters are short (3-5 pages) and include something from scripture, something to meditate on and also include a daily prayer.

We'll begin reading the first day's chapter on Sunday, January 15th and will spend the day reflecting and thinking on that chapter. Any time you want to post your thoughts and feelings about that chapter you may, be we think it wise to take a full day to really let each chapter sink in and see where God draws your heart before beginning to write about how it affected you.

Our goal is to push each other past what we would normally see and experience the book from other people's viewpoints and a variety of life experiences. We are hoping this will increase our awareness of how Jesus works inside our every day lives as well as give us a deeper understanding of his life and ministry.

If you want to just lurk around and see what we come up with, that's fine by us! If you have questions about God as Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, we'll be happy to answer or guide you towards answers in any way we can. (You can leave a comment here or you can email me at the email address listed above.) But, considering you can buy this book for less than $13 at Amazon.com, why not join the party? Is there anything He loves more than to see us all gathered in a community setting praising His name and sharing how He touches our lives?

So c'mon...join the party!