What I'm Reading
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The Scarlet Thread
Read this quote three times. If this is a new thought to you, I get it. The author, R. T. Kendall, says it so beautifully. I found it in one of his books I am currently reading, God Meant It For Good, and was reminded of not understanding this in the past. Years ago I only wanted to read the New Testament, you know, because it made more sense than all the kings, pagan nations, and prophets found in the Old Testament. In fact, when I first began serving at LifeWay Beth Moore’s first study, A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place, was about to be released. I couldn’t understand why…
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Everything?
How many days a week do you feel blessed? 5 out of 7? 2 out of 7? 7 out of 7? Something new stood out for me as I read (AGAIN) the story of Abraham’s life. It’s a simple verse in Genesis 24. “Abraham was now old, getting on in years, and the LORD had blessed him in everything.” Genesis 24:1 At first glance, it doesn’t appear to be more than a simple comment about Abraham, but something stood out to me that hadn’t before. As I reflected on what he had already experienced as he followed God in obedience, I thought, “EVERYTHING?” What about leaving his homeland and family…
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Mysterious Purpose
Why does it sometimes take pain to push us to grow deeper in Christ? If I could answer I’d be really brilliant. I can’t even explain it to myself in a way that totally makes sense because I could never fully explain God’s ways. Why? Because He’s so much wiser than I am and well, you know…He’s so much more in every way than we are. But we do not have to understand Him or fully explain Him to know Him! As I’ve continued reading chronologically, I am studying Job and although he was a righteous man, the devil was allowed to test him by destroying what was important to…
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Genesis…Again?
Yes, again. But I’ve read it multiple times, why again? I just started my 5th D-Group. Each group has lasted a year to a year and a half. Each group reads through the Bible chronologically using Foundations: F-260, New Testament 260, Old Testament 260 or The Bible in a Year. This new group This is using The Bible in a Year by Kandi Gallaty. And guess what, each time we begin in the beginning because, well, chronologically, it teaches about the beginning of time! I know, not a shock to you who know scripture! (insert smile here) So, this week I’m reading through part of Genesis and Job. What in…
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Posts for the Leader
Sometimes I’ve struggled with how much or how little to share personal as I’ve led. Whether we are using social media, sharing one-on-one or in a group setting, we need to be wise. I’ve always been a pretty transparent person, sharing what is going on in my life as I’ve led. But I also have tried to use discretion, wanting to be sure I didn’t hurt another person by what I shared. I didn’t always get it right. This is a great post by Carey Nieuwhof you must read: The Fine Line Between Oversharing and Undershare as a Leader. LifeWay Research provides many helpful posts for leaders. This one refers…
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A “Don’t Worry” Reminder
At the end of 2022, I got a call from my doctor’s office about needing some follow-up scans to ones I’d had a few days prior. Not a call you want to get right before Christmas…or anytime really. Unfortunately, they couldn’t schedule the scans until after the first week of January. My first thought was, “I have to go through the holidays with this on my mind? Wondering if there is an unexpected something that will change my life in 2023.” Yes, I would have to go through Christmas and New Year’s celebrations without knowing if something was wrong. Then, I remembered another time, years ago, when I got a…
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More First of the Year Thoughts
How are you are at memorizing scripture? I remember when Beth Moore wrote the study, James: Mercy Triumphs. She challenged those who did the study to take the plunge and memorize, along with her, the entire book of James! I was in my late 50’s and thought, “there is NO way.” Well, there IS a way. Because I like an impossible challenge occasionally, I decided to try it. It took over a year to get it, but it happened. So don’t say you are “too old!” Since then, I have continued to memorize chunks of scripture. I was challenged, at the beginning of 2023, by the last part of my…
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The Word on Waiting
As “waiting” has been on my heart, and in my advent study, I’ve also been working throuh a Melissa Spoelstra study on Isaiah. (Check the blog category for more on the topic of Waiting) Once again, the Lord has connected it all today as I was in Isaiah 49. The author’s focus was “we can trust God’s timing because He sent His Son, Jesus, just as He promised.” This message is very similar to what I’ve learned through the advent study, Our Hope Has Come! So, yes, Lord, I am listening while I’m waiting and waiting and waiting! I needed this reminder today and wanted to share some great waiting…
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The Waiting of the Second Advent
If you missed the last post, please read The Waiting of Advent first. This week the focus is: how we are to wait for what hasn’t happened yet? How do we wait when we have unmet desires? And especially how do we wait for the second and final arrival of Christ? A reminder, these thoughts were generated by the study of Our Hope Has Come as I led our life group through. Though we are never given exact dates for Christ’s return, we are told what we should be doing. The Great Commission, a few of Jesus’ last words to His disciples, is found in Matthew 28:18-20. “All authority has…
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The Waiting of Advent
This year my women’s life group studied advent through the Bible study, Our Hope Has Come. The major theme is on the waiting. Something most of us do not like to do! I hate waiting! Of course there was the waiting for the arrival of the Messiah for the Jewish nation. He had been promised and God would bring it to pass, but when? Finally, Jesus arrives, granted, not like most people expected. Many didn’t believe. But He came. Today, we wait for his second advent…the arrival of the new heaven and earth for all eternity. We didn’t just study the nativity itself as you might think for a Christmas…
