Be Quiet!!?? or Share Your Heart??!!

This past Sunday was one of THOSE Sundays.  I had read the Sunday School lesson and it had really sparked something in me.  It was several different feelings. It was disbelief. It was sadness. It was joy. It was just welling up in me and I couldn't stand it.  Well.......our poor Sunday School class heard it all. 

When it was over my sweet Hubby says.."Just share what you think" or something to that note.  I quickly told him to PLEASE elbow me, whisper in my ear or something to tell me to be quiet next time.  He said I was fine.  He was so sweet and supportive but I felt bad because I talked the entire time. It was about to explode and I let it explode in front of a bunch of people that hardly know us......

What got me like this........well, that would come from out Sunday School lesson.  I will type it out for you as a direct quote.  I realize that this person is a evolutionary biologist..  It still just rattled me. 

"In his book The God Delusion, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins emphatically states: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infantaicidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." 

I read this and it totally had me feeling a load of different emotions.  The reason that this was even in the book was the first part of the lesson talking and asking if you find the Old Testament sometimes hard to believe or understand.  The question was posed in the class if we leaned more toward the Old Testament or the New Testament.  Of course my first response was Old Testament.  Of course others talked about the struggle reading through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  Yes, they are difficult.  Yes, there are laws upon law. Yes there are all kinds of people in the books.  This is a series done in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) called "The Life of Moses".  It was one of those times in my life when I literally saw The Word come to life!  I looked for Jesus in every weeks lesson.  Guess what?  He was right there.  Did they miss it?  Yes!  Do we miss it? YES!!!!  The other part is that He provided a way for us to not have to go to The Tabernacle every day with the animal sacrifices, the blood stream flowing out of the tent, the daily rituals that were told.  Instead, I can go to my High Priest at any time.  Sitting in the quiet of my house. Sitting in the car rider line. Sewing on my machine.  He is there and I can be in His presence.  Makes me that much more grateful for living on this side of the cross!!!!

The quote saddened me.  First, he is not a believer.  Second that anyone could believe such about my Savior.  Thirdly, some Christians don't read the Old Testament with the excitement and enthusiasm.  Yes, He is a God of Order and without it, our world would be chaos.  Yes, we get frustrated with the Israelites because they are short tempered, they try to take a short cut, they do things 90%.  Guess what, you and I are just like them.  We do the same thing. 

What about you?
Where do you like to read, Old Testament or New Testament? 
Why do you read that part? 
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite verse?
If you have one, what is your life verse?
If you have one, what is your verse for your children?
For sure something to think about.  Are you looking for Jesus?  He's here!!!!!!
For our sweet Sunday School Class.....thank you so much for letting me share my heart on Sunday!!!

His Word is Alive and Active

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm_______(anything).  I was looking this morning and it just seemed to leap of the page so I will lead us in a look at Psalm 34:1-3 in just a minute.  Yesterday, I had Community Bible Study.  WHAT A BLESSING! I knew when I went that I was suppose to be there.  We had literally just moved here.  I had looked on line for a Bible Study Fellowship class and there are none to be found except down next to the gulf and that is TOO far to drive.  I heard about how they do this class and that was just what I needed. 
Another amazing fact is that I had just posted about wanting JUST Him and His word and not what He said to someone else.  I needed to hear from Him.  It was clear in just talking to the sweet woman that I met the first day.  Her comment was something like....."We have done other studies but there is just something about just scripture and and questions."  Ok, I was hearing this and just about to jump up and down realizing that He had put me here.  God is so very Good!!!!!!! 
I hope that what you are reading and learning here is really helping you.  I hope that you are studying for yourself.  Get into His word.  YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY!!!!!!

Let's get started. 
Psalm 34:1-3.....Yes, I'll type it out for you.......hahaha

vs1-I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
vs 2-My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
vs 3-Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

I have highlighted some of the words that just leap on the page.  Another reason is the fact that they have these little tiny numbers in my Bible.  I have a Key Word Study Bible.  It is truly a treasure!!!  It has the Hebrew and Greek words in the back so that you can really dig into what you are reading.  It is just wonderful.  So, back to where we were. 

Extol- means to bless, praise, be blessed, to pray, to ask a blessing of.  We of course don't use the word extol in our everyday language and some don't even know what it means.  I know I didn't. 

Always- of course we know this one.  That is a given.  Here is means- duration, extension, continuance, continually, daily, at all times, without interupption......I'll let you chew on that for a few minutes!!!!!!

Lips- of course we get the physcial.  Here we take it a little farther---speech, testimony, external manifestation of an individual's character and disposition, whether good or bad. 

Soul- Life- breathe and be refreshed

Hear- give undivided attention, to understand what you have heard. to obey, give heed to

Glorify- Magnify- to make great and powerful.

Now you may ask why in the world would we go through all of that and the research and the reading and writing and digging.  Well, this is where it is all I can do to type this fast enough.  I get so very excited with the possiblity of sharing what scripture says..........

Let's look back at the scripture and put in some of the definitions that we have looked at........

I will give praise to the Lord at all times;
His praise will constantly, continually, daily, at all times, without interuption be in my speech, my testimony, a part of my character and disposition.
My life and breathe will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted give undivided attention to understand and listen and obey and rejoice.
Magnify and make Him great and powerful with me; let us exalt his name together.

DO YOU SEE?????  Can you contain yourself??!!!  I can't help but just want to shout.......His word is RICH!  His word is Powerful!!!!!!! 

May His Word Go Out Today!!!!

Are You Ready????

OK, so the other week we had time to sit and go through what my quiet time looked like and what yours might look like.  I am trusting that you have had some time to maybe get yourself to the place where you have what you need and what is going to benefit you. 
We were having some Internet difficulty so I wasn't able to post like I had wanted to but the Lord has fixed that problem so we must pick back up and keep this going.  I was thinking on what and where we should go for today.  I figure the best place is the beginning.  This is a set of scripture that is near and dear to my heart for so many reasons.  If my memory serves me right, this is one of the first scriptures that I learned how to do this 3 question approach.  The night that I learned this, the words literally leaped off the page.  At the same time, there was a group of women there and to hear them reading the same scripture and receive something so different yet from the same scripture and what the Lord had to say to them......it was amazing!!!!!!

John 15:5-8.....I'll even be nice and type it out for you.....
vs 5- "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
vs 6- If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
vs7- If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
vs 8- This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

What does the scripture say? (Remember this is not for your English Teacher!)
He=vine, I=branches
Remain in him and him in me=bearing much fruit
Apart=nothing
Do not remain=branch thrown away/withers/such is picked up and thrown in fire and burned
Remain in him-His words remain in me=ask whatever you wish=done for you.
To the Father's glory=bear much fruit-showing yourselves as his disciples

What does it mean?  (No English Teacher)
He is the vine and I am the branches.
Remain in Him and Him in me, I will bear fruit
Apart from Him, I can do NOTHING
Don't remain we are like a withered branch that is thrown into the fire and burned
Remain in Him and His word remains in me, I can ask for whatever and it will be done.
To His glory that I will bear much fruit showing myself as a disciple.

What does it mean to me? (THIS IS PERSONAL)
I am going to be really bold and write out what it says to me.  This maybe totally different for you.  It could be the same or just similar.  My challenge for you is for you to read over it and then turn off your computer, iPad, iPhone, or whatever you are reading from and just spend time with an index card writing or a spiral notebook/journal writing.  Really listen and just let Him use it to speak to you.
This is what I would write........
He is my vine and I am the branches- am I in the Vine?  am I connected?  Am I bearing fruit?  Is my fruit His product that is a sweet aroma to Him or is it something I have tried to create on my own that is stinky and smelly?  Am I remaining in Him and am I allowing Him to remain in me 100% or do I have a little 10% over here that I can take care of? 
Do I realize that without Him I can do NOTHING!!!!  If I do manage to do something, does it have eternal worth or will it be burned up as a wilted and withered branch? 
If I remain in Him and He in me, I can ask for whatever I wish and it will be done for me.  The key is that if we are connected and He is in me and I am in Him, what I want is what He wants.  What does He want of me?  That is more important that anything else.
My fruit that I bear because He is in me and I am in Him, will be to His glory and not to mine.  Because I bear such fruit, I will show myself as His disciple.  Am I producing fruit as His disciple?  If so, what is it?  Is it a sweet smelling aroma to Him?


This was a brutally honest post in the 3rd question.  I pray that those of you that are taking the time to read and apply will be just be completely and totally honest with the Lord.  I'm not asking to see your "homework" but the Lord will.  What did you get out of it?  Is He speaking to you?  He longs for that relationship with all of us.  What are you doing to grow that relationship?  I pray that this is a start.  For those of you that have been doing this for years, PLEASE KEEP GOING AND GROWING!!!!!!  Please let me know how this ministers to you!!!!!!!!!!!

Bible Study

I am one to admit first that I LOVE BIBLE STUDY!!!!!  I have some that I would do over and over and over.  I also have those women that have written studies that I have done that I would do again and again. Like most of us we all have those "Teachers" that we could listen to all of the time.  I just love being involved and helping get them started and seeing the women come and listen and get so very excited and walk away changed!  Some that I have heard and many of you I am sure have either heard them teach or read a book or even done one of their studies...
Beth Moore
Priscilla Schirer
Kay Warren
Kay Arthur
Patsy Clairmont
Anne Graham Lotz
and some personal ones.....
Marsha Judy
Joann Hampton
Suzanne Billips
Peggy Bouras
Natasha Robinson

Of course I could go on and on about them.  My most favorite are the ones from Bible Study Fellowship and Disciplers and those Marsha has written. For me there is a big difference. BSF, Disciplers and Marsha's studies are ones that what you have laid out in front of you is your questions and your Bible. That's all.  There is not anything else to read. You are not reading a commentary or what the Lord said to someone else. You are hearing Him directly to you.  HEAR ME CLEARLY!!!!  I LOVE ALL OF THESE OTHER BIBLE STUDIES AND THE TEACHERS!!!!!!!  At this point in my life and where I am, I am hungry for questions and scripture. It is a matter of preference and even your place in your Christian journey with the Lord. 
His word is rich.
His word is alive.
His word is active. 
Pick it up and read it!!!!!
It will change your life. 
I promise you that!

Maybe you are like me when I first started REALLY studying.  I had no clue how. I didn't know where to start. I didn't know what scripture to use or how to figure it out.  That is where Marsha came into the picture.  She patiently taught me.  I'm so grateful for her.  I want to start by giving you a couple of tools that I use.  THIS IS NOT WRITTEN IN STONE!  You have to do it for yourself.  What works for me may not work for you. Adjust it to fit you and your time with the Lord.  He will bless you!  He will meet you where you are I promise.  YES, if the other Bible studies work for you AND you are being changed...by all means stick with them.  They are very Godly women and I would go to any speaking engagement that I could.  This is just another tool. 

Tomorrow, I will post some of the tools that I use.  Then you can choose what would work for you.  Are you excited?
Are you ready to hear from Him?
Are you ready for a new journey?
Are you ready to experience Joy in your Journey with Him?
Join me tomorrow and lets see what He does.......